1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Stop the “get out of jail free” IRS deal with the Trump family and enterprises. As part of an arrangement drawn up this week by Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, the I.R.S. faces its most profound legal and ethical test yet: a demand to drop any audits (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/admin/irs-trump-lawsuit-deal.html) of Mr. Trump, his family members or their “affiliates.” Tax lawyers and former I.R.S. officials said such expansive protection would cut to the core of the agency’s mission to collect taxes in a disinterested, nonpartisan way — and could potentially run afoul of the laws governing how it does so. “It’s just completely contrary to the notion that you’re supposed to comply with the law and the I.R.S. is there to make sure you do that,” said George Yin, a tax law professor and former chief of staff at the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. “The idea that you can get a free pass from the I.R.S. or anyone can get a free pass from the I.R.S. is just completely ridiculous.” This family is not above the law, paying legally owed taxes.