Donald Trump on Monday petitioned the U.S, Supreme Court to block a lower court’s ruling that orders his tax returns be made available to the House Ways and Means Committee which has tried for years to obtain them.
“This case raises important questions about the separation of powers that will affect every future President,” Trump’s “emergency motion” claims, as Axios reports. “The only way to preserve these certiorari-worthy questions and to avoid causing Applicants irreparable harm is for this Court to grant an administrative stay by Wednesday, November 2, and then to stay the issuance of the mandate pending the filing and disposition of a petition for writ of certiorari. If the Court wishes, it could alternatively construe this application as a petition for certiorari and grant review.”
In other words, Trump is trying to drag this out, and suggesting the Court take his emergency request as a case to be reviewed as part of its normal schedule. Theoretically if the Court were to agree it would not be heard until the spring.
“If the Supreme Court grants Trump’s application to delay the order, it could thwart the Democratic-controlled committee from receiving the returns for several more years — at the very least,” CNBC adds.
Should Democrats lose control of the House after next week’s midterm elections a Republican chair of the Ways and Means Committee would likely quash the request and Trump will once again have protected his tax returns from being seen by lawmakers.
This is a breaking news and developing story. Details may change.