Trump wants Supreme Court to block subpoena for his taxes

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court to block a subpoena for his tax returns, in a test of the president’s ability to defy investigations.

The filing Thursday sets the stage for a high court showdown over the tax returns Trump has refused to release, unlike every other modern president. The justices also could weigh in more broadly on Trump’s claim that sitting presidents can’t be prosecuted or investigated for crimes.

The subpoena from the Manhattan district attorney is seeking Trump’s tax returns back to 2011 from his accounting firm as part of a criminal investigation. Trump’s lawyers say a criminal probe of the president at the state or local level is unconstitutional and unprecedented in American history.

Lower courts have rejected Trump’s claims of immunity.

The Supreme Court justices may not decide whether to hear the case for at least another month.

A second, similar case is headed to the court over a House committee subpoena demanding Trump’s financial records from the same accounting firm. The president has lost both cases at each step of the judicial system so far. The Mazars USA firm has said it will comply with the subpoenas, if courts agree.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is seeking the records in a broader probe that includes payments made to buy the silence of two women, adult film actress Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal, who claim they had affairs with Trump before the 2016 election. Trump has denied the claims.