I've blocked off the day to listen to the Supreme Court Justices

[malaise]

Last edited Tue May 12, 2020, 08:24 AM - Edit history (3)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/12/us-supreme-court-trump-tax-returns
<snip>

The US supreme court is in its second week of working by telephone during the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday it will hear the highest-profile arguments so far presented remotely: regarding the release, or not, of Donald Trump’s tax returns.

When Trump ran for president in 2016, he bucked tradition by refusing to release such information. Saying he was under audit, which would not in fact have precluded action, he promised to release his returns in due course. He has not.

Details of the president’s tax affairs have been reported by various outlets, the New York Times winning a Pulitzer in 2019 for a wide-ranging investigation which the prize committee said “debunked [Trump’s] claims of self-made wealth and revealed a business empire riddled with tax dodges”.

But Trump’s taxes remain one of the most tantalising mysteries in American politics.

On Tuesday, the supreme court will hear cases originating in Congress and New York state. Both seek records from Mazars USA, Trump’s accountants.

Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, want access to the Republican president’s tax returns, records and financial statements, to see if he is violating constitutional safeguards and federal ethics laws by benefiting financially from his occupation of the White House via his business empire.

The New York prosecutor Cyrus Vance Jr wants to know more about Trump’s payoffs to women who claimed affairs with him, and whether such hush money payments involved the falsification of business records.------------------

Get your snacks

OK it starts at 10.00am but Ari will have live coverage from noon.
Will find a link where we can listen from 10.00am.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213426766

NPR link here https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213426701

[rurallib]

1. What time and how do we listen?

maybe I missed it in the article?

Is scotusblog carrying it?

[malaise]

2. It's actually afternoon - not sure if it's noon or 1.00pm ET

[rurallib]

4. thank you very much!

If I remember my SCOTUS stuff, each side gets an hour to argue their side.

[harumph]

3. I don't trust Vance Jr.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/why-didnt-manhattan-da-cyrus-vance-prosecute-the-trumps-or-harvey-weinstein

[brooklynite]

5. This case has nothing to do with Trump RELEASING his tax returns to the public...

...nor should it. Whatever you think about "tradition" (which FWIW only dates back to the 70s), nobody has the "right" to see someone else's tax returns. This case has to do with the State's right to see tax returns as a matter of legal investigation, and compliance with existing Federal Law.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Post updates.

Malaise's Official Trump Taxes, Supreme Court Adventure Thread .

[demmiblue]

7. OMG, RBG asked why this is different than Whitewater, where subpoenas against President could be...

OMG, RBG asked why this is different than Whitewater, where subpoenas against President could be enforced -- "what's good for the goose is good for the gander."

President's lawyers: We don't think you should look at those cases because they are too recent.

Link to tweet