THREAD: What do we make of Trump’s lawsuit trying to block the release of his New York state tax returns?
1/ Today Trump sued the State of New York and the House Ways and Means Committee to block the release of his state tax returns.
The House committee hasn’t requested his state returns yet, but a new New York law allows them to.
Lawsuit link below:
assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6210…
The House committee hasn’t requested his state returns yet, but a new New York law allows them to.
Lawsuit link below:
assets.documentcloud.org/documents/6210…
2/ Trump claims the law authorizing disclosure violated the First Amendment because it discriminated against him based on his viewpoint.
That is a weak argument. The law doesn’t target a specific viewpoint. It applies to any president who is subject to a Congressional inquiry.
That is a weak argument. The law doesn’t target a specific viewpoint. It applies to any president who is subject to a Congressional inquiry.
3/ As to the House committee, Trump’s lawsuit also rehashes his prior argument that there is no legitimate “legislative purpose” to seek his returns.
Courts don’t like to get in the middle of political fights between the other branches or second-guess Congress’s purpose.
Courts don’t like to get in the middle of political fights between the other branches or second-guess Congress’s purpose.
4/ Trump is in a much weaker position than he is in the lawsuit over his federal returns because in this case, the government body holding his returns (New York) wants to give them to Congress. (The IRS, part of the Administration, isn’t cooperating as to federal returns.)
5/ This lawsuit is very unlikely to succeed, although it could delay production of Trump’s tax returns. But if the House requests the New York returns anytime soon, it’s hard to believe a delay would last past the 2020 election. /end
