Published 15:28 IST, September 12th 2020
Trump urges appeals court to block Manhattan prosecutor's subpoena for tax returns
Trump has reportedly urged the federal court of appeals to block the enforcement of "dragnet" subpoena by Manhattan's top prosecutor for his tax returns.
US President Donald Trump has reportedly urged the federal court of appeals to block the enforcement of "dragnet" subpoena by Manhattan's top prosecutor for his tax returns. Trump has appealed against the US District Judge Victor Marrero’s order to allow the enforcement of the subpoena which will force the US President to disclose eight years of business and personal tax returns from his longtime accounting firm, Mazars USA.
According to media reports, Trump's lawyers told the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in New York that the lower court judge erred in giving green light to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance for obtaining the tax records to advance a criminal probe into his businesses. Trump has been resisting the subpoena for more than a year and seeking absolute immunity from criminal probe while he remains in the White House.
Cyrus Vance, a Democrat and Manhattan District Attorney, has been looking into the finances of the Trump Organization and his family real estate business for a criminal investigation. Vance had sought tax returns of the US President for the investigation but, in December 2019, the Supreme Court agreed to hear Trump’s appeal.
Supreme Court rejected immunity claim
In July, the top US court sided with the Manhattan attorney and rejected Trump’s claims that he, as the Commander-in-Chief, was immune from state criminal subpoenas. The order was subject to further review by lower courts and Marrero gave the decision in favour of Vance, allowing the enforcement of the subpoena. Trump’s appeal likely to delay any final decision at least until November elections as oral arguments are scheduled for September 25.
A Democrats-led House of Representatives committee had also demanded Trump’s financial records to probe corruption or foreign meddling in the election process. The Supreme Court quashed the demand in July while simultaneously rejecting Trump’s immunity claims on the subpoena by Vance. Trump's lawyers reportedly said in the court filing that Vance largely copied the earlier subpoena from Congressional Democrats, adding that the subpoena is nothing but "arbitrary fishing expeditions" issued with an "intent to harass".
Updated 15:28 IST, September 12th 2020