By Greg Stohr / Bloomberg News
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump urged the U.S. Supreme Court to block a House subpoena for eight years of his financial records, saying lawmakers are exceeding their authority by demanding the documents from his accounting firm.
Trump is asking the high court to put the subpoena on hold while he files a formal appeal, something his latest filing said he would be willing to do quickly if asked. The court could act at any time on Trump’s request, first filed a week ago.
The case, which isn’t directly tied to the ongoing House impeachment probe, is one of two that are testing the justices’ willingness to shield the president from investigations into his personal and business affairs. The court already is weighing whether to hear Trump’s appeal in a separate case challenging a New York grand jury subpoena for his tax returns.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee says it wants the financial documents because it’s considering revising the federal ethics-in-government laws. Trump’s lawyers say the primary purpose is law enforcement.
“The committee identifies no reason why it needs these records immediately,” Trump said in the latest filing.
A federal appeals court in Washington backed the committee on a 2-1 vote. Chief Justice John Roberts previously put that ruling on hold temporarily by issuing an administrative stay.
In the other case, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance is investigating whether Trump’s business falsified records to disguise hush payments to two women who claimed they had sex with him before he took office. In an appeal filed last week, Trump contended that presidents have broad immunity from criminal investigations while in office.
On Friday, the Justice Department urged the Supreme Court to hear Trump’s bid to prevent his tax returns from being turned over to the New York prosecutor.
Adding his voice to those of Trump’s personal lawyers, U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco said a federal appeals court was too quick to uphold a grand jury subpoena for the documents from Vance.
Francisco didn’t go as far in his arguments as Trump’s private lawyers, who contended in their appeal that the president has broad immunity from criminal investigations while in office. The solicitor general instead said Vance must make a “heightened showing of need” to get the tax returns.
Francisco, appointed by Trump, is the federal government’s top courtroom advocate.
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