Don must give data, sez judge

WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Monday denied President Trump’s bid to quash a House subpoena for years of his financial records from his accounting firm and stayed his order seven days to give the president’s lawyers time to appeal.

The ruling handed an initial defeat to Trump’s vow to defy subpoenas by House Democrats and came in one of the first courtroom challenges to a series of lawmakers’ investigative demands for his bank records, accounting statements and tax returns.

District Judge Amit Mehta of Washington refused to block the records request to Mazars USA from the House Oversight and Reform Committee while litigation continues. Attorneys for Trump and associated businesses filed suit April 22, arguing that Congress is not entitled to investigate his past personal financial dealings for potential corruption.

“So long as Congress investigates on a subject matter on which ‘legislation could be had,’ Congress acts as contemplated by Article I of the Constitution,” Mehta said in a 41-page opinion.

Mehta ruled that the committee’s assertions that Trump’s records will help it consider strengthening ethics and disclosure laws and enforce a constitutional ban on acceptance of foreign gifts by a president were “facially valid,” saying, “It is not for the court to question whether the committee’s actions are truly motivated by political considerations.”

In court, Douglas Letter, general counsel of the House of Representatives, has charged that the lawsuit would dismiss Congress’ constitutional oversight powers as “a nuisance ... getting in [Trump’s] way while he’s trying to run the country.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s private attorney Jay Sekulow said when the lawsuit was filed that the president’s team “will not allow congressional presidential harassment to go unanswered.”