[The Epoch Times, November 23, 2022](Epoch Times reporter Li Xin comprehensive report) The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday (November 22) rejected former President Trump (Trump) seeking to prevent House Democrats from obtaining his tax returns An urgent appeal from the White House ended a multiyear legal battle and paved the way for the release of Trump’s tax returns.
The decision came in response to Trump’s appeal to the Supreme Court late last month after a lower court refused to reverse a ruling of its own ordering Trump to turn over his tax records to the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee.
The final tally was not released, nor were details of each justice’s vote.
In a Nov. 1 order, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocked the release of Trump’s tax records while the court considers the issue. Roberts then took the case to the full bench.
With the new decision, Roberts’ previously issued stay was lifted.
House Democrats have been seeking the records for years, saying they need to investigate how the IRS conducts routine presidential audits, which Trump’s lawyers have argued are purely political.
“The purpose of the committee’s request for President Trump’s tax returns has nothing to do with IRS funding or staffing issues, but rather with the release of President Trump’s tax information to the public,” Trump’s lawyers said in an emergency filing with the Supreme Court in October. said, noting that the committee did not seek the records of other former presidents.
Federal law says tax returns are generally confidential, barring exceptions, one of which is a written request from the House Ways and Means Committee. The issues in Trump’s lawsuit depend largely on whether the exception is constitutional.
But some courts have argued that House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., articulated a legitimate legislative purpose — to examine how the IRS audits the president — and that because of the separation of powers, the judiciary cannot intervene.
While the Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday was a victory for House Democrats, it’s unclear how much it will serve them. It is unclear how quickly the IRS will turn over the records, and Republicans are expected to withdraw the request when they take control of the House of Representatives in January.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, dismissed Trump’s lawsuit late last year. His ruling was later affirmed by the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, which in October rejected Trump’s request to reopen the case, prompting him to seek help from the US Supreme Court .
(Epoch Times reporter Zachary Stieber contributed to this article.)
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#