Trump Loses a Round on New York Tax Returns

President has other options to thwart House Democrats
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 11, 2019 3:31 PM CST
Judge Rejects Trump Move Against NY Law on Tax Returns
Members of the New York state Assembly pass legislation that authorizes state tax officials to release, if requested, individual New York state tax returns to Congress during a vote in Albany in May.   (AP Photo/Hans Pennink)

A federal judge on Monday tossed President Trump's attempt to keep House Democrats from getting to his state tax returns. Judge Carl Nichols ruled that the case mostly involves New York state law, so his Washington, DC, court isn't the place to consider it. The issue involves a new law that would open Trump's returns, Politico reports, though Democrats are trying to get them through a lawsuit and haven't invoked the New York legislation. Trump wanted to head the Democrats off in case they decide to go that route. The ruling by Nichols, who was appointed by Trump, drops New York's attorney general, Letitia James, and a state tax official from the president's suit because of the jurisdictional issue.

James welcomed the decision, per the Hill, and an author of the law said the ruling "moves us closer to finding what it is [Trump] has fought so hard to hide from the public." Trump is moving on other fronts to keep his tax returns from view, however. The judge left him the possibilities of trying to block Congress once it actually makes a request, or filing a new lawsuit in a New York court, per CNN. The judge hasn't said yet whether Trump can try to prevent the House committee from asking for his tax returns with a lawsuit under the New York law. House subpoenas are waiting for Trump's appeals of other court rulings won by the Democrats to be decided. (More Trump tax return stories.)

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