Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Supreme Court OKs Handover of Trump Tax Returns to Congress
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
November 22, 2022

Share

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the way for the imminent handover of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to a congressional committee after a three-year legal fight.

The court, without comment, rejected Trump’s plea for an order that would have prevented the Treasury Department from giving six years of tax returns for Trump and some of his businesses to the Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee.

It was Trump’s second loss at the Supreme Court in as many months, and third this year. In October, the court refused to step into the legal fight surrounding the FBI search of Trump’s Florida estate that turned up classified documents.

In January, the court refused to stop the National Archives from turning over documents to the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Justice Clarence Thomas was the only vote in Trump’s favor.

In the dispute over his tax returns, the Treasury Department had refused to provide the records during Trump’s presidency. But the Biden administration said federal law is clear that the committee has the right to examine any taxpayer’s return, including the president’s.

Lower courts agreed that the committee has broad authority to obtain tax returns and rejected Trump’s claims that it was overstepping and only wanted the documents so they could be made public.

Chief Justice John Roberts imposed a temporary freeze on Nov. 1 to allow the court to weigh the legal issues raised by Trump’s lawyers and the counter arguments of the administration and the House of Representatives.

Just over three weeks later, the court lifted Roberts’ order with no noted dissents.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The House contended an order preventing the IRS from providing the tax returns would leave lawmakers “little or no time to complete their legislative work during this Congress, which is quickly approaching its end.”

Had Trump persuaded the nation’s highest court to intervene, he could have run out the clock on the committee, with Republicans ready to take control of the House in January. They almost certainly would have dropped the records request if the issue had not been resolved by then.

The House Ways and Means panel and its chairman, Democrat Richard Neal of Massachusetts, first requested Trump’s tax returns in 2019 as part of an investigation into the Internal Revenue Service’s audit program and tax law compliance by the former president. A federal law says the Internal Revenue Service “shall furnish” the returns of any taxpayer to a handful of top lawmakers.

The Justice Department under the Trump administration had defended a decision by then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to withhold the tax returns from Congress. Mnuchin argued that he could withhold the documents because he concluded they were being sought by Democrats for partisan reasons. A lawsuit ensued.

After President Joe Biden took office, the committee renewed the request, seeking Trump’s tax returns and additional information from 2015-2020. The White House took the position that the request was a valid one and that the Treasury Department had no choice but to comply. Trump then attempted to halt the handover in court.

Then-Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. obtained copies of Trump’s personal and business tax records as part of a criminal investigation. That case, too, went to the Supreme Court, which rejected Trump’s argument that he had broad immunity as president.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno State’s Ag College Is Growing. A New Corporate Sponsor Will Help Them

DON'T MISS

Trump Compares Russia and Ukraine to Children Fighting

DON'T MISS

Trump Administration Imposes Sanctions on Four ICC Judges in Unprecedented Move

DON'T MISS

SpaceX Will Decommission Dragon Spacecraft, Musk Says as Feud With Trump Escalates

DON'T MISS

Erika Sandoval Gets Life Sentence in Notorious Tulare County Murder

DON'T MISS

Israeli Military Strikes Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

DON'T MISS

We Are Being Governed by the Trump Organization Inc.

DON'T MISS

Wondrous Webster Has the Makings of a Wonderful Family Member

DON'T MISS

Trump Threatens Musk’s Government Deals as Feud Explodes Over Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Want Your Tips to Solve Taylor Washington Homicide

UP NEXT

SpaceX Will Decommission Dragon Spacecraft, Musk Says as Feud With Trump Escalates

UP NEXT

Israeli Military Strikes Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

UP NEXT

Israel Says It Has Recovered the Bodies of 2 Israeli-American Hostages From the Gaza Strip

UP NEXT

Trump Suspends Entry of International Students Studying at Harvard

UP NEXT

Trump Directs Probe Into Biden’s Use of Autopen, Biden Says Policy Decisions Were His

UP NEXT

Nebraska Is the Latest State to Ban Transgender Students From Girls’ Sports

UP NEXT

US Vetoes UN Security Council Resolution Demanding an Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

UP NEXT

Suspect Arrested in Connection With Deadly California Fertility Clinic Bombing

UP NEXT

NOAA ‘Fully Staffed’ With Forecasters, Scientists, US Commerce Secretary Says

UP NEXT

Hegseth Orders the Name of Gay Rights Activist Harvey Milk Scrubbed From Navy Ship

SpaceX Will Decommission Dragon Spacecraft, Musk Says as Feud With Trump Escalates

16 hours ago

Erika Sandoval Gets Life Sentence in Notorious Tulare County Murder

16 hours ago

Israeli Military Strikes Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

17 hours ago

We Are Being Governed by the Trump Organization Inc.

17 hours ago

Wondrous Webster Has the Makings of a Wonderful Family Member

17 hours ago

Trump Threatens Musk’s Government Deals as Feud Explodes Over Tax-Cut Bill

17 hours ago

Fresno Police Want Your Tips to Solve Taylor Washington Homicide

19 hours ago

Derek Carr Explains Mysterious Retirement. He Didn’t Want to ‘Just Take the Saints’ Money’

20 hours ago

What Do Valley Leaders Say About Trump’s Threat to Yank High-Speed Rail Funding?

20 hours ago

Were Cuts in Rooftop Solar Payments Legal? CA Supreme Court Hears Arguments

20 hours ago

Fresno State’s Ag College Is Growing. A New Corporate Sponsor Will Help Them

The nonprofit supporting Fresno State’s ag specialty college unveiled its first corporate sponsor Thursday supporting students and tea...

15 hours ago

15 hours ago

Fresno State’s Ag College Is Growing. A New Corporate Sponsor Will Help Them

16 hours ago

Trump Compares Russia and Ukraine to Children Fighting

16 hours ago

Trump Administration Imposes Sanctions on Four ICC Judges in Unprecedented Move

16 hours ago

SpaceX Will Decommission Dragon Spacecraft, Musk Says as Feud With Trump Escalates

16 hours ago

Erika Sandoval Gets Life Sentence in Notorious Tulare County Murder

17 hours ago

Israeli Military Strikes Beirut’s Southern Suburbs

17 hours ago

We Are Being Governed by the Trump Organization Inc.

Webster, GV Wire's Adoptable Pet of the Week, June 5, 2025
17 hours ago

Wondrous Webster Has the Makings of a Wonderful Family Member

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend