'I want my money back, with interest'; Lead plaintiff wants refund after Supreme Court kills Trump tariffs

Record ID: 2343377

  • Title: 'I want my money back, with interest'; Lead plaintiff wants refund after Supreme Court kills Trump tariffs
  • Date: 20th February 2026
  • Summary: VERNON HILLS, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES (FEBRUARY 19, 2026) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RICK WOLDENBERG, CEO OF LEARNING RESOURCES AND HAND2MIND, DEMONSTRATING THE HAND2MIND CASH REGISTER TOY VARIOUS OF WOLDENBERG DEMONSTRATING THE HAND2MIND FEELINGS MIRROR TOY VARIOUS OF WOLDENBERG LOOKING AT AND TALKING ABOUT THE COMPANY'S HISTORY WHILE LOOKING AT A TIMELINE ON THE WALL (SOUNDBIT
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: BIZ BLOCK BLOCKS BUSINESS COURT DONALD HAND2MIND HILLS ILLINOIS JUSTICE JUSTICES LAW LAWS LAWSUIT LEARNING NUMBER NUMBERS REFUND REFUNDS RESOURCES RICK RULE RULING SMALL SUE SUIT SUPREME TARIFF TARIFFS TAX TAXATION TAXES TAXING TOY TOYS TRUMP US USA VERNON WASHINGTON WOLDENBERG
  • Location: VERNON HILLS, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES
  • City: VERNON HILLS, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Budget/Taxation/Revenue,North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA005723520022026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In a major setback for former President Donald Trump’s trade agenda, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday (February 20) struck down a series of tariffs imposed during his administration, ruling that the measures were unlawfully applied.
    The decision marks a significant victory for educational toy companies Learning Resources and Hand2Mind, whose CEO, Rick Woldenberg, served as the lead plaintiff in the case.
    “I don't take a position for Mr. Trump or against Mr. Trump, nor do I offer him advice on how he should do his job. In fact, I encourage him to do the best that he can, because we need him to,” Woldenberg said. “But that, notwithstanding, it's not political. It's about taxes and they owe us money.”
    Woldenberg stressed that the legal challenge focused on what he views as an improper use of executive authority rather than a personal dispute.
    “I had to have a defendant...and we sued the head of the government,” Woldenberg said. “But what I was afraid of was not retaliation, because I'm not attacking a man. I'm attacking the unlawful application of law. So I don't really think of Mr. Trump on the other side. It's not us against Mr. Trump. It's us against a law that was incorrectly applied.”
    The ruling could have broad financial implications, potentially requiring the federal government to refund substantial sums collected under the invalidated tariffs.
    Woldenberg made clear he expects repayment.
    “I expect the government to give me my money back with interest, and as soon as they do we'll start spending it,” he said. “Right now I'm trying to guide the company back to normalcy...we want to run our company again.”
    The Supreme Court’s decision not only reshapes the legal boundaries of executive trade authority but also underscores the willingness of private companies to challenge federal policy when they believe it exceeds the law.
    (Produced by Eric Cox)
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