Trump sues House Ways and Means panel to block disclosure of his tax returns
Source: CNBC
President Donald Trump on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Democrat-led House Ways and Means Committee, as well as New York states attorney general and its tax chief, to block the disclosure of years of his tax returns.
The presidents lawsuit, which was filed in his capacity as a private citizen, came less than a month after the Ways and Means Committee sued the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service to obtain Trumps federal returns.
Trumps new legal action intervenes in that suit, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
Trumps lawyers argue that the House panel lacks a legitimate legislative purpose to use a recently passed New York state law to get Trumps returns. They also claim that that state law violated the presidents First Amendment rights, because it was enacted to discriminate and retaliate against President Trump for his speech and politics.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/23/trump-sues-house-ways-and-means-panel-to-block-disclosure-of-his-tax-returns.html?fbclid=IwAR3S7vkb6xKJJ8q_mz1oTiF-86hXaiugegZvCDliR4UNyZ1AEXe6nfT5vqE
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)mahatmakanejeeves
(57,600 posts)Could it be that @RepRichardNeal is way out of his league? His ineptitude is painfully evident. @SpeakerPelosi needs to replace him on @WaysMeansCmte soon!
Link to tweet
Why on earth did @RepRichardNeal of @WaysMeansCmte vacillate so publicly and ineffectually about whether to invoke the TRUST Act to obtain Trump's tax returns, thus creating a litigation risk that Trump has now taken advantage of?
Link to tweet
PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO UPDATED MOMENTS AGO
Kevin Breuninger
@KEVINWILLIAMB
KEY POINTS
President Trump filed a lawsuit against the House Ways and Means Committee, the New York states attorney general and tax chief to block the disclosure of years of his tax returns.
The presidents lawsuit came less than a month after the Ways and Means Committee sued the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service to obtain Trumps federal returns. Trumps new legal action intervenes in that suit.
Trump has refused to show his tax documents, despite a longstanding tradition among modern presidential candidates to disclose their returns.
Ohiogal
(32,057 posts)If youre as innocent as you claim to be, why all the effort towards keeping anyone from seeing your tax returns?
The First Amendment excuse sounds like total BS to me.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)The lawsuit was filed by the House Ways and Means Committee against the IRS to disclose Trump's return.
Trump and his companies have filed to intervene as interested parties in that suit, and have been permitted to do so:
07/17/2019 11 NOTICE of Appearance by William S. Consovoy on behalf of DONALD J. TRUMP, THE DONALD J. TRUMP REVOCABLE TRUST, DJT HOLDINGS LLC, DJT HOLDINGS MANAGING MEMBER, LLC, DTTM OPERATIONS LLC, DTTM OPERATIONS MANAGING MEMBER CORP., LFB ACQUISITION LLC, LFB ACQUISITION MEMBER CORP., LAMINGTON FARM CLUB, LLC D/B/A TRUMP NATIONAL GOLF CLUB-BEDMINSTER (Consovoy, William) (Entered: 07/17/2019)
07/17/2019 12 Unopposed MOTION to Intervene by DTTM OPERATIONS LLC, DJT HOLDINGS LLC, DJT HOLDINGS MANAGING MEMBER, LLC, DTTM OPERATIONS MANAGING MEMBER CORP., LAMINGTON FARM CLUB, LLC D/B/A TRUMP NATIONAL GOLF CLUB-BEDMINSTER, LFB ACQUISITION LLC, LFB ACQUISITION MEMBER CORP., THE DONALD J. TRUMP REVOCABLE TRUST, DONALD J. TRUMP (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Consovoy, William) (Entered: 07/17/2019)
07/18/2019 13 LCvR 26.1 CERTIFICATE OF DISCLOSURE of Corporate Affiliations and Financial Interests by DTTM OPERATIONS LLC, DJT HOLDINGS MANAGING MEMBER, LLC, DTTM OPERATIONS MANAGING MEMBER CORP., LAMINGTON FARM CLUB, LLC D/B/A TRUMP NATIONAL GOLF CLUB-BEDMINSTER, LFB ACQUISITION LLC, LFB ACQUISITION MEMBER CORP. (Consovoy, William) (Entered: 07/18/2019)
07/18/2019 14 ORDER granting 12 Unopposed Motion to Intervene. Upon consideration of the Proposed Defendant-Intervenors' 12 Motion to Intervene, it is hereby ordered that the motion is granted. The Clerk of Court shall add the movants as Intervenor-Defendants to the case. See attached Order for further details. Signed by Judge Trevor N. McFadden on 07/18/2019. (lctnm2) (Entered: 07/18/2019)
Not particularly surprising really.
pnwmom
(108,994 posts)And second, the lawsuit filed by Trump.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)The piece is contradictory, since the headline refers to a lawsuit, but the article refers to seeking to intervene - which are two different things.
The DC District already granted the intervenor status in the original case:
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/15868028/committee-on-ways-and-means-united-states-house-of-representatives-v/
The Duane Morely Cox motion to intervene is a hoot, if you like to read "insane shit people file in courts".
But, okay, yes, this new complaint is superfluous to that grant of intervenor status, and I can't even quite wrap my head around why the DC District would have jurisdiction over the part of it which is seeking to enjoin the NY AG and the NY tax commissioner from providing records to the Committee pursuant to a NY state law. That part of it would, in my first guess, need to be litigated elsewhere.
pnwmom
(108,994 posts)seeking to enjoin the NY AG and tax commissioner?
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)onenote
(42,759 posts)The requested relief is as follows:
A declaratory judgment that the Committee lacks a legitimate legislative purpose for obtaining the Presidents state tax information; .
A permanent injunction prohibiting the Committee from making a written request under the TRUST Act, or taking any other action to request, inspect, review, use, maintain, or disclose the Presidents state tax information;
A declaratory judgment that the TRUST Act violates the First Amendment;
A permanent injunction prohibiting the Attorney General from enforcing the TRUST Act;
A permanent injunction prohibiting the Commissioner from complying with any written request under the TRUST Act, or from taking any other action to disclose the Presidents state tax information;
A temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction granting the relief specified above during the pendency of this action;
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,600 posts)I've reached the part where their stock dividends had been cut. Thanks for nothing, Obama! Now, with Trump in office, they have been able to replace their old car.
Surprise: this is not his first time at the rodeo:
Religious groups and businesses file briefs in Utah gay marriage case
Federal court receives dozens of briefs, including from Google and Catholic bishops, arguing case of same-sex marriage
Associated Press in Salt Lake City
Wed 5 Mar 2014 17.12 EST
....
Duane Morley Cox, a 54-year-old Mormon from a Salt Lake City suburb, sent in a 74-page brief citing passages from the Bible to make his case for upholding the ban. Gods plan is for man to marry a woman to create offspring (which same-sex couples cannot do), and be married for time and eternity, Cox wrote.
....
He was actually 74 at the time, unless that's a son with the same name.
jberryhill
(62,444 posts)captain queeg
(10,242 posts)He really wants to disclose his tax returns you see. It must be his pesky lawyers scratching at straw to prevent it.
in2herbs
(2,947 posts)capacity as occupier of the WH he is immune from being sued. A reading of the sections of the lawsuit posted in the article is conflicting as the lawsuit is filed in accordance with Trumps capacity as a private citizen yet the complaint alleges things about Trump in his presidential capacity.
I thought one of the agencies in NY already got a copy of at least his state tax returns, so how come he's just now wanting to stop NY from getting the state tax returns?
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)discrimination as a President?
Would love to hear that discussion in front of a judge.
TryLogic
(1,723 posts)benld74
(9,909 posts)riversedge
(70,299 posts)Wuddles440
(1,127 posts)we always need such hope to survive this nightmare, but I wouldn't bet that he's going to be gone after next year. I'd advise to image the worse case scenario and plan accordingly. The Orange Anus has no intention of vacating his throne and McTurtle, Putin, and company will insure that is the case. Beware.
cstanleytech
(26,319 posts)appointments he has made.
bucolic_frolic
(43,286 posts)To see what mischief Presidential emoluments and tax evasions involve so Congress can enact laws to combat thievery
If Trump wins this suit every taxpayer will claim immunity from filing because the IRS will lack "Legitimate Taxing Authority" over a private citizen.
Seriously, we need some good attorneys somewhere.
cstanleytech
(26,319 posts)his attempt to block it now in the foot.
Enoki33
(1,587 posts)that damaging information until after the 2020 election. Evidence the Mueller hearing freak out.
SWBTATTReg
(22,166 posts)and its' oversight duties, won't fly.
0rganism
(23,970 posts)in 6 months the 2020 campaigns will be well underway and Trump can suck all the oxygen out of the room with his proto-nazi rallies, after which very few people will give half a shit about his tax returns. if he does something nasty and atrocious each and every day, of which he's proven himself more than capable, he can push anything about court proceedings with a House committee out of the news cycle.
thus we the people get sucked into bickering over "was it racist?" and "how racist was it?" while Trumpy & friends get away with large-scale crimes.
it might not work, but it's their plan as far as i can tell.
atreides1
(16,093 posts)Once again Don the Con, proves that he can't come up with an original idea...and he uses one that was created by a man he hated...
LiberalLovinLug
(14,176 posts)Its just that damned IRS that has been having a, going on 5 years now, audit on them. Even though its pointed out that an audit does not prevent him from it. But even so, dang that must be one thorough audit.
DonaldsRump
(7,715 posts)Would be nice to have chants like this when Dear Leader appears in public. It actually applies to so many things about him and his "mal-Administration".
C_U_L8R
(45,020 posts)He can be prosecuted as a private person.
Gothmog
(145,554 posts)This is such a dumb lawsuit http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/team-trump-files-odd-new-lawsuit-keep-his-tax-returns-hidden
The presidents lawyers argue, for example, that Trump hid his tax returns before the 2016 election; he won anyway; and hes therefore earned the right to keep his financial materials hidden from scrutiny. Whether one finds this political argument persuasive or not, its just that: a political argument.
As a rule, legal filings written by lawyers try to make legal arguments.
The First Amendment claim is even more baffling. Hiding tax materials is directly related to the presidents right to free speech?
Chances are, lawsuits like these are not designed to succeed; theyre designed to delay. The longer Trumps lawyers can keep legal proceedings going, the better the likelihood that the Republican can get through the 2020 campaign cycle without having to disclose elements of his personal financial history (as every major-party presidential nominee has done since Watergate).