Obama-appointed judge torches Trump admin in latest courtroom showdown, refers attorney for Bar review

July 13, 2026 3:25pm EDT / Fox News

Judge Kathleen Williams referred attorneys for disciplinary action and revived scrutiny of the anti-weaponization fund

By Ashley J. DiMella Fox News

IRS CEO Frank Bisignano discusses the debut of Trump Accounts, Social Security’s projected insolvency by 2032 and efforts to secure its future on ‘Sunday Morning Futures.’

An Obama-appointed federal judge in Florida rebuked President Donald Trump’s legal team Monday, finding his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS was brought for an “improper purpose” to legitimize a controversial Justice Department settlement.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams of the Southern District of Florida found the case was brought for an “improper purpose,” rebuked Trump’s legal team and referred attorney Alejandro Brito to the Florida Bar for possible disciplinary action.

“The Parties here are not private actors to a mine-run dispute, recounting their proficiency in the art of the deal they negotiated,” wrote Williams. “Lead Plaintiff and Defendants are public servants—the pinnacle of the Executive Branch—sworn to uphold the law, faithfully perform the duties of their office, and protect the interests of the American public.”

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON $1.8 BILLION ‘SLUSH FUND’ THAT KILLED HIS AGENDA, SPURRED REPUBLICAN REBELLION

US President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with NATO Secretary General on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, on July 8, 2026.(SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Trump, his two eldest sons and the Trump Organization sued the IRS and Treasury Department seeking at least $10 billion in damages for failing to protect his confidential tax information after IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn leaked his records in 2019. Littlejohn pleaded guilty to one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax return and return information.

Williams found that Trump was using the lawsuit to advance his own interests while controlling the federal agency he had sued.

She was appointed by Obama in 2011 and previously served as a Federal Public Defender for the Southern District of Florida.

GOP LEVERAGES ICE FUNDING PACKAGE TO MAKE TRUMP’S CONTROVERSIAL $2B FUND ‘NEVER EXIST’

The IRS (Internal Revenue Service) headquarters building in Washington DC(Getty Images)

Trump envisioned creating an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” from the lawsuit settlement to compensate alleged victims of government “lawfare” as well to halt IRS audits of his finances.

The fund drew an enormous amount of scrutiny from Democrats, calling it a “slush fund” to personally benefit Trump and his allies. The fund was later dropped after political backlash, with DOJ Acting Attorney General moving to walk back that portion of the proposed settlement.

TRUMP SAYS HE WILL NOMINATE ACTING AG TODD BLANCHE TO PERMANENTLY LEAD JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. The Justice Department discussed recent developments in its investigation of the Tren de Aragua gang after the U.S. killed the leader of the Tren de Aragua drug cartel, Nio Guerrero, in a strike carried out with Venezuela’s assistance last month.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The lawsuit puts the controversial anti-weaponization fund back under the microscope as confirmation hearings begin Wednesday for Blanche’s nomination as attorney general.

Williams called out Blanche in her ruling, saying that he appeared to be speaking for both sides of the lawsuit.

“The Court is extremely troubled by the testimony given by Acting Attorney General Blanche on May 19, 2026. In response to why the ‘settlement agreement’ had not been submitted to this Court for review, he stated that ‘there is no judge’ because the case had been dismissed and, therefore, there was “no mechanism” for reviewing the agreement,” wrote Williams.

“While temporally accurate, this answer is, at best, misleading and, at worst, disingenuous,” she added.

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The White House referred Fox News Digital to Trump’s personal attorneys for comment. Fox News Digital reached out to attorney Alejandro Brito and DOJ for comment.

Ashley J. DiMella reports on politics for Fox News Digital.

Trump backs Russia sanctions package spearheaded by Graham

2026-07-13 3:27 PM ET / CNN

By Adam Cancryn

The Kremlin in Moscow on March 14, 2025.

Dmitry Serebryakov/AP/File

President Donald Trump will support the passage of a bipartisan Russia sanctions package that was spearheaded by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, a White House official told CNN on Monday.

The endorsement comes days after Graham’s unexpected death, likely further smoothing the path for a bill that the South Carolina senator spent years working to push across the finish line.

Graham and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal previously indicated the administration was prepared to back the package, saying Friday that they reached an agreement following extensive negotiations. Yet it was unclear at the time whether Trump would directly support the bill, as the president had repeatedly panned the legislation and pushed for more direct discretion on imposing sanctions.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune earlier on Monday said the White House had been working closely with Graham on the measure, telling CNN that he has hopeful.

“It’ll take Democrats and Republicans here in the Senate to do that, but I’m hopeful we can make it happen,” he said.

Thune said that in Graham’s last days, the sanctions package was “the thing that he cared the most about in terms of an accomplishment, and it would certainly be an incredible legacy for him.”

In a separate interview, Blumenthal told CNN that he planned to speak with Thune on Monday afternoon about the final preparations and timing for the bill’s passage, including finding a new Republican to take Graham’s place as its lead sponsor.

The sanctions package would clear the way for Trump to impose heavy tariffs on imports from nations that buy Russian oil, uranium and natural gas, in an effort to further weaken Moscow amid its war with Ukraine.

“It should be seen as a fitting tribute to Sen. Graham to do it quickly in his memory,” Blumenthal said. “It’s exactly what we were talking about when I last spoke to him over the weekend.”

CNN’s Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.

Who could replace Lindsey Graham in the Senate after his sudden death?

July 13, 2026 / 12:45 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden death late Saturday has set off a scramble for who will succeed him in the Senate, with a field of GOP candidates aiming to replace him in the November Senate election swiftly shaping up.

Separate from a special Republican primary that will take place in the coming weeks, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, will first appoint a temporary replacement to serve out the rest of Graham’s term, which ends Jan. 3, 2027. The late senator’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, will be McMasters’ pick to serve out the rest of his term, sources familiar with the decision told CBS News.

The governor is set to announce the pick at 4 p.m. Monday.

There will also be a special election held to replace the late senator on the ballot for the general election in November. Graham was seeking a fifth term in the Senate and secured more than 56% of the vote in the South Carolina Republican Senate primary in early June.

Republicans who will vie for Graham’s Senate seat have one week — from July 21 to July 28 — to file to run, and a special primary election is set to take place Aug. 11. If no candidate secures a majority of the vote, a runoff will be held on Aug. 25.

The winner will advance to the Nov. 3 general election, taking on Democrat Annie Andrews in the fight for a six-year term.

Graham, a giant in South Carolina politics and a key figure in the Senate, died suddenly at the age of 71 Saturday. Preliminary findings from the District of Columbia’s medical examiner showed that the senator died of aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Here are the potential candidates to replace Graham:

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette

Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was among the crowded field of candidates for South Carolina governor and advanced to a runoff election in the race. But she fell short, losing to Attorney General Alan Wilson, who secured the GOP nomination for governor. The lieutenant governor had won Mr. Trump’s endorsement in the GOP primary, though the president went on to back both her and Wilson in the runoff.

Evette is the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor in South Carolina. Before she was elected to the role, Evette worked in the private sector, having founded the payroll management company Quality Business Solutions, Inc.

Evette has been inundated with calls and texts urging her to run for the now-open seat that was held by Graham, two GOP sources familiar with the discussions told CBS News. Asked whether she would consider a bid to replace Graham, Evette told CBS News on Monday that it was “disheartenting” that the conversation had turned so quickly to politics after his passing. She added, “There’ll be a time for that.”

Rep. Nancy Mace

Rep. Nancy Mace, who fell short in her bid for the governor’s mansion earlier this year, has also been floated as a possible candidate. Mace told CBS News on Sunday that she would “be remiss” if she didn’t “at least consider” a bid for the open Senate seat.

Earlier Sunday, Mace posted on X a five-second clip from the movie “The Godfather Part III” that shows Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, declaring, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

Mace became the first Republican woman to represent South Carolina in Congress when she was elected in 2020. Since then, she’s made a name for herself as a GOP firebrand and was a leading figure in the fight for the Trump administration to release files from the federal investigation into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Her third term in the House expires early next year, after she opted for a gubernatorial bid instead of seeking reelection. She finished fifth in the Republican primary.

Mace previously sought a Senate seat, launching a bid against Graham in 2014. She came in fifth in that GOP primary, too.

Rep. Ralph Norman

Like Mace and Evette, Rep. Ralph Norman was a candidate in the Republican primary for governor. He placed third in the race, behind Evette and Wilson, securing 17% of the vote. He was backed by former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the gubernatorial race.

Norman supported Haley over Mr. Trump in the 2024 GOP presidential primary.

Norman has represented South Carolina’s 5th Congressional District in the House since 2017 and is a member of the Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative lawmakers. Before he was elected to Congress, Norman served in the South Carolina House and was a real estate developer.

Rep. Russell Fry

Rep. Russell Fry is also being encouraged to run by South Carolina Republicans, two Republican sources told CBS News.

Fry, who was elected to the House in 2022, represents a solidly Republican district, giving the GOP a strong chance of retaining his seat in the House in the November midterm elections. He previously served in South Carolina’s General Assembly.

Gov. Henry McMaster

Gov. Henry McMaster could also launch a bid for Graham’s Senate seat, should a so-called caretaker be appointed to fill the remainder of Graham’s term.

McMaster has been in the governor’s mansion since 2017, when he was appointed to finish out Haley’s term after she was confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Mr. Trump’s first administration. McMaster was elected to a full term as governor in 2018, and then won reelection in 2022.

McMaster’s term as governor is up in January. He has deep ties to South Carolina politics, having served as chairman of the state Republican Party for nearly a decade. McMaster was elected South Carolina’s attorney general in 2002, and then lieutenant governor in 2014.

Major Garrett, Fin Daniel Gómez and Aaron Navarro contributed to this report.

12 states sue to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, setting up high-stakes antitrust battle

2026-07-13 / CNN Politics

By Dana Bash and Brian Stelter, CNN

Updated 1:50 PM EDT, Mon July 13, 2026

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12 states sue to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, setting up high-stakes antitrust battle

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Brian Stelter joins Dana Bash amid breaking news that 12 states have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Paramount’s purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN, in a major challenge to a mega-merger the Trump administration has already signed off on.

3:48 • Source: CNN

Europe bankrolls Putin’s war machine even as NATO races to bolster defenses

2026-07-13T14:21:29-04:00 / Fox News

Trump has criticized Europe’s Russian gas dependence as bipartisan senators push secondary sanctions targeting foreign buyers

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Published July 13, 2026 2:21pm EDT

Jennifer Griffin reports on Russia’s shadow fleet allegedly launching drones over Europe to surveil military sites, testing NATO’s air defenses.

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Even as NATO allies increase defense spending, arm Ukraine and impose sanctions aimed at weakening the Kremlin, European Union countries haven’t yet been able to shake dependence on Russian liquefied natural gas, providing Russia with a key source of revenue as it wages war in Ukraine.

A new analysis of commercial shipping data shows European countries spent billions in the first half of 2026 on purchases of Arctic liquefied natural gas. Environmental watchdog Urgewald, using trade intelligence platform Kpler shipping data, found that 136 cargoes of the 140 cargoes exported from Russia’s flagship Yamal liquefied natural gas project between January and June were delivered to European Union ports.

China, once viewed as a major market for the Arctic project, received just four cargoes during the same period, the analysis found.

The group estimated those shipments were worth roughly €5.96 billion, or about $6.8 billion, based on benchmark European natural gas prices.

DRONE OFFENSIVE HITS RUSSIAN OIL TANKERS AND REFINERIES AT ‘INDUSTRIAL SCALE’ AS MOSCOW BANS DIESEL EXPORTS

The figures expose one of the central contradictions confronting Europe four years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: While European governments have pledged to end dependence on Russian fossil fuels and cut off a key source of the Kremlin’s revenue, significant payments for Russian liquefied natural gas continue flowing during the bloc’s transition away from Russian energy.

Despite years of sanctions and a pledge to phase out Russian gas, Europe remained the top destination for exports from Moscow’s flagship Arctic LNG project during the first half of 2026, according to a new analysis of commercial shipping data.(REUTERS/Yoruk Isik/File Photo)

The analysis found French ports were the destination for 51 cargoes from the Yamal liquefied natural gas project, followed by Belgium with 37 and Spain with 34 during the first six months of the year, according to the analysis. The figures reflect deliveries to ports rather than the nationality of the companies purchasing the liquefied natural gas or its ultimate destination within the European market, a spokesperson with France’s embassy in Washington emphasized.

The findings also come as NATO allies have committed to sharply increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the challenge of simultaneously strengthening Europe’s military deterrence while significant energy revenues continue flowing to Moscow.

The European Union has adopted legislation to phase out Russian gas imports in stages, with a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas under long-term contracts taking effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and a ban on Russian pipeline gas under long-term contracts following on Sept. 30, 2027. While pipeline gas imports from Russia have fallen sharply since 2022, Russian liquefied natural gas has remained a significant source of supply for several European countries.

TRUMP CALLS OUT NATO AHEAD OF SUMMIT, CALLING IT ‘RIDICULOUS’ FOR US TO PERSIST ON ‘ONE SIDED PATH’

President Donald Trump has criticized Europe for its continued dependence on Russian fuel sources.

“Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian oil and gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine, by far,” Trump said during his March 4, 2025, address to a joint session of Congress.

European Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said the increase likely reflected “frontloaded deliveries and adjustments to contractual arrangements ahead of tighter restrictions,” noting that the ban on new Russian gas contracts only took effect in March and that most remaining imports are under long-term contracts that are not scheduled to end until 2027.

The commission also said market disruptions following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz prompted efforts to maximize alternative liquefied natural gas supplies and that restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas transshipment may have resulted in more cargoes remaining within the European Union market.

“As a result of President Trump’s energy dominance agenda, the United States is the world’s largest producer and exporter of oil and natural gas — with more than enough supply for both the United States and our allies,” the White House said in a statement. “The United States is Europe’s largest supplier of natural gas, and Europe will continue to import more and more U.S. LNG.”

The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Fox News Digital in a statement that Belgium backed the EU’s agreement to phase out Russian gas imports and was “actively working toward that objective,” adding that the country was implementing all EU measures in the field.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Spanish embassy in Washington for comment.

Russia’s use of energy as a geopolitical tool came into sharp focus after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when Moscow sharply reduced or halted natural gas supplies to several European countries, including Poland, Bulgaria, Finland and Germany. The European Commission accused the Kremlin of attempting to “weaponize” Europe’s energy supply after Russia cut deliveries through multiple routes, including the Nord Stream 1 pipeline.

The disruptions accelerated the European Union’s effort to end decades of reliance on Russian fossil fuels and deprive Moscow of a key source of export revenue.

In 2022, members of the European Parliament called on the European Commission to investigate allegations that Russian-backed organizations sought to shape European Union energy debates, including by opposing domestic fossil fuel development and nuclear power. The allegations have been the subject of political debate, but no comprehensive public finding has established that Russian funding broadly shaped Europe’s green energy policies.

The findings highlight the gap between the European Union’s long-term goal of ending Russian energy imports and the bloc’s continued reliance on Arctic LNG more than four years after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.(Vyacheslav PROKOFYEV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

TRUMP DEMANDS END TO TRADE WITH KEY US ALLY, CALLS IT A ‘WASTED CAUSE’

The data illustrate the strategic challenges of unwinding decades of dependence on Russian energy while maintaining stable supplies for European consumers.

Continued liquefied natural gas purchases provide Russia with billions of dollars in export revenue at a time when the U.S. and its allies have sought to squeeze Moscow’s energy earnings in an effort to limit the Kremlin’s ability to sustain its war in Ukraine.

In June, EU foreign ministers approved another round of sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex and “curb[ing] Russia’s energy revenues” by tightening restrictions on the country’s shadow fleet and the networks that help export its oil.

Spain, one of Europe’s largest importers of Russian liquefied natural gas, has emerged as a focal point in the debate over the bloc’s planned phaseout. The head of the Port of Bilbao urged Brussels to delay its 2027 ban on Russian liquefied natural gas imports in an article published June 27 in the Financial Times, warning Europe could become overly dependent on U.S. gas. Spain’s energy minister rejected that argument, saying the recent rise in Russian liquefied natural gas imports was temporary and insisting Europe should move ahead with plans to eliminate Russian gas imports beginning in 2027.

Smoke rises over Kyiv following a Russian missile and drone attack that struck multiple districts of the Ukrainian capital. July 8, 2026.(East2West news)

Spain has also emerged as a frequent target of Trump: last week during the NATO Summit in Ankara Wednesday and Thursday, he blasted Madrid over its refusal to meet the alliance’s new defense spending target, calling Spain “a wasted cause” and “a terrible partner” while threatening to cut off trade.

The clash followed earlier disputes over Spain’s refusal to support U.S. military operations against Iran.

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The findings come days after bipartisan senators and the Trump administration reached an agreement on legislation that would authorize sweeping secondary sanctions against countries continuing to purchase Russian energy. The proposal, championed by late Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, is intended to increase pressure on Moscow by targeting foreign buyers of Russian oil and natural gas.

“As Russia intensifies its slaughter of civilians, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools to exact a heavy price on those who buy Russian oil and natural gas, fueling the Putin war machine,” leading senators said in a joint statement.

Fox News Digital has reached out to NATO and the Russian embassy for comment.

Rubio vows to ‘dismantle’ International Criminal Court

2026-07-13T16:50:24.183Z / CNN

By Jennifer Hansler

PUBLISHED Jul 13, 2026, 12:50 PM ET

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with members of the media before departing from Bahrain International Airport in Manama, Bahrain, on June 25, 2026.

Eric Lee/Pool/AFP/Getty Images/File

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday vowed to “dismantle” the International Criminal Court and urged other countries to join the effort as the Trump administration significantly escalates its campaign against the global institution.

Rubio accused the ICC of “waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles,” but with “the force of so-called international law.”

The administration’s ire against the ICC goes back to President Donald Trump’s first term, when it targeted the ICC for seeking to investigate alleged war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan. The second Trump administration has imposed a slew of sanctions against ICC officials for their attempts to investigate the US and Israel.

However, the State Department-led, “whole-of-government campaign” to dismantle the ICC is a significant escalation, particularly as it seeks to pressure countries around the world to join and threatens potential cuts to US assistance for those who don’t.

“Nations that refuse to reject the ICC’s false authority while relying on US assistance are likely to come under increased scrutiny,” a State Department official said Monday.

“Using all the tools at our government’s disposal, working beside every ally with whom we can make common cause, we will dismantle the ICC—brick by brick, if necessary,” Rubio wrote in a separate piece in the Wall Street Journal on Monday. Those tools include possible travel bans, visa revocations, and increased sanctions, the State Department official said.

The official said that countries “that partner with US law enforcement, host a US military presence, or benefit from the broader US security umbrella are being called upon to reject the ICC’s purported authority to prosecute American officials and servicemen,” the official said.

“We will watch with interest which nations join ranks with us against this threat to Americans who are willing to risk their lives to protect others,” they noted.

Top officials, including the secretary, deputy secretary, and US ambassadors, “are calling countries as part of a campaign to diplomatically isolate the International Criminal Court and ensure it cannot target Americans,” the official said.

The calls are meant to persuade countries who are party to the ICC to withdraw from it “and cut off any financial support to the court,” they said.

CNN has reached out to the ICC for comment.

The administration is also calling on nations that are not parties to the court, like the United States, “to leverage their diplomatic networks to take similar action alongside us.”

In his opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, Rubio accused the ICC of being “backed and run by a powerful network of leftist nongovernment organizations, smug globalists, and hostile Third World governments united by their enmity toward the U.S.”

Rubio rejected allegations by outside organizations that the administration’s deportations to El Salvador and its deadly boat strikes on alleged narco-terrorists had violated international law and rebuffed a call by one organization for the ICC to investigate alleged war crimes committed by the US in Iran, but he claimed that such actions could risk investigation by the court.

Judge rebukes Trump and DOJ over IRS lawsuit, refers lawyer for disciplinary proceedings

2026-07-13T12:49:00-0400 / CBS News

By Jacob Rosen
Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump’s 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

Read Full Bio

Updated on: July 13, 2026 / 3:48 PM EDT / CBS News

Washington — A federal judge on Monday imposed professional penalties against lawyers representing President Trump in a civil lawsuit he brought against the IRS and harshly criticized the Justice Department for its handling of the case, concluding that the suit was brought for an “improper purpose.”

In a scathing 56-page decision, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams referred one of Mr. Trump’s lawyers, Alejandro Brito, to the Florida Bar for potential disciplinary action. The judge limited the ability of a second lawyer, Daniel Epstein, to practice in the Southern District of Florida.

Williams also barred the Justice Department, IRS and Mr. Trump from citing or using provisions of a deal the two sides reached in judicial, administrative, regulatory or other proceedings as evidence of a settlement in the case.

The case, Williams wrote, “was brought for an improper purpose — to gain the imprimatur of judicial legitimacy for a ‘settlement’ that had no viable basis in law or fact.” Additionally, the president and his two older sons, who were plaintiffs alongside Mr. Trump, “acted in bad faith,” she concluded.

“In sum, the facts before this Court demonstrate there was never adverseness between the Parties; there was never a case or controversy; and there was never a question as to who would prevail,” she said.

Williams also directed a copy of her order to be mailed to the State Bar of New York and to the District of Columbia Bar, of which acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward are members, respectively. Blanche and Woodward signed documents relating to the settlement with Mr. Trump.

A spokesman for Mr. Trump’s legal team said in response to the decision, “The IRS wrongly allowed a rogue, politically-motivated employee to leak private and confidential information about President Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization to the New York Times, ProPublica and other left-wing news outlets, which was then illegally released to millions of people. President Trump continues to hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable.”

Williams’ extraordinary order came in response to concerns raised by a group of 35 former judges about the settlement agreement reached in May. The deal brought to an end the $10 billion civil lawsuit the president and his two oldest sons filed against the IRS earlier this year over the leak of Mr. Trump’s tax returns by a government contractor.

The settlement initially included the creation of a $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that aimed to provide taxpayer-funded payouts to individuals who alleged the federal government had been “weaponized” against them. But after immense blowback from Congress and a federal judge’s ruling, Blanche said the Justice Department was “not moving forward” with the program.

Another provision of the settlement that permanently bars the IRS from pursuing tax claims against Mr. Trump, his oldest sons, his company or affiliated companies of his family remains intact.

The former judges asked Williams in May to reopen the case between Mr. Trump and his administration, arguing that the agreement they reached to resolve the president’s civil lawsuit was “the product of collusion” and a “fraud on the court.” The settlement was reached as Williams was weighing whether she even had jurisdiction over the case.

In her order, Williams said that there was no case or controversy for the court to decide. Since it was filed by Mr. Trump against a federal agency and officials that he, as president, had control over, there would be no adverse litigant, she found. Williams determined that Mr. Trump “improperly employed this lawsuit to justify a particular award in this matter — access to taxpayer funds and exemption from audits and other investigations — which was accomplished by leveraging control over Defendants.”

“President Trump did not pursue his claims until he once again occupied the White House and had appointed his former lawyer, and the former lawyer of persons who are putative beneficiaries of the ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ to prominent positions in the DOJ,” she wrote in her order. “These officials then negotiated on behalf of the United States, with his current lawyers, including his former White House Counsel to reach a ‘settlement.’ It is risible to suggest that there was ever adverseness between the Parties.”

Williams excoriated the Justice Department for its handling of the case and accused it of “abdicating its responsibility to zealously defend the interests of the United States.” By entering into the settlement with Mr. Trump, Williams said the administration “disregarded DOJ policies, and accomplished objectives beyond those authorized, as well as those specifically prohibited, by law.”

“The nature of the suit itself and the conduct of the Parties and counsel from its filing make plain that this was an attempt to use the Court to provide some legitimacy to an agreement to confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the President and to earmark billions of dollars from American taxpayers to redress grievances not defined in the law,” Williams wrote. “The President may be the functional ‘dominus litus’ of the Executive Branch, but as a party to a civil suit, he, as well as all the parties and lawyers before a court, are bound by the rules.”

The judge, who was appointed by President Barack Obama, rejected characterizations of the case as “ordinary” by Mr. Trump and his lawyers, calling it a “startling misstatement.”

“Lead Plaintiff and Defendants are public servants — the pinnacle of the Executive Branch — sworn to uphold the law, faithfully perform the duties of their office, and protect the interests of the American public,” she wrote. “The issue before the Court is whether, instead, they ignored ethical norms, court rules, and legal authority to manipulate the judicial process. The issue is whether they did so to gild their efforts to gain unprecedented access to the public fisc with the patina of legitimacy. There is nothing ‘ordinary’ about this case.”

Williams also took aim at the government lawyers working the case, saying the Trump administration “failed to defend this lawsuit or to respond to the Court’s jurisdictional inquiry because its position would not withstand judicial scrutiny.”

She said the $1.776 billion pledged for the “anti-weaponization” fund “speaks of a ‘branding’ effort rather than a deliberate and thoughtful calculation of damages.”

The judge’s order comes days before Blanche is set to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing for attorney general. He is expected to face sharp questions regarding the creation of the “anti-weaponization” fund and the effective grant of immunity to Mr. Trump. The president formally nominated Blanche, who served as Mr. Trump’s private criminal defense attorney, to lead the Justice Department last month.

Judge: Trump sought to ‘manipulate the judicial process’ with his IRS lawsuit and attempted $1.8B fund

2026-07-13T16:21:03.552Z / https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/13/politics/trump-irs-judge-ruling-settlement-sanctions

A federal judge on Monday said a controversial lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump against the IRS sought to “manipulate the judicial process” and that he acted in bad faith in bringing it.

US District Judge Kathleen Williams is ordering sanctions for the attorneys involved in the lawsuit, which led to an attempt to create the now-defunct $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for allies of the president. It was also used to justify a Trump administration order giving the president and his businesses amnesty for any past tax issues.

Williams’ 56-page opinion blasted the behavior of both the Justice Department — arguing that the administration’s response to the case disregarded DOJ policies and potentially the law — and of the private attorneys who brought the lawsuit on Trump’s behalf.

“The nature of the suit itself and the conduct of the Parties and counsel from its filing make plain that this was an attempt to use the Court to provide some legitimacy to an agreement to confer immunity to people and entities affiliated with the President and to earmark billions of dollars from American taxpayers to redress grievances not defined in the law,” the judge wrote.

She ordered that her opinion be submitted to attorney disciplinary boards in in New York and Washington, DC, that are reviewing preexisting professional ethics complaints against acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.

“In abdicating its responsibility to zealously defend the interests of the United States, the Government entered into a ‘settlement’ that deviated from its litigation posture in similar actions, disregarded DOJ policies, and accomplished objectives beyond those authorized, as well as those specifically prohibited, by law,” Williams wrote.

The judge also referred one of the private attorneys who represented Trump in the case to the Florida Bar for potential disciplinary proceedings and blocked another lawyer who represented Trump from court appearances in the Southern District of Florida for the next year.

Williams’ opinion came in response to a request from a group of retired judges, filed after she dismissed the lawsuit, that she scrutinize the deal. The new order from Williams — who was appointed by President Barack Obama — indicates the retired judges could be entitled to having their legal fees covered.

Attorneys for the former judges called Monday’s opinion a “resounding victory for the rule of law.”

CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.

A spokesman for Trump’s private legal team said: “The IRS wrongly allowed a rogue, politically-motivated employee to leak private and confidential information about President Trump, his family, and the Trump Organization to the New York Times, ProPublica and other left-wing news outlets, which was then illegally released to millions of people. President Trump continues to hold those who wrong America and Americans accountable.”

The settlement between the IRS and Trump this year stemmed from a significant leak of tax information on thousands of wealthy individuals, including Trump, by a government contractor six years ago.

The man, Charles Littlejohn, was charged in 2023 with leaking the tax information to media outlets during his time working with a consulting firm with IRS contracts. He pleaded guilty in 2024 and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Trump’s Justice Department announced in May it reached a settlement with the president over the leaked information that included a $1.776 billion fund for those who believed they had been unfairly targeted by the DOJ.

Amid significant backlash from Republicans and Democrats, Blanche told lawmakers last month the fund was dead, but he has refused a federal judge’s request to submit a signed statement saying the fund was no more.

More importantly for Trump, the settlement included a memorandum from Blanche — quietly added to the Justice Department’s announcement of the settlement the following day — prohibiting the IRS from investigating Trump, his family or his businesses for past tax issues, or even other types of claims brought by the federal government for any conduct pre-dating the deal.

Even before Williams’ Monday opinion, it was unlikely that the Blanche amnesty order would have stopped a future Democratic administration from investigating Trump, given the dubious legal ground around the agreement.

But the new order from the judge could undermine any attempt by Trump to use the purported settlement as a defense in court, if a future administration brings a claim against him, his family or his businesses.

Williams wrote at length about the Justice Department’s approach to the lawsuit — and how it “remained conspicuously absent and silent when serious questions about this matter have been raised” — to explain why she concluded it was not a legitimate legal dispute.

But she also hinted that Blanche and Woodward specifically may have violated attorney ethics laws, while signing on to a deal that the judge believes to be unlawful.

She suggested the two Justice Department officials should have recused themselves from working on the dispute, because of their work when they were private attorneys representing clients who stood to benefit from the case’s resolution.

Blanche was Trump’s attorney in various criminal cases before the president’s return to the White House, while Woodward represented Capitol riot defendants and a Trump aide who was prosecuted alongside the president in the classified documents case.

The anti-weaponization fund was “premised” on paying out claims from January 6, 2021, and the classified documents case, the judge noted Monday.

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“Instead of either recusing because of their previous representations or vigorously defending this lawsuit as required to do so by DOJ policies and procedures, these lawyers agreed to a ‘settlement’ involving a staggering amount of money potentially benefitting former clients,” Williams wrote.

The judge additionally said the second piece of the “settlement” — the tax amnesty order signed by Blanche alone — “directly contravenes” a federal law barring presidents and other executive branch leaders from influencing tax audits.

Williams said the “acquiescing to any such demand is wholly incompatible with the duties of DOJ attorneys (as well as CEO [Frank] Bisignano for the IRS) to enforce the law and protect the public interest,” raising the prospect that the order is unconstitutional as well.

The opinion comes as Blanche is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for a confirmation hearing to be the permanent head of the DOJ. Williams wrote in a footnote that she was “extremely troubled” by testimony Blanche gave when he was on the Hill in May, when he said the court had no role in reviewing the agreement.

“While temporally accurate, this answer is, at best, misleading and, at worst, disingenuous,” she wrote.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz and Kara Scannell contributed to this report.

Who is Darline Graham Nordone? Lindsey Graham’s sister emerges as Trump’s Senate pick

2026-07-13T13:41:33-04:00 / Fox News

Trump called the possible Nordone appointment a ‘fabulous tribute to Lindsey’ as McMaster prepares to announce his pick Monday

By Alex Miller , Adam Pack , Paul Steinhauser Fox News

Published July 13, 2026 1:41pm EDT

Trump backs Lindsey Graham’s sister for Senate seat

‘Outnumbered’ discusses the passing of Sen. Lindsey Graham at 71 due to aortic dissection as tributes from around Washington pour in. The panel also discusses President Donald Trump suggesting Graham’s sister fill his Senate seat.

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Tragedy built a strong bond between Darline Graham Nordone and her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Tragedy is once again striking its bell, this time with the sudden passing of her brother and father figure. And now, she’s being considered to replace him in the Senate, just over 24 hours after his death.

President Donald Trump and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., both want her in the role, and sources have told Fox News that Scott has been speaking with her about filling in for the remainder of Graham’s term.

TRUMP MAKES SURPRISE PICK TO FILL GRAHAM’S SENATE SEAT

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., waves to attendees while riding in a golf cart to a television interview with his sister, Darline Graham Nordone, during the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015.(Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump is pushing South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to appoint her, announcing that he recommended the governor tap Graham’s “wonderful sister” to serve out his term as a caretaker.

“This would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey, who loved her dearly,” Trump said on Truth Social.

And Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told CNN that he had spoken with Nordone and McMaster on Sunday, and that tapping Graham’s sister “certainly, in my view, makes a lot of sense.”

“I think, in many respects, it would be a way of extending Lindsey’s legacy here, and certainly something that, if that’s what they decide to end up doing, I think there’d be a lot of support for,” Thune said.

McMaster is slated to announce his pick Monday afternoon in a news conference that Scott is also expected to attend.

If he does tap Nordone, it would be a temporary selection. In the background, private jockeying is already happening to succeed Graham as the GOP nominee in the Palmetto State.

The filing deadline to succeed Graham and run for a full six-year Senate term opens July 21 and a special election primary is scheduled for Aug. 11. Many South Carolina politicians have expressed interest in the job, seeing the vacant Senate seat as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to serve in the upper chamber.

Meanwhile, Nordone has never held public office, unlike her brother, who served in Congress for three decades in both the House and Senate. Nordone is a mother of two and worked in a vocational rehabilitation role that specifically helped people with disabilities find employment in South Carolina.

GRAHAM’S DEATH IGNITES GOP SCRAMBLE FOR SENATE SEAT AS TRUMP HINTS HE ALREADY HAS A FAVORITE

And whether she’s ready to accept the position remains unclear.

“Actually, I’m just kind of like devastated right now,” Nordone told the New York Post shortly after Trump’s announcement.

Nordone and Graham shared a unique bond, too. Graham was in his early 20s when both their parents died within less than a year of one another. That tragedy pushed him to become her primary legal guardian and caretaker, thrusting him into the role of father and brother to his younger sister.

“Of all the things that have happened in my life, her turning out so well is the highlight of it by far,” Graham told C-SPAN in 2015.

FROM ‘DISGRACE’ TO ‘FAMILY’: TRUMP’S REMARKABLE JOURNEY WITH LINDSEY GRAHAM

President Donald Trump and Sen. Lindsey Graham speak to the media aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 4, 2026.(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Nordone highlighted the outsized role Graham played in raising her after the death of their parents. After becoming her legal guardian, he enlisted in the Air Force to allow her to qualify for his military benefits. She later credited him with ensuring that she completed high school and college.

“He’s kind of like a brother, a father and a mother rolled into one,” she told The New York Times in an interview in 2015.

Nordone was a frequent presence in Graham’s campaigns during his decades-long career.

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“My parents, they were loving people and cared about us, but Lindsey was always the one that took care of me and helped me with my homework,” she said in a campaign spot titled “Darline.” “If I was sick, he gave me my medicine. He taught me how to ride a bicycle.”

“He never let me down,” she continued. “To take on that responsibility of raising a little sister — that came from within for Lindsey.”

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

FBI fires 2 analysts who raised concerns about Fulton County 2020 election probe, sources say

July 13, 2026 / 1:28 PM EDT / CBS News

The FBI last week fired two of its analysts after they expressed concerns that the investigation into the 2020 election results in Fulton County, Georgia, was thin on evidence and appeared to be politically motivated, according to several sources briefed on the matter.

The firings follow the FBI’s efforts to review thousands of records obtained earlier this year, after executing a search warrant and seizing “all physical ballots” from 2020, as well as tapes from vote-tabulating machines, ballot images and voter rolls. The bureau ordered 260 analysts to help sift through the ballots and voting data.

“The FBI will always investigate credible allegations of matters related to federal elections,” an FBI spokesperson told CBS News. “Every employee at this FBI is expected to uphold our mission and adhere to our standards – any deviation will not be tolerated.”

The firings were reported earlier by MS Now.

The FBI analysts face a July 17 deadline this week to complete their work, CBS News previously reported.

Sources with knowledge of the matter told CBS News that each analyst is being asked to review several hundred entries in a large spreadsheet that contains information such as names, addresses and voter IDs.

Analysts are then instructed to cross-check the information against the commercial database Accurint, and to highlight any discrepancies, the sources added. That database aggregates public records, including names, addresses, telephone numbers and other data, such as criminal history.

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It is not clear what the FBI intends to do with the information once the review is complete.

The assignment has stoked a variety of concerns, including that the data in Accurint may not always be up to date, and that any discrepancies identified may not necessarily indicate any wrongdoing, the sources claimed. There is also the question of how the Justice Department could bring charges, since the likely five-year statute of limitations would have already expired in late 2025 or early 2026.

CBS News has reached out to Accurint’s parent company seeking comment.

Some also fear the Trump administration may try to use the results of the review to claim the 2020 election results were wrong, a move that could stoke doubts about election integrity ahead of the midterm elections or be used to pressure Republicans to pass the SAVE Act, which would require Americans to show proof of citizenship in person to register to vote.

Fulton County officials have sought to quash the probe, which was referred to the FBI by Kurt Olsen, a lawyer who previously fought to try and overturn the results of the 2020 election as part of the Stop the Steal Movement. He was later sanctioned by a court while he was representing Kari Lake, in her bid to overturn her 2022 election loss in Arizona.

Olsen now works for the Justice Department. He is assigned in Miami to help investigate the so-called “grand conspiracy” into whether Obama- and Biden-era officials conspired to keep President Trump out of office through a series of investigations, intelligence assessments and prosecutions, CBS News previously reported.

A judge in May denied a request by Fulton County to return the ballots that were seized.

However, since then, the county has secured a victory after a judge earlier this month quashed a grand jury subpoena seeking the names and personal contact information for every person who worked during the 2020 election in the county.