Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin Tuesday morning admitted to Congress the White House Counsel’s office has consulted with the Treasury Dept.’s legal team in an apparent effort to obstruct the House Ways and Means Committee from obtaining President Donald Trump’s tax returns.
The breach occurred before Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) formally ordered six years of Trump’s taxes, as The Washington Post reports.
The Post does not say the consultation was illegal, but the title of its article suggests it might be: “Mnuchin reveals White House lawyers consulted Treasury on Trump tax returns, despite law meant to limit political involvement.”
The Post notes the “process is designed to be walled off from White House interference, in part because of corruption that took place during the Teapot Dome scandal in the 1920s.”
Meanwhile, Politico adds that Congress should not expect to see Trump’s taxes any time soon.
“Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Tuesday refused to say whether he’d turn over President Donald Trump’s tax returns to Democratic lawmakers, foreshadowing a long legal fight ahead.”
Here is Sec. Mnuchin’s remarks from today’s hearing:
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