The DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in an opinion Tuesday that the House Ways and Means Committee can obtain former President Donald Trump’s tax returns from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
“While it is possible that Congress may attempt to threaten the sitting President with an invasive request after leaving office, every President takes office knowing that he will be subject to the same laws as all other citizens upon leaving office,” Senior Circuit Judge David Sentelle wrote in the opinion.
Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee Richard Neal sent a written request to the IRS in 2019 requesting Trump’s personal and business tax returns. A federal judge ruled in August 2021 that Trump’s accountants had to hand over tax returns and financial records from after Trump became president to the House committee.
House Democrats are investigating whether Trump accepted payments from foreign governments while in office, as well as auditing a lease granted for a Trump business in Washington, D.C., according to NBC News.
Breaking: The D.C. Court of Appeals has just said the House Ways and Means Committee can obtain Trump’s tax returns from the IRS.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 9, 2022
The ruling comes a day after the FBI raided Trump’s Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago. The FBI was reportedly investigating an alleged 15 boxes of White House documents, some of which were classified, that Trump took with him when he left office, according to The Washington Post. (RELATED: REPORT: Judge Who Approved FBI Raid On Trump Linked To Jeffrey Epstein)
“Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before,” Trump said in a statement following the raid. “After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate.”