US Supreme Court allows New York prosecutor access to Donald Trump's financial records

Bill Christeson holds up a sign that reads "Follow the Money" outside the Supreme Court in Washington. The Supreme Court ruled that the Manhattan district attorney can obtain Trump tax returns while not allowing Congress to get Trump tax and financial records, for now, returning the case to lower courts. Picture: Andrew Harnik/AP

Bill Christeson holds up a sign that reads "Follow the Money" outside the Supreme Court in Washington. The Supreme Court ruled that the Manhattan district attorney can obtain Trump tax returns while not allowing Congress to get Trump tax and financial records, for now, returning the case to lower courts. Picture: Andrew Harnik/AP

Published Jul 9, 2020

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Washington - The US Supreme Court on

Thursday ruled that a New York prosecutor can obtain President

Donald Trump's financial records but prevented - at least for

now - the Democratic-led House of Representatives from obtaining

similar documents.

Both 7-2 rulings were authored by conservative Chief Justice

John Roberts. One ruling means that the subpoena issued to

Trump's long-term accounting firm, Mazars LLP, for various

financial records to be turned over to a grand jury as part of a

criminal investigation can be enforced.

But the court sidestepped a major ruling on whether three

House committees could also obtain Trump financial documents

under subpoena, in what is a short-term win for Trump.

Litigation will now continue in lower courts.

In both rulings, Roberts was joined by the court's four

liberals as well as Trump's two conservative appointees to the

court, Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch.

Unlike other recent presidents, Trump has refused to release

his tax returns and other documents that could provide details

on his wealth and the activities of his family real-estate

company, the Trump Organization. The content of these records

has remained a persistent mystery even as he seeks re-election

on Nov. 3. Thursday's rulings represent another milestone in

Trump's tumultuous presidency.

House committees issued subpoenas seeking Trump's financial

records from his longtime accounting firm Mazars LLP and two

banks, Deutsche Bank and Capital One.

As part of a criminal investigation by the office of

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, a Democrat, subpoenas

were issued to Mazars for financial records including nearly a

decade of Trump's tax returns to be turned over to a grand jury

in New York City.

The investigation launched by Vance's office in 2018 into

Trump and the Trump Organization was spurred by disclosures of

hush payments to two women who said they had past sexual

relationships with him, pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels

and former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Trump and his aides

have denied the relationships.

In the litigation over the House subpoenas, Trump argued

that Congress lacked a valid purpose for seeking his records and

that disclosure of the material would compromise his and his

family's privacy and distract him from his duties.

In the New York case, Trump's lawyers argued that under the

Constitution he is immune from any criminal proceeding while

serving as president. They also cited Justice Department

guidance that a sitting president cannot be indicted or

prosecuted.

In a lower court hearing, Trump's lawyers went so far as to

argue that law enforcement officials would not have the power to

investigate Trump even if he shot someone on New York's Fifth

Avenue.

The House Oversight Committee in April 2019 issued a

subpoena to Mazars seeking eight years of accounting and other

financial information in response to the congressional testimony

of Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer. Cohen said Trump had

inflated and deflated certain assets on financial statements

between 2011 and 2013 in part to reduce his real estate taxes.

The House Financial Services Committee has been examining

possible money laundering in U.S. property deals involving

Trump. In a separate investigation, the House Intelligence

Committee is investigating whether Trump's dealings left him

vulnerable to the influence of foreign individuals or

governments.

Reuters

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