Just weeks after leaving office on January 20, former President Donald J. Trump has suffered a significant legal blow. On Monday, the U.S Supreme Court rules that the president longtime accounting firm turns over Mr. Trump’s tax returns and other related financial documents to the New York District Attorney Office.
Although the nation’s highest court did not give any explanation, the Court sided with the lower Court’s October 7 ruling. The Court ordered Mr. Trumps Accounting Firm Mazars USA to hand over Trump’s tax returns to the grand jury convened by the Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance.
In a communication to President Trump’s lawyer, DA Vance informed them that his office would act expeditiously to implement the subpoena if the Supreme Court did not side with Mr. Trump.
Although President Trump’s lawyers have not made any public statement since the high court ruling, Mazars’ spokesperson said that the firm is willing to comply with the Court’s order.
To speed up the investigation in Mr. Trumps’ family real-estate and Trump organization, the DA Office has hired a renowned lawyer with extensive white-collar crime experience. The Supreme Court decision will accelerate the DA case against the former president.
According to the Reuters newspaper, the New York District Attorney’s Office has subpoenaed a New York City property agency on Friday to investigate claims that Mr. Trump was attempting to reduce his commercial real-estate taxes. Trump will be charged with fraud if this information turns out to be true.
Monday’s ruling is the second time that the Supreme Court, with 6-3 consecutive justices, three of whom at Trump’s appointees, ruled against the former president. Last July, the Court ruled that a sitting president is not immune from criminal probes.
Although every president before him had submitted their tax returns for public scrutiny, Mr. Trump has refused repeated calls during the Republican primaries and his four years as president to release his tax documents. If obtained, Mr. Trump’s tax and other financial documents are expected to shine a light on the Trump organization’s financial dealings and Mr. Trump’s wealth.
It may be recalled that the Manhattan District Attorney Office filed a subpoena in 2019 for Mazars to handover Mr. Trump’s corporate and personal tax returns from 2011 to 2018. However, Trump’s lawyer argued against the move, insisting that Mr. Trump was immune from prosecution and urged the Court to ignore the subpoena.
However, in August, U.S District Judge Victor Marrero and the New York U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in October dismissed Trump’s argument that the subpoena against Mr. Trump adds up to political harassment.
The Manhattan DA first started investigating Mr. Trump in 2016 in a hush-money payment allegation from adult-film actress Ms. Stormy Daniels and Ms. Karen McDougal. Both women claimed they had sexual relations with the former president.
In a separate development, the Democratic-led House of Representatives is requesting Mr. Trump’s tax and other financial documents in their investigation of Mr. Trump’s financial dealings.
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