A congressional committee can obtain Donald Trump’s tax returns from the IRS, an appeals court ruled on Tuesday.
The 3-0 decision from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is likely to be appealed, but it’s another victory for the House Ways and Means Committee in its efforts to see the former president’s filings.
The ruling also comes a day after the FBI executed a search warrant on Trump’s Mar-A-Lago home, an action reportedly connected to an investigation over the mishandling of classified information.
Richard Neal, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, has sought Trump’s returns since 2019, but has been engaged in a legal battle since then.
“The DC Court of Appeals has just ruled that the law is on our side in seeking Trump’s tax returns. We expect to receive the requested tax returns and audit files immediately,” according to a statement from the committee’s Twitter account.
Judge David Sentelle, in writing the majority opinion, concluded that the committee’s request for the returns fell within the scope of a legislative purpose. Sentelle also wrote that the request did not violate the separation of powers, nor did it violate Trump’s First Amendment rights.
Neal sought the returns under a law that allows the committee chairman to obtain an individual’s return upon request.
In a statement, Neal wrote, “With great patience, we followed the judicial process, and yet again, our position has been affirmed by the Courts. I’m pleased that this long-anticipated opinion makes clear the law is on our side. When we receive the returns, we will begin our oversight of the IRS’s mandatory presidential audit program.”