In case you missed it, President Donald Trump is suing himself for $10 billion. Technically, it’s actually Trump, his family, and his businesses suing the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over the leak of Trump’s tax returns years ago.  

But as Trump himself said: “I’m supposed to work out a settlement with myself.”

All hope is not lost, though. First, Common Cause has filed a legal brief urging the court to reject the profound conflicts of interest and the case’s failure to meet basic legal requirements. 

Here are seven things that could stop your tax dollars from being wasted on Donald Trump’s IRS lawsuit – and prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future. 

1. The court can dismiss Trump’s lawsuit. 

Generally, courts don’t allow lawsuits in which both sides of the case are controlled by the same actor. Make no mistake, Trump has warped the Department of Justice (which is defending the IRS) to be his personal law firm, and we cannot trust it to argue the case neutrally if it is representing Trump, and not the American people.  

The court could flat-out dismiss the case, concluding that collusion exists because there are not two parties with opposing interests.  

 2. The court can pause the lawsuit until Trump leaves office. 

If the court doesn’t outright dismiss the case, it can put it on hold until Trump is no longer controlling both sides of the lawsuit. 

A new president means there’s at least a chance that DOJ will represent the public interest. 

3. The court can appoint independent lawyers for the case. 

The court could appoint an independent counsel to represent the public’s interest in this lawsuit.  Attorney General Bondi has lost significant credibility and trust with the American people based on acting more like Trump’s personal lawyer than the steward of our Constitution (to which she swore an oath). 

 4. DOJ lawyers can refuse to do the President’s bidding. 

Already, prosecutors across the country have acted with bravery: in the face of White House pressure to take legally dubious actions, many have held the line, preserving their own professional ethics and personal integrity. If DOJ lawyers are tasked with negotiating a sweetheart settlement for their boss’s boss, they could refuse to do so. 

 5. Congress can demand answers. 

Congress has a responsibility to oversee the executive branch, including by investigating whether settlement negotiations have commenced, pressing DOJ not to pay damages to Trump, and demanding AG Bondi appear at a hearing to explain how she will protect taxpayer interests in this case. 

 6. Congress can pass a law prohibiting senior officials from receiving government payouts while in office. 

Congress controls the budget. They could mandate that no funds be used to settle lawsuits with senior government officials. They could also prohibit White House officials from suing federal agencies while in office. 

 7. You can call or write your member of Congress and demand they take action on #5 and #6, and demand #4 from DOJ. 

Yes, we have people power in this moment. Congress does not have to remain silent; it can address multiple issues at the same time. Now, it’s up to you to find your representative, tell them you want action, and that your tax dollars should not be spent to enrich the president through a baseless lawsuit.  

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