The Supreme Court paved the way on Tuesday for House Democrats to obtain former President Donald Trump’s taxes, denying a request from Trump’s legal team that he be permitted to withhold them from a congressional committee.
The request was presented to Chief Justice John Roberts and did not contain any dissents. Roberts had earlier this month blocked the Ways and Means Committee from obtaining Trump’s taxes while the Supreme Court considered the request.
“The application for stay of the mandate presented to The Chief Justice and by him referred to the court is denied. The order heretofore entered by The Chief Justice is vacated,” the brief order reads.
The case has been making its way through the courts since 2019, when the Treasury Department refused to turn over Trump’s taxes, arguing there was no valid purpose for the committee to obtain them. According to NBC News, Ways and Means Chair Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) had argued that the committee was interested in the former president’s taxes in order to decide whether tax law as it pertains to presidents should be changed. U.S. law allows the committee to obtain the taxes of any person.
The committee now has a tight window to receive the tax information from the Treasury Department, as it’s unlikely that House Republicans — who will be taking control in January — will allow the inquiry to continue.
In a statement, Neal said the committee’s ability to pursue Trump’s taxes had been “affirmed” by the nation’s highest court.
“Since the Magna Carta, the principle of oversight has been upheld, and today is no different. This rises above politics, and the Committee will now conduct the oversight that we’ve sought for the last three and a half years,” he said.
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