Appeals court refuses to block House subpoena for Trump's financial records
Source: Washington Post
NEW YORK -- A federal appeals court has sided with House Democrats seeking to obtain President Trump’s private financial records from Deutsche Bank and Capital One, stating that "the public interest favors denial of a preliminary injunction.” The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit came in the ongoing legal battle Trump has waged over access to his private business records -- including two cases that have already reached the Supreme Court.
The New York-based appeals court upheld Congress’s broad investigative authority and ordered the two banks to comply with the House subpoenas for the president’s financial information. The case pre-dates the public impeachment proceedings in the House. “The Committees’ interests in pursuing their constitutional legislative function is a far more significant public interest than whatever public interest inheres in avoiding the risk of a Chief Executive’s distraction arising from disclosure of documents reflecting his private financial transactions," states the ruling from Judge Jon O. Newman, who was joined by Judge Peter W. Hall.
“The Committees have already been delayed in the receipt of the subpoenaed material since April 11 when the subpoenas were issued. They need the remaining time to analyze the material, hold hearings, and draft bills for possible enactment," the ruling states. The House Intelligence and Financial Services committees are seeking more than 10 years of financial records on Trump, his three oldest children – Eric, Don and Ivanka -- and Trump’s businesses. The committees, led by Reps. Adam Schiff and Maxine Waters, both California Democrats, say they need the records as part of broad investigations into Russian money laundering and potential foreign influence involving Trump.
Trump’s lawyers say the committees are pushing the boundaries of their powers to embarrass the president and their subpoenas serve no legislative purpose. The subpoenas would sweep up every debit card transaction and check written by Trump, his children and even his grandchildren, they said.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/12/03/appeals-court-refuses-block-house-subpoena-trumps-financial-records/
Original article and headline -
By Washington Post Staff
Dec. 3, 2019 at 10:40 a.m. EST
The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit marks the second such ruling from a federal appeals court upholding Congress’s investigative powers. The majority wrote that “the public interest favors denial of a preliminary injunction.” The case will be remanded to allow the parties to identify “sensitive personal information” that should be exempt from disclosure and stayed for seven days to give President Trump time to apply for an extension of the stay.
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2019/12/03/appeals-court-refuses-to-block-house-subpoena-for-trumps-financial-records-from-deutsche-bank-capital-one/
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