December 13, 2019

"The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide whether President Trump can block the release of his financial records..."

"... setting the stage for a blockbuster ruling on the power of presidents to resist demands for information from prosecutors and Congress. The court’s ruling, expected by June, could give the public a look at information the president has gone to extraordinary lengths to protect. Or the justices could rule that Mr. Trump’s financial affairs are not legitimate subjects of inquiry so long as he remains in office. Either way, the court is now poised to produce a once-in-a-generation statement on presidential accountability."

Writes Adam Liptak in the NYT.

73 comments:

Ken B said...

Tendentious writing. Trump has not gone to extraordinary lengths. He simply said no.

If you can subpoena tax records just because then they are not confidential. They have not cited a crime for which tax records would be germane evidence.

rcocean said...

Good. We need a SCOTUS decision that will bind future presidents. We're getting one insane ruling after another from the Bushie/Obama/Clinton Judges, and we need someone to rein in the clowns and make some sense.

Turbo Electric said...

Obama's college transcripts?

rcocean said...

BTW, the Muslim ban ruling and the Census question have made it clear that the 4 D justices are members of the "Resistance" and will vote against Trump. So it all gets down to Roberts - as usual.

Bay Area Guy said...

Them: Justice delayed is justice denied!

Us: Why the rush?

Mattman26 said...

"a once-in-a-generation statement on presidential accountability."

More tendentious writing. Presidential accountability, or protection from unfounded fishing expeditions as to documents that are presumptively private?

Susan said...

Remember, folks, if they can get the President's tax records they can get yours.

Mike Sylwester said...

How is this an issue of "Presidential accountability"?

This is about his personal income taxes before he became President.

stevew said...

"Accountability", your bias is showing.

Unknown said...

> Remember, folks, if they can get the President's tax records they can get yours.

^^^^^^^

Dave Begley said...

Trump wins.

The state of NY wants his tax returns mostly as a political move in order to leak them. We all know that.

The government has to have a reason to look at his tax returns. What's the reason? The government just can't go look for crimes. And anyway the federal government (IRS) has had his returns since they were filed and have never gone after him for any tax crimes. This happens all the time.

The Dems have this theory that the Russians (apparently via Deutsche Bank) "own" Trump. I say just go check the mortgage records and see how much debt is owed against the real estate. If Trump was in default, the bank could foreclose or sue him for the money. The facts are that he is current on his debt and has plenty of equity in his real estate.

This witch hunt is built on pure speculation and hope.

Mike Sylwester said...

The US Constitution does have a requirement involving the circumstances of a President's birth.

Therefore, there should be no concealment of the Government's best evidence about such circumstances. In the case of Barack Obama, the Government's best evidence was concealed through his entire first term.

Limited blogger said...

I want to see Hunter Biden's tax filings.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

He was a private citizen prior, not a government-whore-for-life like so many pols who insist on ruling over us as eternal government family dynasties.

Jim at said...

Current events give me the impression the left believes none of these things will be used against them in the future.

Bay Area Guy said...

"I want to see Hunter Biden's tax filings."

So, does his Baby Mama stripper.

Mike Sylwester said...

The reason why the US Supreme Court struck down all the states' abortion laws was that the US Constitution's emanations and penumbra dictate that personal privacy is a preeminent concern.

However, in a case where a businessman is a Republican Presidential candidate, he has no legal right to any personal privacy.

For further discussion of this privacy distinction, consult the Constitution's emanations and penumbra.

chuck said...

My guess is that the Dems are chasing another squirrel. But if they catch it they will fatally weaken the presidency.

Gk1 said...

Someone had pointed out over a year ago that this trump tax return fetish is more than just going after trump it's also a warning shot for any other billionaire that fancies running for prez again. They want to put the kibosh on this as this political racket is well established like having a Taxi medallion pre-uber days. Only certain folks are allowed to run or operate.

Mattman26 said...

BTW, has anyone asked Bloomberg for his tax returns?

Jupiter said...

"The state of NY wants his tax returns mostly as a political move in order to leak them. We all know that."

This isn't just the state of NY. It's a stupid black woman who got into law school by affirmative action and is unable to distinguish between what is the law and what is good for "my people", meaning "me". See also Eric Holder and the twats in Philadelphia and Chicago who recently presided over monumental legal clusterfucks. These dumb bitches will be clogging the courts with garbage litigation for the rest of my life.

Ray - SoCal said...

His Stripper Baby Mama is working on this...

>I want to see Hunter Biden's tax filings.

Mike Sylwester said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike Sylwester said...

Professional politicians make their big money in pay-for-play schemes that do not show up in income taxes.

For example, the Burisma bribes to Hunter Biden do not show up in Joe Biden's tax documents.

Leland said...

Extraordinary length? What did he do, put them on a server in his bathroom?

Skeptical Voter said...

Unknown said that "if they can get the President's tax records they can get yours".

Shucks--that's an established fact--Harry Reid got (or claimed he got) Mitt Romney's tax records more than 8 years ago.

Paul said...

Maybe all politicians should, by law, be forced to release their tax returns. That might, uh, narrow the politician gene pool.

Achilles said...

The 4th amendment is worth dying for. Same with the 2nd and the 1st and the 5th.

Is the left is willing to die to repeal them?

mesquito said...

Of course. I want federal and state tax bureaucrats to have the ultimate veto on who we may choose for public office.

n.n said...

the US Supreme Court struck down all the states' abortion laws was that the US Constitution's emanations and penumbra dictate that personal privacy is a preeminent concern

The Twilight Amendment passed under the umbrella of the First Amendment (i.e. State and Chamber), which declares, but is not limited to, the right to terminate a human life in your care without judgment or labels for purposes of social, political, economic, and medical progress with the People and our Posterity's endorsement shall not be denied under a consensus ("Number 12 looks just like you").

rhhardin said...

Does he mention the Constitutional problem of self-incrimination, which was sidestepped when the income tax started by promising nonrelease of tax returns to any other agency, illegal activity on the return or not.

If your tax return can be released, you don't have to file income tax returns, owing to being forced to testify against yourself. That would make it a big case for the income tax itself.

n.n said...

the circumstances of a President's birth.

The circumstantial evidence of a certificate of live birth vs a birth certificate.

That said, the ambiguity and purpose of "natural born" would be mitigated and served with the criterion that both the mother and father be citizens, without any other consideration for the circumstance of conception, evolution, and birth of their child.

Chuck said...

Well, Trump is going to release them all, voluntarily, very soon anyway. Right? Just as soon as his audit is done. Right? Because that is what Trump said. He could not release copies of his tax returns while he was under audit. Not that ever made any sense. But the really important thing is that Mr. Trump has nothing to hide and he’s stated very clearly many times that he would voluntarily release copies of his returns.

So when all that gets worked out cooperatively there will be no need for the Supreme Court to rule.

Any day now.

Chuck said...

Blogger rcocean said...
Good. We need a SCOTUS decision that will bind future presidents. We're getting one insane ruling after another from the Bushie/Obama/Clinton Judges, and we need someone to rein in the clowns and make some sense.

Thomas, Roberts and Alito are the Bush 41/43 justices.

Chuck said...

Blogger Susan said...
Remember, folks, if they can get the President's tax records they can get yours.


If I had the power to negotiate, sign, or veto a massive federal tax bill, I’d expect that my taxes could be at issue.

narciso said...

a swing and a miss,

AustinRoth said...

They did not take these cases with the intention of upholding the lower court rulings.

Kevin said...

All the arguments for revolve around the idea that the President isn't a citizen and thus shouldn't receive the same protections as ordinary people or be protected by the Bill of Rights.

I keep hearing Trump is not above the law.

I keep responding he's not below it either.

Drago said...

LLR-lefty Chuck: "If I had the power to negotiate, sign, or veto a massive federal tax bill, I’d expect that my taxes could be at issue."

There remains not a single issue where LLR-lefty Chuck is not on the same side as the farthest of the far left dems.

Not a single issue.

That's how you know you are dealing with a "True Principled Conservative", they are the ones agreeing with the marxists.

Jim at said...

If I had the power to negotiate, sign, or veto a massive federal tax bill, I’d expect that my taxes could be at issue.

Not taxes BEFORE you took office, you stupid ass.

Drago said...

BTW, LLR-lefty Chuck favorite Jen Rubin of WaPo (also a "True Principled Conservative"...who just happens to agree with every dem policy and position) is now openly calling for literal civil unrest if 4 republican senators don't defect to the democrats on impeachment.

Again, this is how you can tell who the "lifelong principled republican conservatives" are, they are the ones advancing every single democrat and now also antifa talking point.

We have a couple of those here at Althouseblog as well.....even though we aren't supposed to per Althouse banishment rulings.......

Drago said...

Jim at: "Not taxes BEFORE you took office, you stupid ass."

Easy now.

LLR-lefty Chuck is still feeling very upset at those stupid Brits for standing up to the Euroweenies. LLR-lefty Chuck hates it when people stand up to leftists in power.

He absolutely hates it.

So, you know, cut him a little slack. It's gonna take a few G&T's to get over that tonight.

Drago said...

Remember also that for 3+ years LLR-lefty Chuck has lectured us over and over and over again that Trump could never deliver any of the Trade deals that were bandied about during the campaign and now, here we are, with Japan and South Korea deals already completed, USMCA on deck for full passage and China Phase 1 signed with Phase 2 now accelerated for delivery next year instead of after the 2020 election.

So, LLR-lefty Chuck is due to eat alot of crow and its only natural that as a leftist he would be throwing up a lot of dust to obfuscate his hilarious prognostication failures.

And again, whenever LLR-lefty Chuck is wrong and fails, America succeeds.

iowan2 said...

If I had the power to negotiate, sign, or veto a massive federal tax bill, I’d expect that my taxes could be at issue.

Not taxes BEFORE you took office, you stupid ass.


Never forget. This genius claims to be a lawyer!!

Drago said...

iowan2: "Never forget. This genius claims to be a lawyer!!"

What do you get when you cross a lawyer and a leftist? Ans: A leftist

What do you get when you cross an environmentalist and a leftist? Ans: A leftist

You see where this is going.

BTW, being a leftist is precisely the reason LLR-lefty Chuck so very often links to far far far left radical Lawfare group.

Achilles said...

Chuck said...

If I had the power to negotiate, sign, or veto a massive federal tax bill, I’d expect that my taxes could be at issue.


This is a fundamental Stalinist position. Anyone can be investigated until a crime is found if they do not obey the Deep State. Any politician who goes against the bureaucracy must submit to their "investigations."

Chuck and the other leftists cannot argue tax policy. They can only intimidate and attack.

These people are a cancer trying to destroy our Republic.

mccullough said...

Ginsburg’s replacement will write the opinion in this case

I'm Full of Soup said...

Whtever happened to the DACA ruling?

mccullough said...

The Supreme Court will shoot this down. Or else nothing stopping the local DAs, State AGs, or the House from investigating them.

Will be 7-2.

Michael K said...

Ray - SoCal said...
His Stripper Baby Mama is working on this...

I want to see Hunter Biden's tax filings.


Not only that, she wants to see his Burisma income. Deposition next week. He bailed out on the first hearing and his lawyer quit.

It's pretty obvious Chuck is not a tax layer. Maybe pimps and hookers are his specialty.

Most tax lawyers know more about the IRS.

mccullough said...

The Supreme Court is going to put Lawfare tactics out of business.

The IG Report is the nail in the coffin of these tactics.

SteveM said...

I’ve read Trump’s petition for cert in the accountant firm, Mazars, case and it raised several interesting separation of powers issues. I found his petition to be fairly persuasive on those issues that hasn’t been borne out in the MSM articles that I’ve read. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Trump prevails at the Supreme Court.

Browndog said...

Much larger issues at stake, from what I've read.

This is not about Trump, or Joe Shmoe.

It's about every taxpayer, and the IRS--primarily, if the statute that governs the IRS remains, or, if not, negates any legal compulsion for citizens to file a tax return.

Unknown said...

Trump is not a "taxpayer" he is a web of companies and charities.

Any wealthy person with international activity has this.

He would also have a team of accountants that are aggressive, yet expect to withstand audit.

They are looking for some embarrassing story.

gilbar said...

> Remember, folks, if they can get the President's tax records they can get yours.

there's No comparison! With President Trumps tax returns, they have Probable Cause
The Probable Cause being: They want them, 'Cause there's Probably SOMETHING in there that would look bad

Seriously,
They want to be issued a search warrant, so that they can search and (hopefully) find something worthy of a search warrant

Ken B said...

Does the senate have subpoena power?

Ken B said...

I think I agree with McCullough. Except it might be more than 7-2.

Michael K said...

nknown said...
Trump is not a "taxpayer" he is a web of companies and charities.

Any wealthy person with international activity has this.
<

Back when I was in practice a woman OB in our hospital married a rich older guy in Laguna. The hospital administrator told me his financial statement, not his tax return, was 43 pages listing his assets,.

narciso said...

Judge rao carefully delineated congress legislative and investigative functions and how the subpoena had conflated them

FullMoon said...

They are looking for some embarrassing story.

Yep. A million lines of stuff will provide things to be twisted to influence average undecided voter.

eric said...

Blogger I'm Full of Soup said...
Whtever happened to the DACA ruling?

12/13/19, 6:37 PM


I think the decision comes in June.

Mark said...

whether President Trump can block

Notice the slant in the characterization of the attempt to violate a citizen's privacy.

Char Char Binks, Esq. said...

I want to see his tax returns, just for fun.

Michael K said...



All decisions come in June or about then.

God damn Blogger.

Mary H said...

Interesting comment at The Conservative Treehouse. Poster cites Dershowitz on TV tonight:

"Dersh on Hannitizer sez by merit of the fact that SC is taking up case, the “Obstruction” impeachment charge is dead in the water R/T pending subpoena ruling/Judicial branch resolving tensions between Legislative and Executive branches…."

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/12/13/senator-kennedy-asks-president-trump-to-declassify-fisa-application/comment-page-1/#comments

narciso said...



Ih what have we here:

https://mobile.twitter.com/TomFitton/status/1205358240428699649

Achilles said...

Browndog said...
Much larger issues at stake, from what I've read.

This is not about Trump, or Joe Shmoe.

It's about every taxpayer, and the IRS--primarily, if the statute that governs the IRS remains, or, if not, negates any legal compulsion for citizens to file a tax return.



This would be obvious to any lawyer or someone who understands the natural due process protections we have as citizens of the United States.

New York does not get to pass a law that directly and obviously contravenes the 4th amendment.

This country was founded on principle that the left abhors. They are totalitarian shitheads

When Trump filed those tax returns there was a legal understanding that the government would keep them private and he would in good faith disclose confidential information.

If I feel like the government is going to use the information I freely give them against me like New York is trying to do then they are getting bupkis in my tax filings.

Fuck you leftists.

War.

And fuck the state of New York.

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Matt Sablan said...

I wonder if any of these warrants use falsified documents.

Matt Sablan said...

"But the really important thing is that Mr. Trump has nothing to hide and he’s stated very clearly many times that he would voluntarily release copies of his returns."

-- And everyone can jolly well wait for that to happen, if it happens. He has a right to not release these. It is a terribly stupid lawyer who suggests "you've got nothing to hide, let the police search your house."

Matt Sablan said...

"If I had the power to negotiate, sign, or veto a massive federal tax bill, I’d expect that my taxes could be at issue."

-- And the proper venue for that debate is Congress, not the courts.

Mr. Majestyk said...

"Well, Trump is going to release them all, voluntarily, very soon anyway. Right? Just as soon as his audit is done. Right? Because that is what Trump said. He could not release copies of his tax returns while he was under audit. Not that ever made any sense. But the really important thing is that Mr. Trump has nothing to hide and he’s stated very clearly many times that he would voluntarily release copies of his returns.

So when all that gets worked out cooperatively there will be no need for the Supreme Court to rule.

Any day now."

Yes, a necessary condition of my vote for Trump in 2016 was his statement that he would release his tax returns. If he breaks that promise, I will vote the Stalinists -- er, I mean, Democrats -- back into the White House so that they may again have complete control over the levers of federal executive power. I mean, what's more important? Trunp's promise to release his tax returns or the Stalinists controlling the DOJ, FBI, CIA, NSA, IRS, not to mention the hundreds of whackadoodle lefty judges/justices they would appoint to the courts? Come on people! Get your priorities straight!

dwick said...

Chuck said...
Well, Trump is going to release them all, voluntarily, very soon anyway. Right? Just as soon as his audit is done. Right? Because that is what Trump said. ...


That was BEFORE Democrats decided to subject him to a non-stop 3 year proctological examination and soon an impeachment vote. At this point, any American worth his, her, or its salt would feel fully justified in telling Democrats in Congress and all other members of the #RESISTANCE where they can stick their request for tax returns.