One issue of potential contempt could be resolved this week, while another is currently brewing.
On Monday, a House Panel scheduled a Wednesday vote to determine whether Attorney General William Barr should be held in contempt for refusing to send the un-redacted version of the Mueller Report to Congress.
The same day, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin turned down the Democrats’ request to see President Trump’s tax returns. In a letter, Mnuchin cited an obscure tax law as an explanation for his decision.
United State House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, who filed the request for the documents, said the move was possibly unconstitutional and that he was considering his options for legal action.
If Wednesday’s vote holds Barr in contempt of Congress, the issue over the release of the full report would become the House’s issue (and undoubtedly strike a nerve or two with President Trump).
As for Mnuchin, Neal could request a subpoena for the President’s tax returns or file a case against the Department of Justice. Being granted access could lead to revelatory and damning details in the investigation of Trump’s financial records.
The POTUS is the first major party nominee in over 40 years to not release his tax returns to the public.
