President Trump is asking the Supreme Court to intervene on an emergency basis to block a House subpoena for his financial records until the high court can decide whether to take the case.
Trump is trying to block a House subpoena of his longtime accountant Mazars USA LLP for years of his financial records. The subpoena was issued in April by the House Oversight Committee.
The Friday filing is preliminary, and only asks the court to issue a stay on the subpoena while Trump prepares to take the case to the high court for a final decision on the validity of the subpoena.
The Trump request for Supreme Court intervention comes two days after the full Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit denied to rehear the case. Trump has already lost at the trial court level, and that decision was upheld by a three-judge panel of the DC Circuit.
“This is a case of firsts,” personal attorneys for the President wrote, one day after asking the high court to block a New York state grand jury subpoena issued to Mazars for a similar range of financial records. “Given the temptation to dig up dirt on political rivals, intrusive subpoenas into personal lives of Presidents will become our new normal in times of divided government – no matter which party is in power.”
Trump contended in the filing that he would suffer irreparable harm from the subpoena being allowed to go forward, repeating an accusation that the President has made in litigation against Congress that lawmakers would immediately release any private financial records they receive to the public.
The President also argued that the subpoena threatens Trump’s “autonomy and independence” as the executive, thereby constituting an overreach of Congress’s powers.
Personal attorneys for the President also showed special attention to D.C. Circuit judge Neomi Rao, the sole Trump appointee on the three-judge panel that ruled in favor of the House last month. Rao dissented from that ruling, and from a later decision to deny the President a rehearing by the full appeals court.
Trump cited Rao as arguing that the subpoena constituted a law enforcement action because “the gravamen of the Oversight Committee’s investigation … is the President’s wrongdoing.”
Read the filing here:
He’s got a point. Going to prison for fraud and forfeiting huge amounts of his wealth in fines would definitely qualify as one type of irreparable harm.
“Digging up dirt on political rivals.” Where have I heard that recently? What’s good for the goose . . . .
Mr. Trump is a man of principle. His only reason for fighting this hard is to defend the principle that presidents’ tax returns shouldn’t be released to anyone when the president is under audit. Thank God there is someone willing to stand up for this sacrosanct idea!
As always, the question is “What does he have to hide?” And if Bill Clinton could be deposed while he was in office, what the hell is so “intrusive” about this jamoke releasing his tax returns? Pitiful, but I love the smell of desperation and flop sweat.
And just when I was reading this post, I heard U2 singing, “I must be an acrobat to talk like this, and act like that.” Trump, the height of hypocrisy. Laws don’t apply to him, our lawless president. “Don’t let the bastards grind you down” indeed!