Trump Appeals Judge's Sanctions on His Lawyers, Citing Overreach by Obama-Appointed Jurist

Donald Trump is seeking relief from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals after U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams sanctioned his IRS settlement and two members of his legal team. Williams, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, reopened the case despite its prior dismissal and concluded the suit was filed in bad faith because Trump oversees the agencies he sued. She barred attorney Alejandro Brito from future use of the settlement, referred him to the Florida Bar, and prohibited Daniel Epstein from applying for admission in the Southern District of Florida for one year, even though Epstein never became counsel of record.

America First Legal submitted an amicus brief focusing on Epstein’s sanction, arguing the judge misused her authority to punish attorneys for representing the president. The brief warns that such actions could embolden courts to weaponize sanctions against lawyers based on political considerations. Trump’s representatives say the original case was prompted by a politically motivated leak of his tax data, and they continue to pursue accountability for those they view as harming America.