Congress and Biden administration lawyers ask judge for more time to decide whether Treasury will hand over Trump tax returns that New York prosecutors already received
Lawyers for the House Ways and Means Committee and the Biden administration have told a federal judge they need more time to arrive at a position in a suit over whether the government will to hand over former President Donald Trump's tax return information.
The Democratic-run committee asked the Treasury to turn over the information during the Trump administration after Democrats gained control in 2019, then sued when the administration refused.
Now the new Biden administration is still sorting through how to respond. According to a status report filed Friday, the plaintiffs and defendants jointly told the court they have had 'additional communications' and 'anticipate still further communications, that may inform Defendants' position in this case.'
The Biden administration is seeking more time to respond to a holdover House Democratic lawsuit seeking Donald Trump's tax return information
They asked to be able to file a further report on May 28th.
Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Richard Neal sought eight years of Trump tax return information, citing laws that allow the committee to request return information on any American.
Judge Trevor N. McFadden has issued an order that the administration must provide Trump's lawyers 72 hours notice of any decision.
The parties sought more time that may 'inform Defendants' position in this case'
Trump said during the 2016 campaign he would release his returns, but never did, citing an ongoing audit
With Trump out of office, the case now features a former president trying to fight potential release of return information by a current one.
Trump's lawyers have argued there is no 'legitimate legislative purpose' for seeking the information.
The Supreme Court in a February ruling cleared the way for federal prosecutors in New York to get access to the returns. Prosectors had sought to enforce a subpoena to Trump's longtime accounting firm Mazars USA.
Tax laws state that if the Ways and Means chairman or another tax committee provides a written request seeking individual tax return information, the Treasury 'shall furnish' it. The information is to be reviewed confidentially to protect taxpayers.
The legal wrangling came at the end of a week where Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani had his home and office raided by FBI agents in a probe believed to be centered on his dealings in Ukraine.
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