A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump threw out a lawsuit from the 45th president late Tuesday that sought to prevent House lawmakers from obtaining his tax returns.
US District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that the House Ways and Means Committee has broad authority to obtain and potentially publish the former president’s tax returns — and described Trump’s claims as “wrong on the law.”
“A long line of Supreme Court cases requires great deference to facially valid congressional inquires,” McFadden wrote in his ruling, according to the Associated Press. “Even the special solicitude accorded former presidents does not alter the outcome.”
McFadden stayed his ruling from going into effect for two weeks in order to give Trump’s attorneys time to file an appeal.
The committee led by Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) first sought Trump’s tax returns in April 2019, specifically requesting his personal and business returns for the years 2013 through 2018. The information request is a part of an investigation into the Internal Revenue Service’s audit program and tax law compliance by Trump.
“It might not be right or wise to publish the returns, but it is the Chairman’s right to do so,” McFadden wrote. “Congress has granted him this extraordinary power, and courts are loath to second guess congressional motives or duly enacted statutes.”
The Trump Treasury Department declined to provide the tax returns, with the administration arguing they were being sought for partisan reasons or to embarrass the then-president. The Justice Department defended that decision at the time.
In July, the department reversed its opinion, saying the committee had sufficient reasons for requesting the information.
McFadden rejected the embarrassment claim Tuesday, saying, “Congress may not expose someone simply for the sake of exposure.” He added that the committee’s request to see the returns as part of a probe of the audit program constituted a statement of “valid legislative purpose,” which is all that is necessary to receive the documents.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. already has obtained copies of Trump’s personal and business tax records as part of a criminal investigation. Trump tried to prevent his accountants from handing over the documents, taking the issue to the Supreme Court. The justices rejected Trump’s argument that he had broad immunity as president.
With Post wires