Judge Questions Whether Trump Can Sue His Own Government For $10B

She observed that the relationship between Trump and the defendants — the Treasury Department and the IRS — may lack sufficient opposition to move the case forward, according to ABC News. Moreover, although President Trump avers that he is bringing this lawsuit in his personal capacity, he is the sitting president and his named adversaries are entities whose decisions are subject to his direction. Indeed, President Trump's own remarks about this matter acknowledge the unique dynamic of this litigation, she wrote. The IRS is funded by taxpayers, defended by government lawyers paid by taxpayers, and any potential 10 billion payout would ultimately come out of public funds, too. So, in a very real sense, taxpayers would be footing the bill on both sides. The amicus brief, calling it collusive litigation, hints at just how unusual and ethically tangled the whole thing is.read more