Wednesday, September 30, 2026 300 stories · 2734 outlet reports compared

Appeals court declines to pause sanctions against Trump's lawyers in IRS case

A federal appeals court on Tuesday refused to block sanctions against lawyers for President Trump connected to a settlement that created a now-defunct anti-weaponization fund, according to multiple outlets.

By The Lumen desk · Sept 30, 2026 · 1 min read
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What we know
1 A federal appeals court declined to pause sanctions against lawyers for President Trump, according to multiple outlets.
2 The sanctions relate to a lawsuit over an IRS settlement that created a now-defunct anti-weaponization fund, according to The Washington Times.
3 The ruling was issued Tuesday, according to The Washington Times.
4 The lower court cited possible "collusion and bad faith" in finding grounds for sanctions, according to The Washington Times.

A federal appeals court has declined to pause sanctions imposed on lawyers for President Trump in a case involving a settlement with the IRS, according to Bloomberg, CNBC, Reuters and Newsmax.

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The sanctions stem from a lawsuit tied to a settlement that established a now-defunct anti-weaponization fund, according to The Washington Times. The lower court had found reason to believe there was "collusion and bad faith" in the matter, the outlet reported, citing the appeals court's ruling issued Tuesday.

Trump's legal team had sought to pause the sanctions while the case proceeds, but the appeals court denied that request, according to Bloomberg, CNBC and Newsmax.

How each side covered it

Left

1 outlet
  • Bloomberg reported that Trump lost his bid to pause the judge's sanctions in the IRS case fight.

“Trump Loses Bid to Pause Judge's Sanctions in IRS Case Fight” — Bloomberg

Center

2 outlets
  • CNBC and Reuters both reported that Trump's lawyers lost their bid to have the sanctions paused.
  • Reuters specified the sanctions were tied to an IRS settlement case.

“Appeals court declines to pause sanctions against Trump lawyers in IRS settlement” — Reuters

Right

2 outlets
  • The Washington Times connected the sanctions to a settlement that created a now-defunct anti-weaponization fund.
  • The Washington Times cited the appeals court noting the lower court had reason to find "collusion and bad faith."
  • Newsmax reported the appeals court denied the request to pause sanctions.

“Appeals court won't block sanctions against Trump's lawyers over weaponization fund” — The Washington Times

Questions readers ask

What happened in the Trump IRS sanctions case?

A federal appeals court refused to pause sanctions against lawyers for President Trump connected to a settlement with the IRS that created a now-defunct anti-weaponization fund, according to multiple outlets.

Why were the sanctions imposed?

According to The Washington Times, a lower court found reason to believe there was "collusion and bad faith" involved in the settlement that Trump's lawyers struck, which created the anti-weaponization fund.

When did the appeals court rule?

The Washington Times reported the ruling was issued on a Tuesday, though the specific date was not provided in the available reporting.

What did Trump's lawyers request?

Trump's lawyers sought to pause, or stay, the sanctions imposed against them while the underlying case continued, according to Bloomberg, CNBC and Newsmax.

Sources · 5 outlet reports

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