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Posted on 05/17/2019 2:58:26 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday defied a subpoena from House Democrats for President Trump's tax returns, a move that's likely to trigger a court battle for the documents.
“We are unable to provide the requested information in response to the Committee’s subpoena,” Mnuchin said in a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.).
Mnuchin reiterated in the letter that Treasury has determined that Neal's request "lacks a legitimate legislative purpose."
Both Mnuchin and Neal have said they think the dispute will be decided in the courts. Neal told reporters hours before Mnuchin sent his letter that Democrats “will likely proceed to court as quickly as next week."
In a statement issued after Mnuchin rejected the subpoena, Neal said he is "consulting with counsel on how best to enforce the subpoenas moving forward.”
Neal last week issued subpoenas for six years of Trump's personal and business tax returns — 2013 to 2018 — after Mnuchin rejected the chairman’s request for the documents under a statute that states that the Treasury Secretary “shall furnish” tax returns requested by the chairpeople of congress’s tax-writing committees, so long as information associated with any specific taxpayers is reviewed in a closed session.
Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig had been given a deadline of 5 p.m. on Friday to produce the tax returns sought in the subpoenas.
Neal said in Friday's statement that the subpoenas should not have been needed in the first place because Treasury should have complied with his earlier requests.
"The law provides clear statutory authority for the Chair of the Ways and Means Committee to request and receive access to tax returns and return information," he said. "The law, by its terms, does not allow for discretion as to whether to comply with a request for tax returns and return information."
Democrats argue that the documents are needed for a legitimate legislative purpose.
Neal stated in his initial request for the tax returns that the Ways and Means Committee is conducting oversight and is considering legislative proposals relating to how the IRS audits presidents. But Mnuchin argued in a previous letter that Democrats’ main goal is to expose a political rival’s tax returns.
In his letter Friday, Mnuchin said that Treasury remains committed to providing the Ways and Means Committee with more information about the IRS's process for conducting mandatory audits of presidents.
Some Democrats and liberal groups want Congress take action to hold Mnuchin in contempt while also pursuing legal action in the courts.
“It is unconscionable for our country to have a Treasury Secretary who repeatedly shows us that he will continue to obstruct justice at every turn in order to do Trump’s bidding. Neither Mnuchin nor Donald Trump is above the law," Tax March Executive Director Maura Quint said in a statement after Mnuchin announced he was defying the subpoena.
ETC...
ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God that cheered me up!! :)
Beautiful.......”request does not serve a legit legislative purpose.”
Doesnt matter if mnuchin believes its a legitimate request or not.
THE GDAM LAW says they can’t release anyones rax returns or docus without that person’s approval. Period.
Send the Sergeant at Arms.
Mnuchin has class......I would have said “eat $hit and die”.
My understanding is that an obscure law allows them to see a presidents tax returns.
Let’s have a look at Billy’s, obama’s or Herbert walker’s tax returns
Mnuchin should tell them he just Ordered the IRS to do a Full Scale Investigation as to how Members of Congress become Extremely Wealthy Overnight and All of their Tax Returns will be made Public during the inquiry so private citizens can provide input
Mnuchin to house democrats...”phuque ewe”.
My understanding is that an obscure law allows them to see the president’s tax returns.
Your understanding is wrong. Congress can see anyone’s completed tax forms (not all taxes lead to returns) should there be a legislative purpose. A witch hunt to find something that may be wrong is not a legislative purpose. Mnuchin is in the right and there is no legislative purpose for the House to see Trump’s tax returns. Should this got to SCOTUS they should agree with the Treasury Secretary in that there is no legislative purpose other than to find out if a crime has been committed.
The House of Representatives: A laughing stock
They don’t even grasp the rules their body passed in years past.
I’m only curious about whether “Dick” should be beaten before he goes up on the tree...
provide evidence you have legitimate legislative purpose, Dem slimes. oh, you can’t? in that case....
Covfefe!
There are ways to make the point in a succinct manner without resorting to vulgar language. I think I might have considered responding “Nuts”.
He should have openly said that.
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