In a significant development, the IRS has reached a settlement with former President Donald Trump concerning the release of his tax returns. This agreement effectively prevents the IRS from auditing his previous tax filings, marking a renewed chapter in the ongoing debate over Trump’s financial disclosures.

On Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed a pivotal order stipulating that the IRS is “forever barred” from initiating any claims against Trump related to his past tax returns. This move is part of a broader settlement strategy that also introduces a substantial $1.776 billion fund aimed at preventing the misuse of tax information.

This settlement follows Trump’s decision to withdraw his high-profile $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS. The lawsuit had raised eyebrows, given that it involved Trump suing his own administration, leading to a judge’s scrutiny over the authenticity of the adversarial relationship between the involved parties.

Analysts view Trump’s withdrawal of the lawsuit as a strategic maneuver to avoid further legal entanglement, particularly as questions emerged regarding the nature of the case. This settlement, therefore, not only resolves immediate legal disputes but also highlights the intricate dynamics at play in Trump’s long-standing battle over tax transparency.

Here are five essential insights into the settlement:

Trump shielded from IRS probes based on old tax returns

The order signed by Blanche on Tuesday says the IRS “releases, waives, acquits and forever discharges” Trump from any potential action and is “forever barred and precluded” from pursuing any pending matters before the agency.

This includes “tax returns filed before the Effective Date” of the agreement.

“As is customary in settlements, both sides have executed waivers of a variety of claims that were or could have been brought,” a Justice Department spokesperson said in a statement.

“There would be little point in settling several significant claims if either party could simply turn around and seek to [initiate] more adverse claims that could have been pursued previously,” they continued, underscoring that it only applies to existing and not future audits.

As of 2024, Trump was battling an IRS audit that stretched back more than a decade and could potentially have cost him $100 million, according to The New York Times.

Settlement applies to Trump’s companies, family and trusts

The settlement has a wide remit, going beyond the president himself.

It covers Trump and his two oldest sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., as well as the Trump Organization. All were listed as plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the IRS, which they brought in January over a series of leaks by a former IRS contractor between 2019 and 2020.

The agreement also applies to other connected parties, including family members, trusts, related companies, affiliates and subsidiaries.

Experts, critics question legality

Both the newly established “anti-weaponization” fund and the provision shielding prior tax returns from audits are drawing legal scrutiny.

A group of 93 House Democrats filed an amicus brief Monday, seeking to block the creation of the fund. It argued the court should dismiss the underlying lawsuit against the IRS because the president is on both sides of the case.

Two police officers who were working at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Harry Dunn and Daniel Hodges, are separately suing Trump over the fund, which they allege endangers their “lives and safety.”

The lawsuit comes as individuals who were charged for their role in the Jan. 6 riots and later received clemency from the president appear poised to seek payouts.

Dunn and Hodges argue the fund will encourage “those who enacted violence in the President’s name to continue to do so” and “directly finance the violent operations of rioters, paramilitaries, and their supporters who threatened Plaintiffs’ lives that day, and continue to do so.”

Brandon DeBot, policy director of the Tax Law Center at New York University, also suggested Monday that the “anti-weaponization fund” may not be a proper use of the Judgment Fund, which is money held at the Treasury Department to pay court judgments and settlements.

He noted Tuesday that the provision preventing audits of prior tax returns would require action by the IRS to be effective.

“The new release heightens concerns about potential criminal violations of the tax code’s protections against political interference given White House officials’ reported involvement in the settlement negotiations — which demand thorough investigation,” DeBot said in a statement.

“It purports to put the President, his entities, and his family above the tax laws — even though DOJ alone doesn’t have authority to offer those extraordinary protections,” he continued.

Even some Republican lawmakers have questioned the settlement. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-N.C.) said Tuesday he was “not a big fan” of the fund and doesn’t “see a purpose for that.”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) also pressed Blanche during his appearance before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee about the fact that settlements are not typically paid out for “future claims that have yet to be brought.” The acting attorney general responded by describing the fund as “unusual” but “not unprecedented.”

Sets up another fight over Trump’s taxes

The settlement tees up another potential fight over Trump’s taxes, which have long been a subject of controversy.

When Trump first took office, he refused to release his tax returns, dispensing with a decades-old precedent. This resulted in numerous legal battles, one of which reached the Supreme Court, as Democrats on several congressional committees sought access to the president’s financial records.

After years in court, the House Ways and Means Committee gained access to six years of Trump’s tax returns and released them publicly in December 2022.

The latest Trump legal battle

Despite the unique nature of Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, it isn’t the only legal dispute brewing between the president and his own administration.

Trump confirmed last October that his legal team was seeking $230 million from the Justice Department as compensation for previous investigations into his conduct.

According to the New York Times, his claims center on the investigation into possible coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign in 2016 and the FBI’s 2022 search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Fla., related to the classified documents probe. Both were filed before he took office for a second time.

An Arizona man was executed on Wednesday for a gruesome murder in which he set another man ablaze after dousing him with gasoline. This execution is the first of three planned in the United States this week.

The Associated Press reported that 53-year-old Leroy Dean McGill was declared dead at 10:26 a.m. PDT following a lethal injection at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence.

McGill was found guilty of killing James Perez in a brutal 2002 incident at a north Phoenix apartment. According to prosecutors, McGill, who was under the influence of methamphetamine and had been awake for several days, poured gasoline on Perez and his girlfriend, Nova Banta, as they sat on a couch. He then set them on fire.

While Banta survived the horrific assault, Perez succumbed to his injuries.

ARIZONA MAN WHO CONFESSED TO CRUCIFYING PASTOR REQUESTS DEATH PENALTY TO ‘MOVE ON WITH OUR LIVES’

A sign points toward the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence, Arizona, where convicted killer Leroy Dean McGill was executed by lethal injection Wednesday. McGill was convicted in the 2002 killing of James Perez. (AP Image)

Witnesses said McGill appeared calm and did not resist during the execution. Before the procedure began, McGill looked toward witnesses, smiled and nodded, and at one point said, “I’m going home soon,” according to The AP.

Leroy Dean McGill was executed Wednesday at the Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence for the 2002 murder of James Perez in Phoenix. (AP Images)

After receiving pentobarbital, McGill began breathing heavily and made what witnesses described as a snoring sound. Nearly 21 minutes after the IV was inserted, he was pronounced dead.

Arizona faced criticism in 2022 after execution officials struggled to insert IV lines during another inmate’s lethal injection, but witnesses said Wednesday’s procedure appeared to go smoothly.

REPEAT OFFENDER IN ARIZONA GETS LIFE PLUS 10 YEARS FOR FATAL SHOOTING JUST 16 DAYS AFTER PRISON RELEASE

The Arizona State Prison Complex in Florence, Arizona, where Leroy Dean McGill was executed by lethal injection Wednesday. (AP Images)

“I didn’t see any issue at all finding a vein on either arm,” Sean Rice, a media witness from Phoenix television station KPNX, said. Rice added that he noticed a slight twitch on the right side of McGill’s head roughly four minutes before the inmate was declared dead.

“Today’s process went according to plan,” Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry Deputy Director John Barcello said, adding that McGill’s final words were: “I just want to thank everyone for being so accommodating and nice.”

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, whose office advocated for the execution to proceed, said she was thinking of the victims and their families following McGill’s death.

MAN WHO SET BELOVED TEXAS GRANDMA ON FIRE EXECUTED 13 YEARS AFTER HER MURDER

During the trial, Banta testified that McGill warned her and Perez not to “talk behind people’s backs” moments before the attack. Investigators said the pair ran from the apartment after being set on fire.

Another resident used a blanket to extinguish the flames covering Banta, who suffered third-degree burns across most of her body. Prosecutors said Perez died at a hospital while suffering severe pain from his injuries.

Banta later identified McGill in court as the attacker.

SOUTH CAROLINA’S LONGEST-SERVING DEATH ROW INMATE DIES AFTER SPENDING 42 YEARS IN PRISON

A jury took less than an hour to convict McGill in October 2004 of first-degree murder in Perez’s death. Jurors also found him guilty of attempted murder in the attack on Banta, as well as arson and endangerment charges tied to residents who escaped unharmed after the fire spread to a neighboring apartment.

A gurney used for lethal injections in executions is shown in this file photo. (Sue Ogrocki/Unknown)

During sentencing, defense attorneys urged jurors to spare McGill’s life, citing childhood abuse, mental deficiencies and emotional immaturity. Jurors instead imposed the death penalty.

Earlier this year, McGill’s attorneys sought to reopen the sentencing phase in an effort to stop the execution, but a lower court judge denied the request. The Arizona Supreme Court later declined to delay the execution.

FLORIDA EXTENDS EXECUTION RECORD AFTER MAN CONVICTED OF TRIPLE MURDER DIES BY LETHAL INJECTION

McGill declined an interview request from The Associated Press and waived his right to seek clemency.

McGill’s execution marked the 12th carried out in the U.S. this year. Executions were also scheduled Thursday in Tennessee and Florida.

Arizona last carried out executions in 2025, putting to death Richard Kenneth Djerf for the 1993 killings of four members of a Phoenix family and Aaron Gunches for the 2002 fatal shooting of his girlfriend’s former husband.

The state resumed executions in 2022 after an almost eight-year pause caused by problems obtaining lethal injection drugs and scrutiny surrounding the 2014 execution of Joseph Wood, who gasped and snorted repeatedly for roughly two hours after receiving 15 doses of a two-drug combination before dying.

Arizona’s current execution protocol calls for administering two syringes of pentobarbital, a powerful sedative. Following McGill’s execution, 108 inmates remain on the state’s death row.

Authorities delving into the enigmatic demise of a prominent fashion magnate have reportedly turned their attention to his son, following the discovery of several puzzling elements at the scene. These include indications that the billionaire may have “propelled himself” off the cliff.

Isak Andic, the 71-year-old mastermind behind the fashion powerhouse Mango, tragically passed away on December 14, 2024, after a fatal plunge from a 500-foot cliff near his residence in northern Spain.

His 45-year-old son, Jonathan Andic, who was the sole companion with him at the time of the incident, was taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with his father’s death. Although he has not yet been formally charged, a judge released a report on the same day citing “sufficient evidence to consider the suspect criminally responsible for the offense of homicide.”

Jonathan Andic maintains his innocence, with his family stepping forward to publicly support him in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The judge’s report highlights a series of suspicious findings at the crime scene, which have driven investigators to scrutinize Jonathan Andic regarding the alleged murder of his father.

The judge found there was “sufficient evidence to consider the suspect criminally responsible for the offense of homicide,” the report states.

Isak Andic was an experienced hiker who loved the outdoors, and on the day of his death, he was traversing a relatively pedestrian route in the Montserrat National Park with his son, which was a popular site with families and school groups, the report determined, according to the Wall Street Journal and BBC News.

A footmark where Jonathan Andic said his father fell also didn’t support the theory that he slipped to his death, according to the judge’s findings.

Isak Andic’s injuries were inconsistent with an accidental fall, while forensics found it appeared “as if he had launched himself down a slide, feet first,” the report concluded.

Spanish authorities discovered other alleged inconsistencies in his son’s testimony.

At first, he stated that he was walking ahead of his father and didn’t see him fall, but later claimed they were walking together, according to the report.

Jonathan Andic initially told police his father had been taking pictures with his phone moments before he fell, but Isak Andic’s cellphone was discovered in his pocket when the body was recovered, according to authorities.

He reported that his own phone had been stolen during a brief trip to Ecuador, around the same time the media reported the probe into his father’s death being reopened in October 2025.

The son also made three separate visits to the site of the fall in the week prior to his father’s death, raising suspicions that he was carrying out “a planning and study of the site,” according to the judge.

Pointing to the strained relationship between father and son, the judge noted that Isak Andic’s death “may have been non-accidental with active and premeditated involvement.”

No suspected motive has been given for the alleged murder, but the report noted that Jonathan Andic had found out his father planned to change his will.

In mid-2024, Jonathan Andic became aware of his dad’s intention to change his will and create a foundation to help people in need.

It was at this point that Jonathan Andic reportedly tried to improve his relationship with Isak Andic, proposing the hike as a way of the two reconnecting.

Jonathan Andic, who is now chairman of the family holding company, posted bail of $1.16 million shortly after his arrest.

If charged with homicide, he faces a jury trial — the timing of which is unclear — which would place one of Spain’s richest families back in the spotlight.

At the time of his death, Isak Andic — who was born to a Jewish family in Turkey before making his fortune in Spain — was worth roughly $4.5 billion, according to Forbes.

A fresh Hollywood drama is capturing attention this week.

Not long after Nick Lachey revealed that his former spouse, Jessica Simpson, enjoyed first-class travel while her three children and estranged partner Eric Johnson were seated in coach during their recent journey to Hawaii, Simpson has issued a response.

When approached by photographers on Wednesday, Simpson, referring to the claims made by the 98 Degrees alum, now 52, confirmed the scenario as reported by PageSix.

Simpson acknowledged the truth of the situation but clarified that the seating arrangement for the over six-hour flight was beyond her control.

The 45-year-old fashion mogul explained, “My mom purchased those tickets,” emphasizing that she wasn’t responsible for placing Maxwell, 14, Ace, 12, and Birdie, seven, in coach while she enjoyed the comforts of first class.

Just days after Nick Lachey spilled that ex-wife Jessica Simpson flew in first class while her three children and estranged husband Eric Johnson sat in coach, the designer clapped back

She said, yes it was true, but it was not her fault that she sat apart from her kids during the over six-hour flight

‘It was my mom’s treat for us to go to Hawaii,’ added the star. Her mother Tina Ann Drew works with her at Jessica’s thriving fashion empire.

The photographers then had a follow up question: if she were to have booked the tickets herself, would she have sat with her kids? ‘Of course!’ the Dukes Of Hazzard actress replied. 

Simpson was not asked why Johnson was also on the trip with them. 

The former boy bander confirmed TMZ’s reports of the run-in with Simpson during his appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

‘You know it’s been 20 years since… and so we hadn’t seen each other in those 20 years and then spent six and a half hours on a flight to Hawaii together,’ he said. ‘But when I say spent, in the same vicinity.’ 

Lachey revealed he was on the plane with his ‘whole family’, including wife Vanessa Lachey.

But then he added that Simpson was with her mother Tina Ann Drew in first class.

‘Everyone was very, very cordial, very respectful,’ he said. He then added that Simpson’s ex Johnson and their children were also on board, but seated in a different section of the plane. 

Simpson said her mother Tina Ann Drew bought the plane tickets and if it was up to her, they would have all sat together

‘I believe her kids and her – I’m not familiar with where they stand at this point, but her husband? But they were all on the plane, but not with us,’ Lachey said. ‘It was honestly, it was fine!’ 

Cohen then pointed out that the children were placed in a ‘separate class of service.’ 

‘The kids were in a separate class of service?’ Cohen clarified. 

‘Yes,’ an uncomfortable-looking Lachey replied. ‘Separate class of service.’ 

The Daily Mail reached out to Simpson’s representatives for comment. 

Last month TMZ reported that the former couple were left uncomfortable during the run-in.  

Simpson allegedly ‘switched seats with someone in her group’ to distance herself further from Lachey, whose face ‘turned bright red’ upon seeing her.

Once he realized he was on the same plane as his ex, the duo had ‘zero interaction,’ according to the site.  

However a People source described the run-in as ‘amicable and cordial.’ 

Her estranged husband Eric Johnson was in coach with their three kids; seen in 2022 

Lachey is now married to Vanessa Minnillo and they share three children; seen in 2021

‘They all had a nice conversation. Nick, Jessica and [Nick’s wife] Vanessa,’ a source told the site. ‘It was very amicable and cordial.’

Simpson and Lachey met through their manager in 1998, split for five months in 2001 before tying the knot in 2002.

They then starred on the MTV reality show Newlyweds from 2003 to 2005 which made them very famous.

They split in 2006 citing ‘irreconcilable differences’ in their divorce proceedings.

Lachey went on to marry Vanessa Minnillo in 2011 and the pair now share three kids.

In the aftermath of Alex Murdaugh’s gripping double-murder trial, a juror known as the “Egg Juror” is taking a stand against South Carolina officials. She is pushing for the release of sealed records that could shed light on explosive claims of jury tampering by a court official.

Myra Crosby, who was removed from the 2023 high-profile murder trial just before jury deliberations, officially requested on May 18 that the South Carolina Supreme Court lift protective orders. These orders currently conceal investigative documents related to allegations against former Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca “Becky” Hill.

“Transparency serves the public interest and the ends of justice,” asserts Crosby’s motion, underscoring the importance of openness in such significant legal matters.

Crosby, affectionately dubbed the “Egg Juror,” earned her nickname after a humorous courtroom moment when she asked if she could retrieve her eggs and purse before being dismissed from the trial. This lighthearted request brought a moment of levity to an otherwise intense trial, drawing laughter from those present.

The motion argues that with prosecutors acknowledging the conclusion of the jury-tampering investigation, there is no longer a justification for keeping these records under wraps. Crosby’s appeal for transparency highlights the ongoing intrigue surrounding this sensational trial and the quest for clarity in its proceedings.

According to the motion, 11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard acknowledged during a plea hearing for Hill that investigators lacked enough evidence to charge her criminally with jury tampering.

“I don’t know that I have enough based on what we have to even get an indictment,” Hubbard said in a transcript, attached to the filing. “We cannot get a conviction because we cannot prove that case beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Myra Crosby, known as the Egg Juror, exits the Colleton County courthouse in Walterboro, S.C., on March 2, 2023, after being dismissed for misconduct from the Alex Murdaugh double murder trial by Judge Clifton Newman. (Larry Paci/Fox News Digital)

Murdaugh’s defense, including Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, later claimed Crosby’s dismissal was part of a broader effort by Hill to steer jurors toward a guilty verdict.

Crosby became known nationally as the “Egg Juror” after testimony revealed she allegedly discussed the case outside court and made comments involving the cost of eggs. She was ultimately removed from the panel.

Fox News Digital reached out to Murdaugh’s attorneys and the South Carolina attorney general’s office.

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In a poignant ceremony that bridges the past and present, a funeral will honor soldiers who fell nearly 250 years ago.

The remains, likely belonging to over 40 soldiers from the Revolutionary War, are set to receive a dignified burial this Friday in an upstate military cemetery. This solemn event marks a significant moment for the town, as these soldiers’ final resting place will be at Lake George’s Battlefield Park, part of a comprehensive $700,000 memorial initiative.

The discovery of these soldiers’ remains was serendipitous, occurring during a construction project back in 2019. As crews worked below Courtland Street in Lake George, they uncovered an 18th-century cemetery, leading to the recovery of what is believed to be the remains of 44 soldiers.

Following their discovery, the remains were carefully transported to the New York State Museum in Albany. There, researchers dedicated themselves to piecing together the stories of these fallen soldiers from thousands of bone fragments, ensuring their sacrifice and history are not forgotten.

The bones were later transported to the New York State Museum in Albany, where  researchers painstakingly reconstructed the stories of the dead from thousands of recovered fragments.

Julie Weatherwax, a New York State Museum bioarcheology technician, said she spent months examining teeth to determine how many people they’d likely dug up.

“I spent the better part of a year putting together over 800 loose teeth and just trying to recreate the dental arcades for people,” Weatherwax told cbs6albany.com. “And that’s how we actually got the minimum number of 44 individuals was from the dental arcades I was able to put back together.”

A forensic artist also reconstructed the face of what’s believed to be a teenage soldier— offering a personal peek at the people who died while fighting for US independence, the museum said in a press release last week.

“The New York State Museum is deeply honored to have helped restore the stories of the people whose remains were disturbed, ensuring they are remembered not as historical fragments, but as individuals who served and sacrificed,” said New York State Museum Executive Director Jennifer Saunders.

The transportation and re-burial Friday is part of a so-called “Repose of the Fallen” project, and will feature a motorcade will including New York State Police leading nine Korean War and Vietnam-era military trucks.