Trump lawyers plan further attempts to block tax records release
New poll suggests many in US are concerned about Trump’s finances and potential conflicts with his business.
Lawyers for United States President Donald Trump told a federal judge on Wednesday they are planning further challenges to the Manhattan district attorney’s efforts to see the president’s financial records, despite a US Supreme Court decision allowing the prosecutor’s review. In a filing with the US District Court in Manhattan, Trump’s lawyers said the president will file an amended complaint raising arguments against district attorney Cyrus Vance’s subpoena that the Supreme Court said he can still make. Trump’s lawyers said the Republican president may argue that the grand jury subpoena was too broad. He may also argue that Vance, a Democrat, brought the subpoena to harass Trump, manipulate or retaliate against his policies, or otherwise “impede his constitutional duties”.
US District Judge Victor Marrero has scheduled a Thursday hearing to discuss the matter. A public opinion poll by Reuters/Ipsos this week suggested many Americans remain concerned about Trump’s finances and potential conflicts of interest with his family business. The poll suggested 66 percent of adults agreed that Trump “should release his tax returns from earlier years”, and 68 percent said: “Americans have a right to see each presidential candidate’s financial records before the election.”
When asked why the Republican president has not released the records, about half said it was because of reasons that could make it tougher for him to be re-elected. According to the poll, 26 percent said they believe Trump’s taxes contain “incriminating evidence against him”, and 10 percent said Trump is “trying to hide significant financial losses”. Another 16 percent said they thought Trump does not want to reveal them because he “does not pay taxes”. The case concerns a subpoena by Vance last August to Trump’s accounting firm Mazars USA for eight years of personal and corporate tax returns. Vance’s criminal probe into Trump and his Trump Organization was spurred by revelations about hush money paid before the 2016 election. These included payments to buy the silence of adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal about their claimed sexual encounters with Trump, which he denies.......