President Donald Trump denied claims that he filed a 'collusive' lawsuit against a US agency under his control to orchestrate the creation of a $1.8 billion fund for alleged victims of political 'weaponization.'
Trump's lawyers argued that the $10 billion suit against the Internal Revenue Service was not a fraud on the court and Justice Department officials had broad authority to enter into the agreement that led to the now-scrapped fund.
US District Judge Kathleen Williams in Miami is considering reopening the case to investigate whether the president and the Justice Department defrauded the court.
Trump's lawyers pushed back on the ex-judges' suggestion that the settlement was unlawful because it was not 'tethered to a live, fully adversarial case' in which the court has jurisdiction.
Williams could order testimony in open court from individuals who were involved, including Trump's lawyers and aides as well as Justice Department attorneys.
