The Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily blocked the House panel from gaining access to former President Donald Trump’s tax records ahead of their anticipated release.
This decision came after Trump filed an emergency request on Monday. Chief Justice John Roberts, who is responsible for handling emergency matters in the District of Columbia, has asked for a response from the House Panel by Nov. 10.
This is one of the latest developments following the lower court’s decision to open up the road for the House Ways and Means Committee to gain access to records of Trump and his businesses from the Treasury Department. The records are only one part of a long legal battle.
While Trump was still President, the department had not answered the committee’s request, but following the change in administration, they did agree to provide the documents.
According to federal law, tax returns should be confidential, but there are several exceptions that would allow that to change. A written request by the House Ways and Means Committee would constitute one of these exceptions. Trump’s litigation will now need to argue whether this exception is constitutional.
Previously Trump had asked a federal judge to stop the IRS from providing his records, saying that he was concerned about how constitutional this request was, as well as stating his privacy concerns.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, dismissed the suit, a decision which was reaffirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Trump then turned this request to the Supreme Court.
Trump’s lawyers have maintained that the House panel does not have the legal grounds to request these records.
