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mahatmakanejeeves

(57,393 posts)
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 08:38 AM Sep 2020

Judge asks district attorney why he didn't take Trump's tax returns weeks ago

National Security

Judge asks district attorney why he didn’t take Trump’s tax returns weeks ago

By Shayna Jacobs
September 25, 2020 at 3:43 p.m. EDT

NEW YORK — A federal appeals judge on Friday questioned why Manhattan's district attorney declined to execute a grand jury subpoena for President Trump's long-sought tax returns when it appeared after a recent court order that prosecutors had an opportunity to do so.

Judge Pierre N. Leval said he believed that the order issued Sept. 1 by a separate three-member panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit was meant to pause a lower court’s dismissal of Trump’s renewed bid to kill the subpoena — but that it did not prevent the district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr. (D), from collecting the president’s financial records from his accounting firm in the meantime.

“The stay was a stay on dismissal of complaint,” Leval said during questioning of a lawyer for the district attorney. “It was not a stay on execution of subpoena.” ... A stay is a judicial order that temporarily prevents an event that is the subject of litigation from taking place. ... The judge added that the “existence of the complaint doesn’t stop the district attorney from enforcing the subpoena.” ... Carey Dunne, general counsel in the district attorney’s office, said the appeals court’s Sept. 1 order was not interpreted that way.

[Court temporarily blocks enforcement of subpoena for Trump’s tax records]

Both sides were ordered to submit by Tuesday written arguments explaining how each interpreted the order, which did not offer specific guidance on whether the subpoena was subject to the stay. Rather, it only generally granted the intervention Trump and his attorneys sought.

{snip}

Shayna Jacobs
Shayna Jacobs is a federal courts and law enforcement reporter on the national security team at The Washington Post, where she covers the Southern and Eastern districts of New York. Follow https://twitter.com/shaynajacobs
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Judge asks district attorney why he didn't take Trump's tax returns weeks ago (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Sep 2020 OP
So Manhattan DA Vance's office screwed up and didn't execute the subpoena for trump's taxes... brush Sep 2020 #1
Legal caution... Colleen8406 Sep 2020 #2
So where does that leave us? Is the legal process to get his taxes still proceeding? brush Sep 2020 #8
And perhaps, more importantly, how is the subpoena to be enforced? jaxexpat Sep 2020 #16
Ha, I seriously doubt it was luck. lark Sep 2020 #4
Ahhh, now that I believe. Someone needs to drill down on that angle and find out. brush Sep 2020 #7
It was a trap Kitchari Sep 2020 #3
You want a clean case with no questions, no appeals bucolic_frolic Sep 2020 #5
Why can't I seem to trust Vance? BigmanPigman Sep 2020 #6
You shouldn't. At every pivotal moment, he drops the ball. jrthin Sep 2020 #10
He always seems to be Slow Walking every step of this himself Captain Zero Sep 2020 #25
Huh? this STINKS like old limburger cheese!... Illumination Sep 2020 #9
We'll never see them until it no longer matters. oldsoftie Sep 2020 #11
Or until next month....October surprise. flying_wahini Sep 2020 #12
How would seeing them next month help trump? Unless they were faked. oldsoftie Sep 2020 #24
Don't Trust Cy Vance Suburban Warrior Sep 2020 #13
I don't trust Cy Vance - he let Ivanka and Jr. off the hook in an earlier case. Nt Fiendish Thingy Sep 2020 #14
During the debate Biden has to turn the tables in Trump and ask him to his face easy civics Pepsidog Sep 2020 #15
Wondering exactly how trustworthy Cy Vance is dlk Sep 2020 #17
See post 14. Raster Sep 2020 #18
Vance is up for reelection dlk Sep 2020 #20
That he is, and that he does. Raster Sep 2020 #22
With so many fires to keep track of, I hadn't paid close enough attention to his record dlk Sep 2020 #23
I'm not sure if I'm cynical, hopeless, or realistic, Jetheels Sep 2020 #19
If Vance let the kids off, it was because in real estate, one isn't criminally liable for lying. ancianita Sep 2020 #21

brush

(53,764 posts)
1. So Manhattan DA Vance's office screwed up and didn't execute the subpoena for trump's taxes...
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 08:47 AM
Sep 2020

when they had the chance?

WTF? turmp remains the luckiest, dumb motherfu_ker ever. His taxes were there for the taking legally and someone blew it?

Colleen8406

(13 posts)
2. Legal caution...
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 08:54 AM
Sep 2020

If the order was ambiguous and later interpreted to mean execution was stayed, the entire case could be thrown out. In a high profile, high stakes white collar criminal case, jurisprudence dictates being absolutely certain of each step.

jaxexpat

(6,818 posts)
16. And perhaps, more importantly, how is the subpoena to be enforced?
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 10:19 AM
Sep 2020

Does anybody doubt for a moment that Barr would direct the chain of command that ends with the FBI to thwart the effort? Barr's playing a pretty precarious role in all things, Justice Department. If he loses in an important point of contention, his whole card house could tumble. Trump's financial records are key to his legitimacy and electability. Trump considers it part of Barr's job to save him on this. Is the FBI compromised to the extent that they will not, can not perform legal actions?

I think the questions are: Who is prepared to blink on the question of actually enforcing the acquisition of the accounting firm's files? What organization will perform the acquisition in such a way as to provide them available for perusal and publication? and useful in prosecution? Anybody? Ultimately, it's lawless and will prove who's packing the biggest heat. Corruption or truth.

lark

(23,091 posts)
4. Ha, I seriously doubt it was luck.
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 08:59 AM
Sep 2020

As always, someone got bribed or threatened and that's why it wasn't done.

bucolic_frolic

(43,128 posts)
5. You want a clean case with no questions, no appeals
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 08:59 AM
Sep 2020

Following rule of law. Wise to not snatch what might have involved ambiguous process.

oldsoftie

(12,531 posts)
24. How would seeing them next month help trump? Unless they were faked.
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 04:01 PM
Sep 2020

And showed him donating 10s of millions to charity or something like that.

Pepsidog

(6,254 posts)
15. During the debate Biden has to turn the tables in Trump and ask him to his face easy civics
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 09:53 AM
Sep 2020

questions like "Mr. Trump, I doubt, even knows the three branches of government". Trump doesn't know them. Or, name the 48th president of the USA-now that will confuse the hell out of Dotard.

dlk

(11,552 posts)
17. Wondering exactly how trustworthy Cy Vance is
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 10:30 AM
Sep 2020

We need someone who will vigorously pursue this crime family

dlk

(11,552 posts)
23. With so many fires to keep track of, I hadn't paid close enough attention to his record
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 01:13 PM
Sep 2020

He’s apparently one of the corrupt old boys who gives his wealthy & connected constituents a pass. Scratch the surface & there’s likely lots of dirt to be found. It’s pretty bad when a judge admonishes him about not enforcing his own subpoena.

 

Jetheels

(991 posts)
19. I'm not sure if I'm cynical, hopeless, or realistic,
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 11:08 AM
Sep 2020

but I can’t believe anyone is serious that they will ever get his taxes.
Two times, Vance tried protecting Weinstein.
The wealthy look after each other.

ancianita

(36,023 posts)
21. If Vance let the kids off, it was because in real estate, one isn't criminally liable for lying.
Sat Sep 26, 2020, 11:21 AM
Sep 2020

They lied to prospective buyers about how well Soho was selling, that's all. New York law might allow that to be a misdemeanor, but it's not a serious crime.

"Let the buyer beware" is the caveat of real estate deals, and lets most sellers off the hook in representing their properties' values. And the freedom to sell properties at any price regardless of bank appraisal values is the other bottom line in the real estate business.

So lying about the whole building's sell rate is part of the game of valuing any particular units to buyers.

Letting the kids off isn't reason enough to mistrust Cy Vance. He just knows real estate.

I prefer to think he didn't issue subpoenas as a cautionary measure, not second guessing any judge's interpretation of a stay's scope.

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