The big picture: Trump has been fighting for years to block the release of his tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee.
His request comes after a federal appeals court last week rejected the former president’s request to block the release of his tax returns, CNN reports.
Leading the news: “This case raises important questions about the separation of powers that will affect every future President,” Trump said in the filing.
The filing alleges that the House committee is seeking his tax returns solely for the purpose of “making the President’s tax information public.” “The Commission’s purpose in requesting President Trump’s tax returns has nothing to do with funding or staffing issues in the [Internal Revenue Service],” according to the filing. “No Congress has ever exercised its legislative authority to require a President’s tax returns,” Trump’s team wrote. Trump asked the court to “grant an administrative stay” of the tax returns until Wednesday “and then stay the issuance of the order pending the filing and application for certification,” according to the filing.
What to watch: If Republicans win control of the House in next week’s midterm elections, they could overturn the Ways and Means Committee’s long-running effort to obtain Trump’s tax returns, CNBC notes. Go deeper… House reaches deal with Trump to obtain ‘key financial documents’
