USA TODAY International Edition
Trump seeks shield for finances
Lawyers ask justices to block Congress’ request
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump and some of his associated businesses asked the Supreme Court again Thursday to shield the president’s tax returns and financial documents from investigators prying into his personal and business affairs.
The legal filing from Trump’s personal lawyers was the latest development in a fast- moving battle among Trump, Democrats in Congress and a New York prosecutor that could wind up before the high court in the middle of the 2020 election campaign.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee wants eight years of financial documents from Mazars USA, Trump’s longtime accounting firm, to compare them with testimony from his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as well as with government disclosures. Cohen told Congress that before becoming president, Trump routinely overstated or understated his holdings, depending on his needs.
Trump’s lawyers have attacked the subpoena in an effort to make Congress’ probe look like a fishing expedition. They have gotten the Supreme Court to put a temporary hold on the panel’s demands, which was upheld by the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
“Under the D. C. Circuit’s decision, Congress can subpoena any private records it wishes from the president on the mere assertion that it is considering legislation that might require presidents to disclose that same information,” they argued.
“Given the obvious temptation to investigate the personal affairs of political rivals, subpoenas concerning the private lives of presidents will become routine in times of divided government,” they added.
The House of Representatives’ general counsel, Douglas Letter, has countered that the records are needed to help determine “whether senior government officials, including the president, are acting in the country’s best interest and not in their own financial interest.”
After hearing the House committee’s response, the justices will have to decide whether to hear the case.
If the high court refuses to step in, Trump’s tax returns and financial records will be fair game. Unlike past presidents dating back 40 years, Trump has refused to release his tax returns, claiming he cannot do so while they are being audited.