House committee may obtain Trump tax returns from IRS, federal appeals court rules

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A federal appeals court on Tuesday paved the way for the House Ways and Means Committee to obtain Donald Trump’s tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service – a move the former president has long pushed back on.

The decision is a blow to Trump, who may seek emergency intervention measures from the Supreme Court in an attempt to temporarily block any release of these tax records.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at CPAC, Aug. 6, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The ruling came nearly eight months after Trump’s attorneys appealed a December 2021 decision by District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump-appointed federal judge, who permitted the Treasury Department to disclose the former president’s tax returns to the House committee.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal requested Trump’s returns in 2019 under a law that permits the disclosure of an individual's tax returns to the congressional committee.

BIDEN DOJ SAYS TRUMP'S TAX RETURNS CAN BE TURNED OVER TO CONGRESS

Former President Trump was regularly criticized when dealing with issues overseas.   ( (AP Photo/Alex Brandon))

The Trump administration refused to comply and has since argued the request posed a threat to the First Amendment and the separation of powers.

Ronald Regan-appointed Circuit Judge David Sentelle, along with George H.W. Bush-appointed Karen Henderson and Barack Obama-appointed Robert Wilkins said this argument did not hold water. 

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"While it is possible that Congress may attempt to threaten the sitting President with an invasive request after leaving office, every President takes office knowing that he will be subject to the same laws as all other citizens upon leaving office," the opinion said. "This is a feature of our democratic republic, not a bug." 

It's the latest legal scrutiny faced by Trump. His Mar-a-Lago club and residence in Palm Beach, Florida, was raided by the FBI Monday in an unprecedented move against a former president.