Acting Attorney General Tells Congress He Will Maintain IRS Investigation Freeze on Trump, Family, and Businesses

The acting attorney general informed lawmakers that he intends to keep in place an order directing the Internal Revenue Service to halt investigations into President Trump, his family, and his businesses. The commitment maintains the existing ban on federal tax probes targeting the former president’s financial affairs and those of his immediate relatives and corporate holdings.

DOJ Confirms Continuation of Investigation Freeze

During a closed-door briefing with congressional oversight committees on June 2, 2026, the acting attorney general stated unequivocally that the Department of Justice would not rescind the directive that prevents the IRS from pursuing tax-related inquiries into President Trump. The order, which blocks federal investigators from examining the financial records and tax filings of Trump, his family members, and his business entities, will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. Lawmakers present at the briefing were told that the acting attorney general personally reviewed the directive and concluded that it should stay in place.

Scope of the Halt Covers Trump Family Businesses

The freeze applies broadly to all IRS enforcement actions targeting any enterprise wholly or partly owned by President Trump, as well as those of his immediate family members. This includes the Trump Organization and related entities that have been the subject of previous congressional scrutiny. The acting attorney general did not specify a timeline for when the ban might be lifted, nor did he indicate any conditions under which the IRS would be permitted to resume investigations. The decision effectively halts any ongoing or new tax examinations into the president’s finances and those of his family.

Congressional Oversight and Reactions

Several lawmakers on the oversight committees pressed the acting attorney general for a legal justification for maintaining the freeze, particularly given that it overrides standard IRS enforcement procedures. The acting attorney general cited executive authority and the need to avoid politically motivated investigations as the basis for the decision. Democratic members of the committees voiced objections, arguing that the freeze undermines the independence of the IRS and prevents legitimate oversight of a sitting president’s financial dealings. Republican members, by contrast, expressed support for the measure, characterizing it as a necessary check against what they described as weaponized federal agencies.

Impact on Past and Pending Investigations

The continuation of the freeze blocks the IRS from accessing records that were previously sought by the House Ways and Means Committee during the 2019-2020 period. It also prevents the agency from pursuing any new leads or audit requests related to Trump’s business transactions, including those involving foreign entities. The acting attorney general’s statement to lawmakers confirms that no exceptions will be made for specific cases, even those that were already in progress before the order was originally issued. This means that all prior subpoenas and document requests tied to Trump, his family, or his businesses remain unenforceable.

Context

This is not the first instance of a Department of Justice directive halting tax investigations into a high-profile political figure. In 1974, the Nixon administration faced similar questions after the IRS was ordered to stop audits of the president’s tax returns during the Watergate era. More recently, in 2020, the Trump administration itself issued a memorandum restricting the IRS from conducting audits of presidential tax filings during election years, a policy that was later challenged in court.