Not above the law

Neither Richard Nixon nor Bill Clinton could shield his conduct from prosecutors by claiming presidential immunity. Now President Trump is learning the same legal lesson that no one is above the law.

A Supreme Court majority, including two Trump appointees, ruled that a New York subpoena of the president’s tax and financial records can go forward. “In our judicial system, ‘the public has a right to every man’s evidence,’ ” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote, quoting a legal maxim.

The decision isn’t a complete win. The same highcourt majority passed on a similar request from Democrats in Congress bidding to investigate the president’s records. That case will need to be reconsidered by lower courts.

Also, though the New York inquiry can steam ahead, a deepdive look at Trump’s money world won’t likely happen before his November reelection bid. His overseas business deals, income taxes and hushmoney payoffs will stay bottled up in the short run.

The president can run out the clock.

That consolation prize didn’t assuage Trump, who wailed about the results. “Courts in the past have given ‘broad deference’. BUT NOT ME!” Yes, Mr. President, it is all about you this time. As it has in the past, the court system won’t allow a presidential pass on a legitimate criminal inquiry.

Beyond the nature of the case, the outcome stands out in another way. This president, who often claims special powers on immigration, environmental rules and other topics, is getting a firm rebuke on the limits of his office. He’s not clad in special constitutional armor. He’s not out of reach when it comes to suspected misconduct. He’s an officeholder obliged to obey the law. Even his highcourt appointees, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, voted to rein him in.

Presidential power is getting a rightful check on its reach. Just as important, the country eventually should get a look at Trump’s concealed finances.