Trump sues to block U.S. Congress subpoena for his financial records

By Jan Wolfe

 

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Monday filed suit to keep U.S. lawmakers from obtaining his financial records, the first salvo in what promises to be an escalating legal battle with Democrats in Congress.

 

The suit seeks to block a subpoena issued by the Democratic chairman of the U.S. House Oversight Committee for information about Trump's personal and business finances, alleging Democrats have launched "all-out political war" on Trump with subpoenas as their "weapon of choice."

 

The committee's subpoena sought eight years of documents from Mazars USA, an accounting firm long used by Trump to prepare financial statements, related to its investigation of allegations Trump inflated or deflated financial statements for potentially improper purposes.

 

Elijah Cummings, the House Oversight Committee chairman, issued the subpoena to the president's accountant after Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified to Congress in February that Trump had misrepresented his net worth.

 

"Chairman Cummings' subpoena is invalid and unenforceable because it has no legitimate legislative purpose," Trump's lawyers said in a filing, arguing it exceeded constitutional limits on the power of Congress to investigate.

 

"Its goal is to expose Plaintiffs’ private financial information for the sake of exposure, with the hope that it will turn up something that Democrats can use as a political tool against the President now and in the 2020 election," they said.

 

In a statement on Monday, Cummings said there was no valid legal basis to try to block the subpoena and accused the White House of "unprecedented stonewalling" in refusing to produce a single document or witness to the committee.

 

"This complaint reads more like political talking points than a reasoned legal brief, and it contains a litany of inaccurate information," Cummings said.

The filing was the first effort by Trump's legal team to quash multiple investigations of Trump and his finances by Democratic-led committees in Congress. His lawyers made it clear they would resist those efforts.

 

"Democrats are using their new control of congressional committees to investigate every aspect of President Trump’s personal finances, businesses, and even his family," Trump's lawyers said.

 

"Instead of working with the President to pass bipartisan legislation that would actually benefit Americans, Democrats are singularly obsessed with finding something they can use to damage the President politically," they said.

 

The Trump Organization, the president's privately owned real estate company, is also a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Trump is suing in his individual capacity, and is represented by a private law firm rather than government lawyers from the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

Republicans on the Oversight Committee also had objected to the subpoena from Cummings, arguing it was an abuse of congressional authority to target the private financial information of Trump.

 

"As a firm we will respect this process and will comply with all legal obligations," Mazars said in a statement. "As with all clients, we are precluded by our professional code of conduct and corporate policy from commenting further on inquiries of this nature."

 

Ross Garber, a Washington lawyer who focuses on political investigations, said the lawsuit might be dismissed because of the Speech or Debate Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which offers broad legal protection to members of Congress for actions they undertake as legislators.

 

But Garber also said there was some merit to Trump's argument that the subpoena was brought for the improper purpose of unearthing politically damaging information about him, rather than for a legitimate legislative purpose.

 

"Congressional authority is vast but it is not unlimited, and the complaint raises potentially legitimate questions,” Garber said, adding that Congress would have a stronger basis for the request if it had initiated impeachment hearings, when courts have said its investigative powers are heightened.

 

Garber said disputes between the White House and Congress over documents are often resolved through negotiation, rather than lawsuits, and that a compromise was still possible.

 

The filing said Democrats have issued more than 100 subpoenas and requests "to anyone with even the most tangential connection to the President."

 

(Reporting by Makini Brice in Washington; Additional reporting by Alexandra Alper and Ginger Gibson; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Tim Ahmann, Meredith Mazzilli and James Dalgleish)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-23

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

President Donald Trump on Monday filed suit to keep U.S. lawmakers from obtaining his financial records, the first salvo in what promises to be an escalating legal battle with Democrats in Congress.

 

Good. Fight it until the bitter end and give the left nothing. Don't pander, don't apologize, don't compromise. Drag them. 

Trump is afraid his financial records will show considerably lower net worth than he claims, considerably more debt, and possibly implicate him in bank fraud, with the over inflating of property values, to obtain the Deutsche Bank loans. He has alot of skeletons in his closet. He should be afraid. Very afraid.

The Trumps = the Chuzzlewits

He must hide a lot. Well who would be surprised. 

It’s a delaying tactic no more no less just a very amoral un ethical guy he is what he is

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Trump is afraid his financial records will show considerably lower net worth than he claims, considerably more debt, and possibly implicate him in bank fraud, with the over inflating of property values, to obtain the Deutsche Bank loans. He has alot of skeletons in his closet. He should be afraid. Very afraid.

It's becoming abundantly clear that there's a truckload of indictments waiting for Trump the minute he leaves office.  There's at least 14 ongoing investigations that the Mueller team referred to other Justice Department elements, 12 of which are totally secret.  It's not a stretch to assume at least one is for Trump.  And then there's the SDNY and the NY AG.  Trump has been able to get away with financial shenanigans for so long he probably really does think he's outsmarted the system.  He probably would have gotten away with it had he not been elected POTUS.     

4 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

Good. Fight it until the bitter end and give the left nothing. Don't pander, don't apologize, don't compromise. Drag them. 

 

 

Disgusting.  You don't care if the world burns, so long as your enemies burn along with it.

4 minutes ago, attrayant said:

Disgusting.  You don't care if the world burns, so long as your enemies burn along with it.

 

Given the last 2+ years of the lefts open hatred of people like me? 

 

Damn straight. Drag them all. 

15 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Given the last 2+ years of the lefts open hatred of people like me? 

 

Damn straight. Drag them all. 

You are mistaken, nobody hates you.

 

Your posting history reveals exactly where the hatred in your life is coming from.

2 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You are mistaken, nobody hates you.

 

Your posting history reveals exactly where the hatred in your life is coming from.

 

And where would that hatred be coming from, according to you, and your stalking analysis of my post history?

2 hours ago, Berkshire said:

It's becoming abundantly clear that there's a truckload of indictments waiting for Trump the minute he leaves office.  There's at least 14 ongoing investigations that the Mueller team referred to other Justice Department elements, 12 of which are totally secret.  It's not a stretch to assume at least one is for Trump.  And then there's the SDNY and the NY AG.  Trump has been able to get away with financial shenanigans for so long he probably really does think he's outsmarted the system.  He probably would have gotten away with it had he not been elected POTUS.     

 

Just think about how many more there are just like him that have the good sense to keep their mouthes shut.

49 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

Given the last 2+ years of the lefts open hatred of people like me? 

 

Damn straight. Drag them all. 

 

You are too full of yourself. I don’t hate you, or people like yourself. I lament *some* of your choices, *if* those choices result in vulnerable people, for example, losing healthcare due to pre-existing conditions, or perfectly innocent muslims being banned from coming for medical treatment or visiting their family simply because they are from certain countries, or innocent children locked in cages, or genuine asylum seekers being treated as criminals, etc

 

Ask yourself why you choose to support politicians who do those things and then examine whether it’s really a part of you that hates you.

As they say "Death and Taxes" But in Trump's case it will be Death By Taxes. 

55 minutes ago, Thainesss said:

 

And where would that hatred be coming from, according to you, and your stalking analysis of my post history?

Not just eaten with hatred, but showing signs of paranoia too.

 

What goes around comes around.

 

What's the latest number of actions against Trump and/or his FAKE enterprise? Something like 5,000?

So big deal, now there's one going the other way.

5,000 to 1. I guess he considers that another "win".

2 hours ago, Tug said:

It’s a delaying tactic no more no less just a very amoral un ethical guy he is what he is

here we are....another holier than though virtue signaling liberal

1 hour ago, attrayant said:

5 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

Good. Fight it until the bitter end and give the left nothing. Don't pander, don't apologize, don't compromise. Drag them. 

 

 

Disgusting.  You don't care if the world burns, so long as your enemies burn along with it.

the world burning?  no overreaction here at all.

 

just liberals emotional hatred on the outrage virtue signaling rampage

 

so you would rather have congress do nothing, but hold hearings to preen and display their

phony outrage and fuel their re election campaigns.

 

OK go for it. you will lose and look even more unhinged than you already do

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

1 hour ago, Thainesss said:

 

Given the last 2+ years of the lefts open hatred of people like me? 

 

Damn straight. Drag them all. 

You are mistaken, nobody hates you.

 

Your posting history reveals exactly where the hatred in your life is coming from.

unlike you of course.

9 minutes ago, elmrfudd said:

so you would rather have congress do nothing, but hold hearings to preen and display their

???????????? ummm.... what?

 

oversight committees are supposed to perform oversight duties, so in reality, the previous congress did not do its duty, and this new congress must not only do its duty, but play catch up for the previous congresses failure to do its duty.

 

Performing any one of its tasks, does not mean it cannot perform any other task its mandated with.

 

meanwhile.... A45 should comply with subpoenas, assist investigators, move it along and get past it, such that some form of normalcy can be restored.

 

That's what I like about Feds. They have caught more criminals dodging taxes and with shady financial dealings. Corrupt real estate developers get snared in the dragnet easily. No wonder this Trump guy will fight tooth and nail to avoid showing his shady financial dealings. But the NY AG have gotten bigger fish than him in the dragnet. When NY AG gets serious corrupt real estate developers quiver. Time for his orange glow to be replaced with bland white fear.

6 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

Good. Fight it until the bitter end and give the left nothing. Don't pander, don't apologize, don't compromise. Drag them. 

That's right. The end is mostly bitter.

Edited April 23, 20197 yr by Kasane

27 minutes ago, farcanell said:

???????????? ummm.... what?

 

oversight committees are supposed to perform oversight duties, so in reality, the previous congress did not do its duty, and this new congress must not only do its duty, but play catch up for the previous congresses failure to do its duty.

 

Performing any one of its tasks, does not mean it cannot perform any other task its mandated with.

 

meanwhile.... A45 should comply with subpoenas, assist investigators, move it along and get past it, such that some form of normalcy can be restored.

 

right, so what exactly has been accomplished by congress so far ? ........exactly.

 

If you aren't willing to see the obvious motives behind what is being done and want to pretend it is "oversight", go for it.

 

and prepare the outrage machine for a second term, because that is what you are going to get.

2 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

Given the last 2+ years of the lefts open hatred of people like me? 

 

Damn straight. Drag them all. 

You have come to the right place to heal your hate. Buddha can enlighten the most rabid, supremacist, militia loving, all religions except one's own hater, libs hater crass humans. We all have our faults. Thailand is the place to be. 

18 minutes ago, Kasane said:

That's what I like about Feds. They have caught more criminals dodging taxes and with shady financial dealings. Corrupt real estate developers get snared in the dragnet easily. No wonder this Trump guy will fight tooth and nail to avoid showing his shady financial dealings. But the NY AG have gotten bigger fish than him in the dragnet. When NY AG gets serious corrupt real estate developers quiver. Time for his orange glow to be replaced with bland white fear.

you have evidence of these remarkable claims of course...........oh wait, you don't need that, just investigate anyway

6 minutes ago, elmrfudd said:

you have evidence of these remarkable claims of course...........oh wait, you don't need that, just investigate anyway

Yes, that's what investigations are for. I am sure you would also like to know that the Prez is not a criminal if the investigations show that. 

12 minutes ago, Kasane said:

You have come to the right place to heal your hate. Buddha can enlighten the most rabid, supremacist, militia loving, all religions except one's own hater, libs hater crass humans. We all have our faults. Thailand is the place to be. 

What'd the Buddha say? "Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

2 minutes ago, Kasane said:

Yes, that's what investigations are for. I am sure you would also like to know that the Prez is not a criminal if the investigations show that. 

so the liberal standard is now, prove you aren't guilty? do you think the gov't should be able to open up investigations to see IF there is a crime they can find?

 

is this the new liberal standard for "justice and fairness?"

7 hours ago, Thainesss said:

 

Good. Fight it until the bitter end and give the left nothing. Don't pander, don't apologize, don't compromise. Drag them. 

I agree. Spend every last cent you have on expensive lawyers; don't ever let the truth be told. Land up with nothing, exactly what you deserve...

5 minutes ago, elmrfudd said:

would you want to have a large investigation launched into your entire existence based on rumors, assumptions and innuendos?

 

do you favor the presumption of innocence or prefer the totalitarian approach of this style of prosecution?

 

do you prefer govt agencies driven by political animus destroying peoples lives?

Yes, why waste your time on someone who is so obviously 'squeaky clean'?

 

Look for real criminals, like Cohen, Manafort, and Stone? Oh wait you got them already and the one thing they have in common is their connection to the orangutan-in-chief? Their every day lives turned out to be quite interesting.

 

Of course Trump is dirty.