SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testifies before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Photo: AP)
Mnuchin Refusal to Hand Over Trump Tax Returns Called 'Blatant Affront to Rule of Law'
"The American people can and will hold Donald Trump and the corrupt officials in his administration accountable—no one, not even the president, is above the law."
May 07, 2019
Following Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's formal refusal to hand over six years of President Donald Trump's tax returns, progressive groups late Monday urged House Democrats to stop waiting for the administration to comply with the law and immediately subpoena the documents--and hold Mnuchin in contempt of Congress if necessary.
"This blatant affront to the rule of law cannot go unanswered," Tax March and Stand Up America said in a joint statement.
"If Trump once again faces only Republican silence and Democratic timidity, he will continue to erode our democracy by assuming more and more power."
--Rep. Lloyd DoggettHouse Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) "has no choice but to subpoena Trump's personal and business tax returns and, if the stonewalling continues, hold Secretary Mnuchin in contempt of Congress for illegally shielding the returns," the groups said.
"The American people can and will hold Donald Trump and the corrupt officials in his administration accountable--no one, not even the president, is above the law," the statement concluded.
The progressive groups' call for action from the Democratic House came after Mnuchin sent a letter to Neal Monday evening rejecting the Ways and Means Committee's demand for Trump's tax returns, claiming the request does not "serve a legitimate legislative purpose."
Mnuchin said in his letter that he relied on "the advice of the Department of Justice" in making this determination. According to the Washington Post's Damian Paletta, the Justice Department refused to release its formal legal opinion on the matter--possibly because it doesn't exist.
A number of legal experts have said the law clearly states Mnuchin must release the president's tax returns upon request from Congress.
"The statute is very clear and seems like very strong support for what Mr. Neal is trying to do," George K. Yin, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law and former chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, told Roll Call last month. "I think [Mnuchin] obviously needs to think very seriously about that; now he might not care if he gets fired, but I think he would care if he gets sent to jail."
Mnuchin sent his letter to Neal just hours after the House Judiciary Committee scheduled a Wednesday vote on whether to hold Trump Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress over his refusal to comply with a subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report.
Neal said he "will consult with counsel and determine the appropriate response" to Mnuchin's stonewalling.
Progressives were quick to argue there is no reason to delay legal action any longer, particularly after Neal dragged his feet in the process of formally requesting Trump's tax returns.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, expressed agreement with progressives' demand for rapid action in a statement late Monday.
"We need immediate legal action. We cannot allow this bad president to set bad precedent," Doggett said. "If Trump once again faces only Republican silence and Democratic timidity, he will continue to erode our democracy by assuming more and more power."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Following Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's formal refusal to hand over six years of President Donald Trump's tax returns, progressive groups late Monday urged House Democrats to stop waiting for the administration to comply with the law and immediately subpoena the documents--and hold Mnuchin in contempt of Congress if necessary.
"This blatant affront to the rule of law cannot go unanswered," Tax March and Stand Up America said in a joint statement.
"If Trump once again faces only Republican silence and Democratic timidity, he will continue to erode our democracy by assuming more and more power."
--Rep. Lloyd DoggettHouse Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) "has no choice but to subpoena Trump's personal and business tax returns and, if the stonewalling continues, hold Secretary Mnuchin in contempt of Congress for illegally shielding the returns," the groups said.
"The American people can and will hold Donald Trump and the corrupt officials in his administration accountable--no one, not even the president, is above the law," the statement concluded.
The progressive groups' call for action from the Democratic House came after Mnuchin sent a letter to Neal Monday evening rejecting the Ways and Means Committee's demand for Trump's tax returns, claiming the request does not "serve a legitimate legislative purpose."
Mnuchin said in his letter that he relied on "the advice of the Department of Justice" in making this determination. According to the Washington Post's Damian Paletta, the Justice Department refused to release its formal legal opinion on the matter--possibly because it doesn't exist.
A number of legal experts have said the law clearly states Mnuchin must release the president's tax returns upon request from Congress.
"The statute is very clear and seems like very strong support for what Mr. Neal is trying to do," George K. Yin, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law and former chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, told Roll Call last month. "I think [Mnuchin] obviously needs to think very seriously about that; now he might not care if he gets fired, but I think he would care if he gets sent to jail."
Mnuchin sent his letter to Neal just hours after the House Judiciary Committee scheduled a Wednesday vote on whether to hold Trump Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress over his refusal to comply with a subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report.
Neal said he "will consult with counsel and determine the appropriate response" to Mnuchin's stonewalling.
Progressives were quick to argue there is no reason to delay legal action any longer, particularly after Neal dragged his feet in the process of formally requesting Trump's tax returns.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, expressed agreement with progressives' demand for rapid action in a statement late Monday.
"We need immediate legal action. We cannot allow this bad president to set bad precedent," Doggett said. "If Trump once again faces only Republican silence and Democratic timidity, he will continue to erode our democracy by assuming more and more power."
Following Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's formal refusal to hand over six years of President Donald Trump's tax returns, progressive groups late Monday urged House Democrats to stop waiting for the administration to comply with the law and immediately subpoena the documents--and hold Mnuchin in contempt of Congress if necessary.
"This blatant affront to the rule of law cannot go unanswered," Tax March and Stand Up America said in a joint statement.
"If Trump once again faces only Republican silence and Democratic timidity, he will continue to erode our democracy by assuming more and more power."
--Rep. Lloyd DoggettHouse Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) "has no choice but to subpoena Trump's personal and business tax returns and, if the stonewalling continues, hold Secretary Mnuchin in contempt of Congress for illegally shielding the returns," the groups said.
"The American people can and will hold Donald Trump and the corrupt officials in his administration accountable--no one, not even the president, is above the law," the statement concluded.
The progressive groups' call for action from the Democratic House came after Mnuchin sent a letter to Neal Monday evening rejecting the Ways and Means Committee's demand for Trump's tax returns, claiming the request does not "serve a legitimate legislative purpose."
Mnuchin said in his letter that he relied on "the advice of the Department of Justice" in making this determination. According to the Washington Post's Damian Paletta, the Justice Department refused to release its formal legal opinion on the matter--possibly because it doesn't exist.
A number of legal experts have said the law clearly states Mnuchin must release the president's tax returns upon request from Congress.
"The statute is very clear and seems like very strong support for what Mr. Neal is trying to do," George K. Yin, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Law and former chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, told Roll Call last month. "I think [Mnuchin] obviously needs to think very seriously about that; now he might not care if he gets fired, but I think he would care if he gets sent to jail."
Mnuchin sent his letter to Neal just hours after the House Judiciary Committee scheduled a Wednesday vote on whether to hold Trump Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress over his refusal to comply with a subpoena for the unredacted Mueller report.
Neal said he "will consult with counsel and determine the appropriate response" to Mnuchin's stonewalling.
Progressives were quick to argue there is no reason to delay legal action any longer, particularly after Neal dragged his feet in the process of formally requesting Trump's tax returns.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, expressed agreement with progressives' demand for rapid action in a statement late Monday.
"We need immediate legal action. We cannot allow this bad president to set bad precedent," Doggett said. "If Trump once again faces only Republican silence and Democratic timidity, he will continue to erode our democracy by assuming more and more power."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy