US Supreme Court takes up fight over Trump’s financial records and tax returns
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear appeals from President Donald Trump in three cases involving efforts to gain access to his tax returns and financial records, setting the stage for a potential blockbuster ruling next year.
New York prosecutors and Democratic-led House committees have been seeking access to the tax returns and other records of Trump who made a fortune in real estate before running for president in 2016.
Lower courts have ruled that the president must present the documents but his lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the president has blanket immunity.
"We are pleased that the Supreme Court granted review of the president's three pending cases," Trump's personal attorney Jay Sekulow said in a statement on Friday. "These cases raise significant constitutional issues.”
"We look forward to presenting our written and oral arguments," the statement added.
The Supreme Court said it will hear arguments in March in cases that pit the president against the House committees, and a Manhattan district attorney.
The decision will be issued before the court session ends June 30, which means the ruling in the case would come less than six months before Americans vote for the presidential election in November.
Since beginning his presidential campaign in late 2015, Trump has insisted that he is a self-made billionaire worth over $10 billion.
However, those claims have been seriously challenged by financial experts and fellow American billionaires, who think Trump’s record of many bankruptcies shows he is not as successful as he claims he is.
Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns, which would reveal how much of a good businessman he really is, has raised more questions about his real net worth.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi expressed disappointment on Friday that the decision to hear the cases will result in further delay.
"Unfortunately, the American people will now have to wait several more months for final rulings," Pelosi said in a statement.
"We are confident that the Supreme Court ... will uphold the Constitution, the rulings of the lower courts and ensure that Congressional oversight can proceed."
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