Trump Fights Back: Files Lawsuit To Block Congressional Subpoena For His Financial Statements

President Donald Trump points during a campaign rally Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2018, in Estero, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

 

With the Mueller Investigation behind him, President Trump is ready to fight back. His lawyers filed a lawsuit on Monday morning in U.S. District Court to block the House Democrats’ subpoena for his financial information.

Advertisement

Trump’s personal attorney, Jay Sekulow, said, “We will not allow Congressional Presidential harassment to go unanswered.”

Earlier this month, the House Oversight Committee, chaired by Rep. Elijah Cummings issued a subpoena to obtain 10 years’ worth of the President’s financial records and communications from accounting firm Mazars USA LLC.

In addition, the House Ways and Means Committee has asked for six years’ worth of the President’s personal and business tax returns and has issued a deadline of April 23.

CNN reports:

In addition to the House Oversight Committee subpoena to Mazars, the House Intelligence and Financial Services panels have subpoenaed nine financial institutions as part of an investigation into Trump’s finances. The President’s personal lawyers have reacted by sending letters to companies and the Treasury Department to argue they should not be handing over the information.

Trump’s court filing states:

House Democrats have become “singularly obsessed with finding something they can use to damage the President politically…Because Chairman Cummings’ subpoena to Mazars threatens to expose Plaintiffs’ confidential information and lacks ‘a legitimate legislative purpose,’ this Court has the power to declare it invalid and to enjoin its enforcement…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.

Advertisement

The lawsuits asks the court for a ‘permanent injunction quashing Chairman Cummings’ subpoena.‘”

In February, Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen testified that Trump would deflate or inflate his financial situation, depending on the occasion. When Trump was “trying to purchase the Buffalo Bills football team,” for example, he tried to overvalue his net worth. Cohen handed over three years’ worth of Trump’s financial information, for the years 2011 – 2013, to the House Oversight Committee previously.

In a memo to committee members, Cummings said he has  “grave questions about whether the President has been accurate in his financial reporting.”

Although Mueller left the obstruction side of his investigation open so that House Democrats could maintain their pressure on Trump, the fact that it is over gives the President more leverage than he previously had. However, the “case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta, a 2014 appointee of then-President Barack Obama.” Although it may be clear to Trump supporters that the Democrats’ continued harassment is purely political, Judge Mehta may see it differently.

Advertisement

The documents, Mr. President, it’s time to release the documents.

Recommended

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on RedState Videos