U.S. News
Supreme Court clears release of Trump’s tax returns to Congress [Video]
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- The Supreme Court rejected a bid by former President Donald Trump to prevent Congress from obtaining his income tax returns from the IRS.
- The ruling comes more than three months after a federal appeals court in Washington ruled that the Ways and Means Committee had the right to obtain Trump’s tax returns.
- Trump then asked the Supreme Court on Oct. 31 to block the committee from obtaining his tax returns.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the imminent handover of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to a congressional committee after a three-year legal fight.
The court, without comment, rejected Trump’s plea for an order that would have prevented the Treasury Department from giving six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses to the Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee.
It was Trump’s second loss at the Supreme Court in as many months. In October, the court refused to step into the legal fight surrounding the FBI search of Trump’s Florida estate that turned up classified documents.
In the dispute over his tax returns, the Treasury Department had refused to provide the records during Trump’s presidency. But the Biden administration said federal law is clear that the committee has the right to examine any taxpayer’s return, including the president’s.
Lower courts agreed that the committee has broad authority to obtain tax returns and rejected Trump’s claims that it was overstepping and only wanted the documents so they could be made public.
Chief Justice John Roberts imposed a temporary freeze on Nov. 1 to allow the court to weigh the legal issues raised by Trump’s lawyers and the counter arguments of the administration and the House of Representatives.
Just over three weeks later, the court lifted Roberts’ order with no noted dissents.
The House contended an order preventing the IRS from providing the tax returns would leave lawmakers “little or no time to complete their legislative work during this Congress, which is quickly approaching its end.”
Had Trump persuaded the nation’s highest court to intervene, he could have run out the clock on the committee, with Republicans ready to take control of the House in January. They almost certainly would have dropped the records request if the issue had not been resolved by then.
The House Ways and Means panel and its chairman, Democrat Richard Neal of Massachusetts, first requested Trump’s tax returns in 2019 as part of an investigation into the Internal Revenue Service’s audit program and tax law compliance by the former president. Federal law says the Internal Revenue Service “shall furnish” the returns of any taxpayer to a handful of top lawmakers.
The Justice Department under the Trump administration had defended a decision by then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to withhold the tax returns from Congress. Mnuchin argued that he could withhold the documents because he concluded they were being sought by Democrats for partisan reasons. A lawsuit ensued.
After President Joe Biden took office, the committee renewed the request, seeking Trump’s tax returns and additional information from 2015-2020. The White House took the position that the request was a valid one and that the Treasury Department had no choice but to comply. Trump then attempted to halt the handover in court.
Then-Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. obtained copies of Trump’s personal and business tax records as part of a criminal investigation. That case, too, went to the Supreme Court, which rejected Trump’s argument that he had broad immunity as president.
Source: Reuters
Tom
November 24, 2022 at 6:38 am
Okay, SCOTUS, fair is fair. I want the tax returns of every democrat and RINO made public. You work for me, now do it. That’s not a request–THAT’S AN ORDER!
Tony B
November 24, 2022 at 7:39 am
I agree, all politicians, be it the Socialist Democrats or the Republicans should follow orders and stop weaponizing their positions and hide behind a stupid bill they created to empower them to do what they please. Both parties have a very unhealthy relationship with reality and common sense and they should stop playing games with our lives. If the average joe in this country lie to the government he or she will go to jail but who is governing these clowns. They lie cheat and take bribes. Most of them are lowest of the low. I had high respect and love of our laws and that was the reason I immigrated to this great country of ours 48 years ago, but now I wonder if I made a faux pas in believing that way.
RL
November 24, 2022 at 7:43 am
💯
Brad Schriber
November 24, 2022 at 12:26 pm
Absolutely, request past returns of all democratic communist congressmen and senators. Love to see Pelosi and Watters fictional returns.
Lori
November 24, 2022 at 2:31 pm
ABSOLUTELY.
robert
November 24, 2022 at 2:11 pm
AGREED 100%
D.D.
November 24, 2022 at 7:15 am
Good news ! ! ! Now the whole world will see exactly what he has been trying to hide and why he has tried so hard and so long he’s been trying to hide it !!!
It’s a no-brainer that he’s been cheating and owes a GANG IF MONEY TO THE SAME GOVERNMENT HE CLAIMS HE WANTS TO REPRESENT…
RL
November 24, 2022 at 7:42 am
Let’s see crooked Biden and his money laundering son’s tax returns as well. Nothing to hide right? I’m sure he’s working on shifting some things around now “just in case” his turn comes.
Tony Bell
November 24, 2022 at 7:44 am
It is a witch hunt continuation. Trump is not hiding anything. How do I know, the IRS would have discovered anything nefarious long ago. Remember they were targeting republicans and Trump would have been target number one. You can mark my words, the loony left will try to fabricate something just before there term ends to stir up trouble but it to will fail and rebound on them. Trump is covered by divine providence, how else could he have thrived in politics for so long against so many vitriol adversaries.
Lori
November 24, 2022 at 2:33 pm
AMEN.
Tony B
November 24, 2022 at 7:52 am
D.D, That what is wrong with our country we allow our mouth to run faster that our brain.
Colby Goodson
November 24, 2022 at 8:38 am
Yep guilty before proven innocent. That is the lefts mantra. Including the media and the democrats. I am repeating myself.
CPO Bill
November 24, 2022 at 9:11 am
I wanna see biden’s, pelosi’s, chuck you’s tax papers too!
Gene Horn
November 24, 2022 at 10:44 am
I agree that the President is accountable under the law just like any other citizen. He can not cover up a crime. However, just like the President is not exempt from the law, he is not excluded from the rights of a citizen just because he is a current or past President. In our judicial system, the prosecution must show evidence to support a valid basis for a search to access records or subpoena witnesses. The only basis presented in the House hearings was hearsay which is never admissible in a real trial. It is also against the law to make public confidential information obtained in a case before the accused in convicted and sometimes even thereafter.
In short, the President has the same rights as a citizen as you or I. Congresses only rights are to impeach the President, period. The judicial systems only rights are to try a citizen, or non citizen, in court with all the standard rules and accused protections.
The only thing the Supreme Court ruled on was whether Congress had the right to information, not whether they had a case!
jay jones
November 24, 2022 at 1:59 pm
Just wait until the Rep’s take over…get all the tax returns from the Demo’s including China Joe see what you find
robert
November 24, 2022 at 2:13 pm
I DEMAND BIDENS TAX RETURNS FOR THE LAST 10 YRS BE HANDED DOWN TO THE NEW CONGRESS IN 2023.
Lori
November 24, 2022 at 2:34 pm
Agree.
CharlieSeattle
November 24, 2022 at 9:44 pm
No crime has been charged against Trump. The witch hunt request and SCOTUS action allowing it is…………FFFFkkking ILLEGAL!
RSM4
November 25, 2022 at 7:41 pm
Two things are certain.
1. Trump’s taxes will be all over the internet, minutes after they hit Congress. Dems will claim they have “no idea”how it happened.
2. The SC will step in to block all the Bidens’ info in every investigation.