KEY POINTS
- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday said he will not allow President Donald Trump’s tax returns to be released to Congress.
- In a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, Mnuchin said that after conferring with the Justice Department, he has determined that the request “lacks a legitimate legislative purpose.”
- House Democrats had hoped to obtain six years of Trump’s personal and business tax returns.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday said he will not allow President Donald Trump’s tax returns to be released to Congress by the IRS, as a powerful oversight committee has requested.
The denial sets the stage for yet another fight over documents sought by Democratic-led House of Representatives with the Republican Trump’s administration.
In a letter to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., Mnuchin said that after conferring with the Justice Department, he has determined that the request “lacks a legitimate legislative purpose,” and that because of that the request would be denied.
“I am informing you now that that [Treasury] Department may not lawfully fulfill the Committee’s request,” Mnuchin wrote.
House Democrats had asked the IRS to released six years of Trump’s personal and business tax returns.
Mnuchin’s letter called that request “unprecedented,” and said it also “presents serious constitutional questions, the resolution of which may have lasting consequences for all taxpayers.”
Mnuchic also said that the Justice Department intends to “memoralized its advice in a published legal opinion as soon as practicable.”
Neal, in a statement, said, “Today, Secretary Mnuchin notified me that the IRS will not provide the documents I requested under Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code. I will consult with counsel and determine the appropriate response.”
Trump has repeatedly rebuffed requests to release his tax returns to the public, saying they are being audited.
