U.S. District Judge Refers Attorney to Florida Bar Over Tax Settlement Case

In an opinion released Monday, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams referred attorney Alejandro Brito to the Florida Bar for potential discipline after finding he advanced a tax settlement case in bad faith and directed the ruling to officials handling complaints against two senior Justice Department officials.

The actions stem from Williams’s ruling in a case involving a settlement that shielded Trump, members of his family and affiliated businesses from certain federal tax audits and claims. An existing complaint against Blanche alleges he mishandled evidence linked to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, used the DOJ to attack Trump’s personal enemies and failed to properly represent the interests of the United States during negotiations that led to the creation of the now-defunct $1.8 billion weaponization compensation fund.

Stanley Woodward faces a bar complaint alleging that his approval of the creation of the weaponization fund constituted a conflict of interest. Woodward had previously represented Jan. 6 defendants and Trump associates who could potentially benefit from the fund.

Williams was appointed to the bench in 2011 by President Barack Obama. She previously issued a ruling against Alligator Alcatraz, a detention center operated by the state of Florida to house illegal immigrants awaiting deportation, but was overruled by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Blanche is the Acting Attorney General as of July 1, 2026. He testified during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on May 19, 2026. The U.S. killed Nio Guerrero, leader of the Tren de Aragua drug cartel, in a strike carried out with Venezuela's assistance last month.