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2020-09-02 Home Front: Politix
Court blocks release of Trump tax returns amid latest appeal
[ClickonDetroit] A federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked a New York prosecutor from obtaining Donald Trump's tax returns while his lawyers continue to fight a subpoena seeking the records. The three-judge panel ruled after hearing brief arguments from both sides.

Trump's lawyers had asked for a temporary stay while they appeal a lower-court ruling that granted Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office access to Trump's tax returns. A lawyer for Vance's office had argued that further delays would only impede their investigation.

"The question at this juncture is quite simple but also quite important," Trump lawyer William Consovoy said. "Will the president be given an opportunity to appeal that ruling before his personal records are disclosed to the grand jury and the status quo is irrevocably changed?"

Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said they were pleased with the ruling. A message seeking comment was left with Vance's spokesperson.

A hearing on the merits of Trump's latest appeal will be held on Sept. 25 after both sides agreed to an expedited schedule.

Trump's lawyers appealed to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month after a district court judge rejected their renewed efforts to invalidate a subpoena issued to his accounting firm. Judge John M. Walker Jr. said at Tuesday's hearing that the subpoenas cover 11 entities engaged in business dealings as far away as Europe and Dubai.

Trump has blasted the long-running quest for his financial records as a "continuation of the most disgusting witch hunt in the history of our country" and predicted the case would again end up before the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court ruled last month that the presidency in itself doesn't shield Trump from Vance's investigation, but the high court returned the case to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero's courtroom to allow Trump's lawyers to raise other concerns about the subpoena.

Trump's lawyers then argued that the subpoena was issued in bad faith and overly broad, might have been politically motivated and amounted to harassment. Marrero rejected those claims. Consovoy told the judges Tuesday that the investigation was an "arbitrary fishing expedition."
It is
Carey Dunne, of the district attorney's office, said Trump and his lawyers have long misrepresented the scope of the investigation as focusing primarily on hush money payments that were paid to protect Trump from adultery allegations. Vance's lawyers have said they are legally entitled to extensive records to aid a "complex financial investigation."

"The president has complained at every turn that we've not announced what the grand jury is looking at as if that itself is bad faith," Dunne said. "But of course, what the grand jury is looking at is secret. We're not allowed to make that public, which is what has led to his speculation about the grand jury scope. But none of this speculation is plausible."

Even if Vance does get Trump's tax records, those would be part of a confidential grand jury investigation and not automatically be made public.
Til they're leaked
Vance, a Democrat, began seeking the Republican president's tax returns from his longtime accounting firm over a year ago, after Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that the president had misled tax officials, insurers and business associates about the value of his assets.

Congress is also pursuing Trump's financial records, though the Supreme Court last month kept a hold on the banking and other documents that Congress has been seeking and returned the case to a lower court.
Posted by Frank G 2020-09-02 00:00|| || Front Page|| [7 views ]  Top

#1 d not automatically be made public.

Okay, pull the other one. I've never thought much of Democrats but they have well and truly hit bottom now. We need better words than despicable, degenerate, disgusting and evil to describe them.
Posted by AlanC 2020-09-02 08:12||   2020-09-02 08:12|| Front Page Top

#2 Illegal, mysterious leaks of his opponents' sealed court documents is what enabled Barry the slacker coke addict and Weather Underground protege to come from nowhere, win two ejections he couldn't possibly win and arrive on the national scene in just a few years. Without accomplishing anything at all.
Posted by Hupusong Squank7770 2020-09-02 08:22||   2020-09-02 08:22|| Front Page Top

#3 Unless there is an immediate, literal death penalty for leaking these tax returns, they will be released almost as soon as they are released.
Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2020-09-02 10:02||   2020-09-02 10:02|| Front Page Top

#4 ..which I believe is justification that everyone's tax returns should be made public. Don't have anything to hide, right? (which is their argument)
Posted by Procopius2k 2020-09-02 10:24||   2020-09-02 10:24|| Front Page Top

#5 Imagine the cherry picking the dems will do when they are released. 700 pages of tax documents that only a hand full of people really understand.
Posted by 49 Pan 2020-09-02 12:54||   2020-09-02 12:54|| Front Page Top

#6 I wonder how many Democrats got Trump donations in the past are quietly hoping this goes away. They'll be cancelled and Trump will be unscathed.
Posted by rjschwarz 2020-09-02 13:36||   2020-09-02 13:36|| Front Page Top

#7 Side note / current 'fun' IRS fact - I talked to an IRS guy yesterday who explained their backlog in these stark terms - there are currently six million unopened pieces of mail at the Kansas City, MO processing center.
Posted by Raj 2020-09-02 15:13||   2020-09-02 15:13|| Front Page Top

#8 there are currently six million unopened pieces of mail at the Kansas City, MO processing center.

I hope they have fresh pennies in the fuse box. Be a shame if there was a fire.
Posted by SteveS 2020-09-02 19:47||   2020-09-02 19:47|| Front Page Top

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