Judge orders Trump accounting firm to hand over records to Congress

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) A federal district judge has told the accounting firm Mazars it will need to turn over Donald Trump's accounting records from before he was President to the Democratic-controlled House Oversight Committee. In a 41-page opinion, Judge Amit Mehta of the DC District Court rejected Trump's attempt to block the committee's subpoena, asserting that Congress is well within its authority to investigate the President.

Mehta's opinion will now likely become fodder for other judges to consider as Trump and his Cabinet try to hold off Congress from getting his business records, such as through the IRS, banks and in other court fights. Congress specifically can probe the President for conflicts of interest and ethical questions, Mehta wrote. "History has shown that congressionally-exposed criminal conduct by the President or a high-ranking Executive Branch official can lead to legislation," Mehta wrote, citing the Watergate investigation by the Senate. "It is simply not fathomable that a Constitution that grants Congress the power to remove a President for reasons including criminal behavior would deny Congress the power to investigate him for unlawful conduct -- past or present -- even without formally opening an impeachment inquiry," he added.

Mazars has seven days until it will have to comply with the subpoena, Mehta said in his opinion Monday, but the judge refused to halt the subpoena after that. Another court would have to do so. Trump's team has not yet appealed the ruling.

"The court is well aware that this case involves records concerning the private and business affairs of the President of the United States. But on the question of whether to grant a stay pending appeal, the President is subject to the same legal standard as any other litigant that does not prevail," Mehta wrote.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

Read more: https://us.cnn.com/2019/05/20/politics/mazars-trump-records/index.html

---

Here is a PDF of the ruling - http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2019/images/05/20/mehta.opinion.in.trump.subpoena.case.pdf

Original article -

Washington (CNN) A federal district judge has told the accounting firm Mazars it will need to turn over Donald Trump's accounting records from before he was President to the Democratic-control House Oversight Committee.
Trump had attempted to challenge the subpoena in federal court.

This story is breaking and will be updated.

[keithbvadu2]

1. How long before Trump's goons march in to take the records? Or 'there was a fire'.

How long before Trump's goons march in to take the records?

Or 'there was a fire'.

[gldstwmn]

6. I'm sure the IRS Commissioner isn't

Sleeping well these days. Look for him to be the next team Trump member to jump ship.

[Farmer-Rick]

2. Time for the Supremes to come to Trump's rescue.......

[gldstwmn]

3. They're not going to hear every case

Involving Trump. He will have to choose his battles. This case law has been long settled. I can't see them taking this one up. He knows he will lose on the subpoenas too but is hoping to run out the clock I think.

[Farmer-Rick]

4. I hope you are right.

Seems Trump doesn't mind pushing the boundaries. Maybe an intelligent person would pick their battles, I think Trump uses the fire hose method.

[gldstwmn]

5. I'm not sure what percentage of cases

Taken to the Supreme Court actually get heard but it's a pretty low number. They may consider more of his cases because he is president but they're not going to deal with a bunch of his nonsense clogging up their court. Roberts doesn't like Trump and has pretty much come out and said so after Trump's comment on Obama judges. He and Barr might be able to keep the wheels spinning for a while with all these cases but eventually they're going to hit a brick wall. Barr realizes it even if Trump does not. There are so many balls in the air at this point that it's only a matter of time before one falls. The question is will it be enough to get rid of him or will America wind up reelecting this POS. I can't take another four years of this. I'm not sure the country will survive another four years of this.

[DrToast]

15. I'm not sure Roberts will trade his reputation for Trump

He’s clearly not a fan if that guy already.

[Sherman A1]

7. YES!!!!!

[Ford_Prefect]

8. ...The President is subject to the same legal standard as any other litigant...

...the President is subject to the same legal standard as any other litigant that does not prevail," Mehta wrote.

Very important comment. Let's see if the MSM grasps that distinction.

[mysteryowl]

9. ...and the first thing congress will learn is that his taxes are NOT being audited.

He is such a liar!!!

[Princess Turandot]

10. Mazars is actually a French accounting/audit firm with an international presence...

In 2010, it merged with a northeast (roughly) regional US accounting firm once called Weiser LLP, following a 10 year joint venture affiliation between the two companies. Their US practice was originally called WeiserMazars LLP, but in 1/2017 was renamed Mazars USA LLP.

A bit from 2016 entry in an accounting blog called 'Going Concern':

Donald Trump's accounting firm

Crain's Aaron Elstein reports that the firm, who DJT has called "big" and "highly respected," is WeiserMazars.

Though it may be highly respected, Manhattan-based WeiserMazars is by no means big. It is the 24th-largest accounting firm in the nation, according to trade publication Accounting Today, with 109 partners and $158 million in annual revenue. For perspective, KPMG, the smallest of the so-called Big Four accounting firms, has 1,813 partners and $6.9 billion in annual revenue.

This strikes me as a little strange since Mitt Romney, another rich guy who ran for president, has the biggest firm, PwC, prepare his tax returns. I'm not suggesting that PwC's work would be superior to WeiserMazars', only that Trump has repeatedly pointed out that the Gucci store he owns is worth more than Romney. Either Romney is paying for the PwC brand or Trump had to shop around for a firm that wouldn't mind being associated with his brand.

[riversedge]

11. .. "We will be filing a timely notice of appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals," said Jay Seku

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/20/judge-upholds-dem-subpoena-for-trump-financial-records-1335370

...... “We will be filing a timely notice of appeal to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals,” said Jay Sekulow, one of the president’s personal attorneys.

Mehta's decision is a sweeping repudiation of Trump's claim to be largely immune from congressional scrutiny, particularly in matters of potential legal violations. Mehta's opinion emphasizes that lawmakers have the authority to investigate Trump’s conduct from both before and after taking office.

The ruling represents the first time the federal judiciary has weighed in on the ongoing oversight battle between Trump and House Democrats. Mehta’s ruling is likely to provide a blueprint for other judges who are set to make their own rulings on Trump’s vow to defy all congressional subpoenas.

In a 41-page opinion issued Monday, Mehta systematically dismantled the Trump legal team’s arguments against the validity of the subpoena — and he pushed back on claims from congressional Republicans that the House Judiciary Committee must formally launch an impeachment inquiry before requesting such information.

[pecosbob]

12. DC Court of Appeals can refuse to hear the case

[onenote]

20. In theory they could summarily affirm the decision below

Without full briefing or oral argument, but I think it's highly unlikely that they would do so in this instance

[watoos]

13. Hopefully the accounting firm

Turns over the information to Congress before the appeal is made.

[Scurrilous]

14. K&R

[riversedge]

16. Mehta took the extra step of denying the president's request for a stay pending appeal.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/20/judge-upholds-dem-subpoena-for-trump-financial-records-1335370


Judge upholds Dem subpoena for Trump financial records The judge, Amit Mehta, ruled that Congress can investigate the president without beginning formal impeachment proceedings.


.............In addition to upholding the House Oversight and Reform Committee’s subpoena to accounting firm Mazars USA for eight years of Trump’s financial records, Mehta took the extra step of denying the president’s request for a stay pending appeal.

[DeminPennswoods]

17. Cummings ought to have staffers on hand at Mazars

to immediately recieve all materials, most of which I'd guess have already been collected and organized.

[burrowowl]

18. I'm at page 6 of his judgement

so far really good!

[mcar]

19. K&R!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

21. Trump will be appealing the ruling to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, headed by ... Merrick Garland

SnittyGrappleHat Retweeted

Nice job, everyone, delegitimating the outcome before oral arguments even happen.

I mean, if the DC Cir rules against Trump, he can just retweet all these tweets to argue “witchhunt!”

Also, it’s insulting to Garland.

Link to tweet

President Trump will be appealing the ruling to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, headed by ... Merrick Garland.

Link to tweet

[onenote]

22. As has been pointed out in several other threads, Garland won't necessarily hear the case

The appeal will be heard by a three judge panel, essentially appointed at random. While Garland is the "Chief Judge" that doesn't mean he'll be one of the judges on the panel. There are 11 active judges and seven senior status judges, which means that there is less than a 50-50 chance he'll be one of the three.

The folks tweeting about Garland being on the court that will hear the appeal are jumping the gun.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

23. Sorry; my bad. Thanks for the correction. NT

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

24. Sucks to be Trump

[BumRushDaShow]

25. You found the original thread and agree!

[saidsimplesimon]

26. The photo of President Obama

looking down at the Czar is one I remember. I recall hoping he crushed putie's hand with his superior clasp.