TWO YEARS TOO LATE

DOJ: Trump’s Tax Returns Must Be Given to Congress

The House Ways and Means Committee has been trying to get its hands on the filings for two years.

Congress may finally get its hands on Trump’s tax returns. The Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion Friday saying former President Trump didn’t have the right to refuse to hand over the filings to the House Means and Ways Committee. The committee first requested Trump’s returns two years ago, under a federal law that says congressional tax committees can get tax information from the Treasury Department if it’s for “legitimate legislative” purposes. In 2019, the DOJ sided with Trump in saying the committee’s request was not legitimate. However, it appears to have changed its mind, saying in Friday’s opinion that Congress has a right to see the returns and Treasury “must furnish the information.”

Efforts from multiple agencies to get Trump’s tax returns have spawned long-running legal battles that have gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Each time, Trump’s lawyers have stalled orders to hand over the documents with new appeals. Once again, Trump has the right to challenge Friday’s opinion in court.