U.S. judge orders release of President Trump's tax records, appeals court issues delay

October 10, 2019

On Monday, United States District Court Judge issued a ruling against President Donald Trump finding that New York City prosecutors could view his tax records after a subpoena issued by a. The Manhattan district attorney's office is investigating Trump over alleged paid to two women with whom he has been alleged to have had affairs. Such payments could be considered. President Trump sued Manhattan District Attorney and his own tax preparer  to block the release of eight years of tax returns to the grand jury, but Judge Marrero dismissed the president's lawsuit. The president's legal team appealed the decision to the, which issued an administrative stay to Marrero's order about an hour and a half after the district court ruling.

The appeals court ruling placed a stay on the district court's ruling until it hears arguments from the president's lawyers and District Attorney Vance's office. According to a court clerk, arguments in the case would be scheduled as soon as the week of October 21, with briefs from both parties due in the intervening time until then. Trump had asked the intervene in a New York City criminal proceeding, in which a subpoena had been issued to Trump's tax preparer. He sought such intervention to prevent Mazars from releasing his tax returns, arguing that, as president, he should be immune from prosecution, and that, by extension, his tax preparer, Mazars USA, could likewise be exempt from investigation. Marrero rejected this argument:

Following Marrero's order, the appeals court issued a stay, delaying Mazars' compliance with the subpoena until it could review the case.

Trump responded to the ruling via Twitter, attacking the subpoena as a political strategy: "The Radical Left Democrats have failed on all fronts, so now they are pushing local New York City and State Democrat prosecutors to go get President Trump."

The Manhattan district attorney's office began its probe into Trump's financial affairs after his former lawyer was convicted of federal campaign finance law violations connected to payments made to porn actress  and former  model  to remain silent about alleged affairs with Trump. Cohen is serving a three-year-long prison sentence.

Trump has admitted to ordering the payments, according to prosecutors, but the maintains a policy of not charging the sitting president with crimes.

In recent United States history, it has been customary, but voluntary, for presidential candidates to release their tax returns when running for office. Trump was the first president to refuse to do so since 1976. Trump has cited an audit as prohibiting him from releasing them. The president has a lawsuit to prevent a New York State law from allowing the House of Representatives' from gaining access to his records.