Former President Donald Trump through his lawyers has filed a motion seeking to stop House Ways and Means Committee investigators from getting his tax returns —which he has called “beautiful” and “perfect”— claiming that his financial history is being unfairly pursued for political reasons by Democrats.
Last week, the Department of Justice determined that the Internal Revenue Service must hand over Trump’s tax returns to Congress, saying the law is “unambiguous.” But the tax returns aren’t likely to be given to Congress anytime soon as the new filing from Trump will likely prompt several new rounds of legal arguments.
During his presidency, Trump was able to block any attempt to look into his financial records, claiming “presidential immunity.” Now he is asking the federal court to permanently block the Treasury Department from turning over his tax returns and order Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal to “end all ongoing examinations” of Trump and his companies.
Trump also seeks to recoup their legal expenses, according to their new filing.
Federal judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed by Trump to the DC District Court, will be reviewing Trump’s claim in court and will likely set a schedule for more proceedings. There is also a three-day hold set by the court that would delay the IRS from turning over the tax returns immediately.
Generally, the federal courts can’t dictate how Congress goes about its fact-finding when it is working on legislation. Yet Trump’s side disagrees with what the House says it needs and its reasoning.
Trump’s lawyers also revive an excuse Trump has used for years to explain why he hasn’t released his tax returns, flouting the tradition of all other recent presidential nominees. They claim his taxes are still “the subject of ongoing examinations by the IRS” and that work on its own is “trial-like,” according to the filing on Wednesday. Trump’s lawyers argue the IRS could be influenced by Congress looking at their officials’ work on Trump’s taxes.
