House President Douglas Letter said in a hearing before McFadden that the committee still wants the proceeds and hopes that the treasury will follow what we believe is a clear legal obligation.
Attorney James Gilligan, Justice Department, told McFadden he had no idea whether the Treasury or the DOJ, which supported Mnuchin’s decision, had changed its position or was about to add, adding that ” they have a lot on their plate ‘with the change in administrations.
Neal, a Massachusetts Democrat, has been seeking Trump’s personal tax returns for six years and some of his business returns, citing a law requiring the Treasury Secretary to file the returns requested by the chairmen of the three congressional committees must be handed over. .
While Neal said he needed the proceeds to investigate the integrity of the IRS’s routine audits of presidents, Democrats were eager to investigate it for any signs of failure.
After Mnuchin refused, saying Neal did not have a “legitimate legislative purpose” to have the proceeds, the Democrats sued in federal court in July 2019. Since then, the case has moved at an icy pace.
The latest back-and-forth is an example of the type of legal wrangling that stems from his administration that will continue with Trump.
In a separate case, House Democrats said in December that they would issue a subpoena to Trump’s accounting firm for his financial records. And Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. is questioning Trump’s tax returns in yet another case.
Letter expressed frustration over the delays in Neal’s case.
“Our feeling is enough is enough,” Letter said during the trial. “The statute is clear” that Treasury Secretary Trump should give Neal his proceeds.