The U.S. government sought to intervene in Apple's tax troubles in Europe, a source told Reuters. Last August, the European Commission said Apple had received illegal tax breaks in Ireland, and it ordered the company to pay back close to $15 billion. The decision was criticized by the Obama administration. Trump's White House has not said anything in public about the case. In December, Apple appealed the EC decision in the Luxembourg-based General Court, Europe's second-highest. This is where the U.S. government filed its application to intervene in the case. The court is expected to hear the case in late 2018. Apple is not the only U. S. company in the EU crosshairs over tax deals. Others include Amazon, McDonald's, and Starbucks.