Trump appeals as judge OKs Manhattan DA getting tax returns
NEW YORK— As President Donald Trump's lawyers moved swiftly Thursday to appeal a federal judge's ruling that granted Manhattan's top prosecutor access to his tax returns, Trump blasted the long-running quest for his financial records as a “continuation of the most disgusting witch hunt in the history of our country.”
U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero's ruling echoed his prior decision in the case, upheld last month by the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court had returned the case to Marrero's courtroom to give Trump's lawyers a chance to raise other concerns about the subpoena issued by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.
Vance has been seeking Trump's tax returns from the president's longtime accounting firm, Mazars USA, for more than a year, since Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that the president had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets. Congress is also pursuing Trump's financial records.
Trump's lawyers immediately appealed Marrero's Thursday ruling to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The president said he expected the case to end up back before the Supreme Court.
The appeal means it is unlikely Vance's office will get its hands on Trump's tax returns before November's presidential election. Because they are being sought as part of a confidential grand jury investigation, they would not automatically be made public.
“The Supreme Court said it's a fishing expedition. You don't have to do it,” Trump said. “And this is a fishing expedition, but more importantly, this is a continuation of the witch hunt — the greatest witch hunt in history. There's never been anything like it, where people want to examine everything you've ever done to see if they can find that there's a comma out of place.”
Trump is the only president in modern times who has refused to make his tax returns public. Before he was elected he had promised to release them.
Messages seeking comment were left with Trump's lawyer. Vance's office declined comment.