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U.S. NEWS Friday 12 april 2019

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Trump's sister retires, negating

judicial ethics complaints

By LARRY NEUMEISTER and ed on its progress. 100,000 pages of financial
MARYCLAIRE DALE Shuchart said he was "ab- documents including confi-
Associated Press solutely disappointed" that dential tax returns from the
NEW YORK (AP) — President Barry was able to end scru- father and his companies,
Donald Trump's sister has tiny of her actions by retir- concluded that the value
retired as a federal appel- ing. of the properties was vast-
late judge in Philadelphia, "If the Times story is correct, ly understated when they
ending a civil misconduct then she participated in a were reported as $41.4 mil-
inquiry launched after a re- decades-long multimillion- lion. It said the properties In this Nov. 9, 2016 file photo, federal judge Maryanne Trump
port that she participated dollar tax fraud. That should were later sold over the Barry, sister of Donald Trump, sits in the balcony during Trump's
in Trump family schemes to be an impeachable of- next decade for over 16 election night rally in New York.
dodge taxes. fense. She gets her full sal- times that amount. Associated Press
The retirement of Maryanne ary," he said. The Times reported Trump's
Trump Barry was revealed "I think it's appalling that parents transferred over $1 break any laws, the expira- After her brother's election,
in an April 1 order signed by we're continuing to pay this billion to their children. It tion of a statute of limita- Barry gave up her court
a top court official in New criminal and that she now said that the transfer should tions makes a criminal pros- staff and took inactive sta-
York, where the miscon- has completely avoided have produced a tax bill ecution unlikely, though tus in early 2017.
duct case was assigned to consequence," Shuchart of at least $550 million, but lawsuits might be possible. A Republican, she was
prevent conflicts of interest added. "It's ridiculous." that the children paid only With a recently approved nominated for a judgeship
for judges who knew Barry. Barry didn't respond to an about $52.2 million. retroactive pay raise for by President Ronald Rea-
A judicial panel began the email seeking comment. Trump has called the Times federal appellate judges, gan and was elevated to
review in response to four Chief Judge D. Brooks Smith expose a false "hit piece." Barry will receive $223,700 the circuit court by Presi-
citizen complaints filed in of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court If members of the family did annually in retirement. dent Bill Clinton.q
October after The New of Appeals in Philadelphia
York Times published a story released a statement call-
alleging the president and ing Barry a "judicial giant"
his siblings evaded inheri- whose 36 years as a judge
tance taxes. in the Philadelphia federal
The April 1 order said Barry's courts were "beyond exem-
voluntary Feb. 11 retirement plary."
ends the review stemming "Judge Barry was a very
from claims based on the hard working jurist with a
news article alleging that sharp mind, keen instincts,
Barry may have committed and a quick wit. She was
misconduct relating to tax a role model for women
and financial transactions in the law, and she took
that occurred mostly in the that responsibility seriously,"
1980s and 1990s. Smith said.
The order said the com- Judge Theodore McKee,
plaint process was meant another of Barry's 3rd Cir-
to correct conditions inter- cuit's colleagues, told The
fering with the "effective Associated Press that Barry
and expeditious" adminis- was a meticulous judge
tration of court business. It who protected the court's
said the resignation meant reputation, and to the ex-
that Barry can no longer tent the complaints "may
perform any judicial duties have cast aspersions on
and thus can no longer be that, I know she would have
investigated. been very concerned."
Barry, 82, was not identified The 15,000-word Times re-
by name in the order, but port last year said that
the facts matched her cir- Trump's father, Fred, trans-
cumstances, and a copy of ferred ownership of most of
the order was sent to Scott his real estate empire to his
Shuchart, an attorney who four living children before
filed one of the complaints he died in the late 1990s.
and had been promised by The Times investigation,
the court to be kept updat- based in part on more than