Regardless of “immunity” (which itself likely would be stricken by a court since it is forward-looking and contradicts the law), Todd Blanche, Donald Trump, and anyone else involved in this need go to jail over this “settlement.”
The “settlement” is built on the fiction that Trump has a viable claim, when in fact Todd Blanche and others at the DOJ were given an IRS memo that put them on reasonable notice that it was barred by the statute of limitations. By agreeing to the settlement when Trump is on both sides of the case despite the fact that there isn’t a viable claim, Trump, Blanche and all other approving parties are impairing the lawful function of the DOJ, to defraud the IRS, and violating this specific criminal statute (if not many others).
https://www.justice.gov/archives/jm/criminal-resource-manual-923-18-usc-371-conspiracy-defraud-us
The statute is broad enough in its terms to include any conspiracy for the purpose of impairing, obstructing or defeating the lawful function of any department of government . . . (A)ny conspiracy which is calculated to obstruct or impair its efficiency and destroy the value of its operation and reports as fair, impartial and reasonably accurate, would be to defraud the United States by depriving it of its lawful right and duty of promulgating or diffusing the information so officially acquired in the way and at the time required by law or departmental regulation.
18 U.S.C. § 371—Conspiracy to Defraud the United States
In summary, those activities which courts have held defraud the United States under 18 U.S.C. § 371 affect the government in at least one of three ways:
- They cheat the government out of money or property;
- They interfere or obstruct legitimate Government activity; or
- They make wrongful use of a governmental instrumentality.
Trump and Blanche are doing all three.
I’m pretty sure this isn’t going to hold up later.
Under the settlement to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit over the 2018 leak of his tax returns to The New York Times, the U.S. is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization’s current tax filings, according to a one-page document released Tuesday. That was quietly added to an original settlement establishing a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people whom Trump thinks were improperly investigated by the government.
“We are allowed to do unlimited tax fraud, and nobody can investigate us. The DOJ that I control told us we could!”
What “later?” Trump will never relinquish power.
Ok - no one has trust in the tax system, my guy. We know it’s mangled beyond recognition.
CPA here who does taxes for hedge funds and PE firms. The tax code is an absolute joke that hurts the middle class and lets the rich get away with paying almost nothing. We all knew that already, just confirming that it is true.
Time to burn this fucker down
Could?
Well hard to undermine trust in a system everyone Already knows is rigged. Though I know this isn’t what was meant :(
Yeah the American tax system is my go to in trustworthy systems.
No no no, that’s impossible. Of course everybody trust the tax system in USA completely. Trust it to favor the rich. And this case will 100% strengthen that trust.
I don’t have to honor any agreement that tool makes with himself. Neither do you.
I assume this will be challenged and found illegal. Anyone have industry knowledge?
I have industry knowledge on bridges, and would be happy to sell you a new one.
He’s done at least a dozen illegal things so far and there’s been no repercussions. We’re past the days of checks and balances. The foxes were elected to run the hen house and the wolves follow their orders.
