FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

Chief Justice Roberts Temporarily Shields Trump’s Tax Returns

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled that the House Ways and Means Committee could have the documents.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily blocked a House committee’s effort to obtain Donald Trump’s tax returns on Tuesday, giving the bench more time to consider Trump’s emergency appeal. In August, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the House Ways and Means Committee could have the documents. Roberts’ administrative stay on the appeals court’s decision doesn’t indicate an ultimate outcome, but gives the justices time to further review the former president’s case. Roberts has asked the committee to respond to the temporary motion by Nov. 10. The committee, which was expecting to receive the documents as early as Thursday, according to Axios, has said it plans to use Trump’s returns to assess the IRS’ presidential audit program. Trump’s legal team has been vehemently fighting the request for more than three years, with his defense arguing that the committee actually wants to publish his tax returns. Trump previously asked the Supreme Court to also block the Manhattan District Attorney’s attempts to get his tax returns.