BREAKING NEWS: Federal judge orders Donald Trump to hand over eight years of his personal and company tax returns to Manhattan’s DA and rules sitting presidents are NOT exempt from criminal probes
- The president’s lawyers had argued in court last month he was immune from being investigated while in office
- Manhattan District Attorney subpoenaed the returns as part of its investigation into the Trump Organization and campaing finance issues
- Trump refused to release returns voluntarily during the campaign
- DA probing whether Stormy Daniels payoffs and reimbursement constituted a campaign finance violation
- Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is serving a three-year prison sentence
A federal judge in New York has ruled President Donald must turn over eight years of tax returns and comply with a subpoena in the latest legal turn that could ultimately provide information about the president’s finances.
In doing so, Judge Victor Marrero turned aside the argument put forward by Trump’s lawyers that he is immune from prosecution while serving as president.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office had subpoenaed the returns, both Trump’s personal returns and those from the Trump Organization as part of its wide-ranging investigation.
FILE – In this Oct. 4, 2019, file photo, President Donald Trump talks to reporters on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington. The nation’s business economists think President Trump’s trade war with China will contribute to a sharp slowdown in economic growth this year and next, raising concerns about a possible recession starting late next year. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
Judge Marrero blasted the sweeping arguments put forward by Trump’s personal attorneys that as a sitting president, Trump should not have to face the same investigatory tactics as ordinary citizens.
‘This Court cannot endorse such a categorical and limitless assertion of presidential immunity from judicial process,’ the Obama appointee said.
He blasted Trump’s lawyers for asserting an ‘extraordinary claim’ by arguing that presidents are ‘immune’ from the wheels of justice while they are in office. He said this would give the president ‘virtually limitless’ power to ignore the U.S. Constitution.
Cyrus Vance Jr., Manhattan New York district attorney, has subpoenaed eight years of Trump tax returns
Longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is serving a three-year prison sentence
The DA is probing whether Trump contributed any campaign violations related to the payoffs to porn star Stormy Daniels (pictured) and former Playboy model Karen McDougal
DA Cy Vance has subpoenaed Mazars USA, Trump’s longtime accounting firm, seeking the information, and the firm has acknowledged in court it has return information in its possession.
Trump’s lawyers planned to appeal in the 2nd District Court of Appeals.
Vance’s office is probing the Stormy Daniels payoffs and whether they constituted a campaign finance violation that could implicate the president.
The DA is also probing payments that American Media Inc. made to Playboy model Karen McDougal during the 2016 campaign. Both women claimed they had affairs with Trump, which he denies.
Longtime Trump lawyer Michael Cohen is serving a three-year prison sentence in New York in part due to a campaign finance violation he testified was ‘directed’ by Trump
Vance subpoenaed the tax records from the president’s accounting firm Mazars USA on August 29.
But Justice Department lawyers asked the judge to press pause on the proceedings so ‘weighty constitutional issues’ could be decided. Marrero quickly decided them.
Trump also asked Marrero to oversee the case, removing it from the state court where a grand jury green-lighted Vance’s subpoena.
He has broken the recent tradition of releasing his tax returns, claiming for years that they are under a lengthy IRS audit.
The House Ways and Means of Committee has been trying to obtain Trump’s tax returns on a separate track, under a law that allows the heads of tax-writing committees to obtain return information. The Treasury Department, however, has resisted turning over the information.