A U.S. federal judge rejected former President Donald Trump's bid to keep his tax returns from Congress. The judge ruled on Tuesday that the legislative interest of Congress far outweighs any of Trump's arguments.
The ruling would give the Treasury Department the go-ahead to disclose Trump's tax returns to the House committee, which has been requesting its release for more than two years.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden said Trump was "wrong" in attempting to block the House Ways and Means Committee from seeing his tax information. McFadden said he would put his ruling on hold for at least 14 days to give Trump the option to appeal.
The ruling derives from a dispute made by House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal against the Treasury Agency during the Trump administration when the department refused to comply with his request for the records under a statute that permits the committee to view an individual's tax returns.
The Justice Agency changed its stance in the lawsuit under the new administration. McFadden, a Trump nominee, approved motions from the department and the House to dismiss the case.
Neal said that he was pleased that the committee is now one step closer to being able to properly conduct its investigation and the IRS's mandatory presidential audit program. McFadden said in his ruling that the committee has the option to publish Trump's returns, but he believes they should be able to accomplish their objectives without having to do so.
"It might not be right or wise to publish the returns, but it is the Chairman's right to do so. Anyone can see that publishing confidential tax information of a political rival is the type of move that will return to plague the inventor," McFadden said.
Trump was the first president in 40 years to refuse to reveal his tax returns, ostensibly to preserve the facts of his fortune and the activities of his family business private. The committee filed a lawsuit in 2019 to compel the release of Trump's tax returns, and the case is still ongoing nearly 11 months after he left office.
Last month, Trump lawyer Patrick Strawbridge told McFadden that the committee had no valid basis to view the tax returns and had requested them in the hopes of unearthing anything that might be used against him politically.
Democrats in the House have stated that they want Trump's tax returns in order to determine if the IRS is effectively auditing presidential returns in general and whether new legislation is required.
