A federal judge on Monday invalidated a settlement that resolved President Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, finding that the legal action was filed for an improper purpose and did not present a legitimate dispute between opposing parties. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams ruled that because Trump, as president, oversees the executive branch agencies named in the case, the lawsuit failed to satisfy the constitutional requirement that civil cases involve genuinely adverse parties. The order voids the agreement and bars the parties from relying on it in future legal or administrative proceedings.

The lawsuit stemmed from the public disclosure of Trump's tax records and sought $10 billion in damages. It ended earlier this year with a settlement that granted tax-related protections to Trump, his family members and affiliated businesses while initially establishing a government-funded compensation program valued at nearly $1.8 billion. The compensation fund was later abandoned following bipartisan criticism and legal scrutiny. In her ruling, Williams determined that the litigation was used to lend judicial legitimacy to an agreement that exceeded the proper role of the courts. She referred one of Trump's private attorneys to the Florida Bar for possible disciplinary action, restricted another lawyer from seeking admission to practice in her district for one year, and directed that senior Justice Department officials involved in approving the agreement be referred to state bar authorities for review of potential ethics issues.

A large crowd gathers beneath a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a public event in Tehran as tensions between Iran and the United States intensify following President Donald Trump's claims that Tehran is seeking to assassinate him.