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In a ruling on Thursday, a federal judge has dealt the president another blow. A case seeking to compel Donald Trump to disclose his tax returns has been ruled in favor of New York State Prosecutors.
State prosecutors in New York are seeking Trump’s taxes in connection to a possible hush-money scandal. Former Trump fixer Michael Flynn explained the scheme in detail, telling prosecutors that he was directed to pay an adult film actress to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with Donald Trump.
US District Judge Victor Marrero wrote in his opinion that “Justice requires an end to this controversy”. Marrero’s decision comes after the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 against Trump’s interpretation that the president is completely above investigation while in office. In this decision, Marrero all but guarantees that Trump’s tax records will be in front of a grand jury before the election in November.
Judge Marrero’s ruling is a huge blow to the Trump Administration. Unlike all other modern presidents, Trump has been very quiet about his personal finances. His political opponents have seized on this shyness surrounding his tax returns. “If he has nothing to hide, why is he so eager to keep these records sealed?” read comments across social media.
Trump has scrambled to have the ruling appealed. He’s demanding the Second Circuit Court of Appeals convenes for an emergency appeal to stop the subpoena. If left unchecked, the subpoena will take effect as soon as next week. The case, which Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance is spearheading, has been a thorn in Trump’s side for some time.
Vance’s case stands the best chance of prying the president’s tax returns from his clutches. Democrats in Congress have long yearned for a chance to crack open Trump’s finances. They would savor the opportunity to pore over the details of his payments and income.
Vance’s case focuses on hush-money payments and possible tax evasion. Democrats would also be interested in any financial connections to Russian nationals, or even the Kremlin.
Infamously, the Trump campaign in 2016 had numerous connections to Russian nationals. Russian interference in the 2016 election was the subject of a lengthy investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller concluded that Trump could not be exonerated of wrongdoing on the campaign trail.
While older Americans are concerned about RA drug treatments and the novel coronavirus this fall, Trump may be worried about a pressing threat from the courts.
