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.
"The 2021 Request seeks information that may inform the United States House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means as to the efficacy of the Presidential Audit Program," the DC Circuit Court of Appeals said in an opinion. "Further, the Request did not violate separation of powers principles under any of the potentially applicable tests primarily because the burden on the Executive Branch and the Trump Parties is relatively minor."
The ruling came nearly eight months after Trump’s attorneys appealed a December 2021 decision by federal judge that permitted the Treasury Department to disclose the former president’s tax returns to the House committee, which had requested them more than two years prior.
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.
Check back on this developing story.
