News • Opinons • Politics

Obama Judge: Congress Can Subpoena Trump’s Personal Finances

Another federal judge appointed by Barack Obama has ruled that House Democrats can subpoena President Donald Trump’s personal and business finance records, with Wednesday’s decision from New York following on the heels of a similar Monday ruling from a court in Washington, D.C.

House Democrats are pursuing members of the president’s family and private family-owned businesses, demanding banking records and financial statements. As part of this partisan attack strategy, two committees in the U.S. House of Representatives controlled by Democrats – the Financial Services Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence – issued subpoenas to Deutsche Bank and Capitol One Bank for at least ten years of records involving President Trump’s children, the children’s spouses, and various family businesses including the Trump Organization.

Those committees are led by two of the most partisan actors in Congress: Rep. Maxine Waters chairs the Finance Committee and Rep. Adam Schiff chairs the Intelligence Committee. Both California Democrats have been outspoken in their fierce opposition to the president. Waters was among the first Democrats demanding the president’s impeachment. Schiff claimed to have evidence that President Trump colluded with the Russians, though he has refused to produce such evidence and Special Counsel Robert Mueller found none.



Trump touts ‘golden age’ at Ohio rally, urges voters to deliver GOP midterm wins
Cornell president says university ‘must do better’ on handling of sexual assault allegations
South Carolina mom couldn’t remember last time she fed 2 daughters before they were found dead: affidavit
Another One: College Prof, Ex-Dem Candidate Arrested After His DNA Found in 15-Year-Old’s Rape Kit, Cops Say
Education Dept. Goes Viral with Takedown of ‘Fake News’ Story on Loan Cuts: No More Handouts for Failing Degrees
Even Healthcare Workers Are Dropping Health Coverage as Obamacare Premiums Hit New Heights
Trump drops Republican Senator’s phone number in social post over fury on stalled bill
Republicans Pour Unprecedented Amounts of Money Defending Seats Trump Won by Double Digits
Spencer Pratt Reveals the Secret Behind His Viral Campaign Ads – And What Every Other Politician Is Doing Wrong
Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed execution as former US attorney tapped to lead independent review
Firebrand GOP rep: Democrats side with Iran ‘simply because they hate’ Trump
Mass Migration Devastated California’s Natural Resources Over Decades: Study
Springsteen, other stars share stage with hardcore leftist groups at music fest
Jack Smith Might Have Your Banking Info if You Supported Trump
Ebola Explodes in Africa Much Faster Than Infamous 2010s Outbreak
See also  Illinois officials released more than 500 criminal immigrants despite ICE detainers, House GOP report finds

The Trump family hired the powerhouse boutique law firm Consovoy McCarthy Park to fight the subpoenas in court. Lead counsel William Consovoy, a former law clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas and a rising conservative star in national legal circles, filed suit in federal district court in New York City, seeking a preliminary injunction to block the subpoenas.

On Wednesday, Judge Edgardo Ramos denied the request for an injunction. Ramos wrote in his 25-page opinion that these subpoenas are part of “the power of Congress to conduct investigations … inherent in the legislative process.”

This is the second such ruling this week. The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed accounting records on Donald Trump’s personal finances and business records held by an accounting company. On Monday, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that subpoena is likewise valid.


Trump touts ‘golden age’ at Ohio rally, urges voters to deliver GOP midterm wins
Cornell president says university ‘must do better’ on handling of sexual assault allegations
South Carolina mom couldn’t remember last time she fed 2 daughters before they were found dead: affidavit
Another One: College Prof, Ex-Dem Candidate Arrested After His DNA Found in 15-Year-Old’s Rape Kit, Cops Say
Education Dept. Goes Viral with Takedown of ‘Fake News’ Story on Loan Cuts: No More Handouts for Failing Degrees
Even Healthcare Workers Are Dropping Health Coverage as Obamacare Premiums Hit New Heights
Trump drops Republican Senator’s phone number in social post over fury on stalled bill
Republicans Pour Unprecedented Amounts of Money Defending Seats Trump Won by Double Digits
Spencer Pratt Reveals the Secret Behind His Viral Campaign Ads – And What Every Other Politician Is Doing Wrong
Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed execution as former US attorney tapped to lead independent review
Firebrand GOP rep: Democrats side with Iran ‘simply because they hate’ Trump
Mass Migration Devastated California’s Natural Resources Over Decades: Study
Springsteen, other stars share stage with hardcore leftist groups at music fest
Jack Smith Might Have Your Banking Info if You Supported Trump
Ebola Explodes in Africa Much Faster Than Infamous 2010s Outbreak
See also  Somali former aide to Minneapolis mayor sentenced in Feeding Our Future fraud case

In both cases, House Democrats argued that they wanted these records merely to inform their decision on whether to strengthen federal ethics and disclosure laws. Consovoy’s team argued that the Democrats’ argument is a pretext covering their true motivation of seeking to embarrass and politically damage the president.

Both Ramos and Mehta were appointed by Barack Obama. Ramos’s decision will now go to the Second Circuit appeals court, and the president’s lawyers will appeal the other decision to the D.C. Circuit appeals court.

These cases’ fate is uncertain in both appellate courts, which are currently left of center in terms of judicial philosophy. One or more of these cases could end up before the Supreme Court.

A third lawsuit, seeking to keep House Democrats from obtaining President Trump’s personal tax returns from almost a decade ago when he was a private citizen, is also expected – likely in the near future.

The case in the May 20 ruling is Trump v. Committee on Oversight and Reform of the U.S. House, No. 19-cv-1136 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.


Trump touts ‘golden age’ at Ohio rally, urges voters to deliver GOP midterm wins
Cornell president says university ‘must do better’ on handling of sexual assault allegations
South Carolina mom couldn’t remember last time she fed 2 daughters before they were found dead: affidavit
Another One: College Prof, Ex-Dem Candidate Arrested After His DNA Found in 15-Year-Old’s Rape Kit, Cops Say
Education Dept. Goes Viral with Takedown of ‘Fake News’ Story on Loan Cuts: No More Handouts for Failing Degrees
Even Healthcare Workers Are Dropping Health Coverage as Obamacare Premiums Hit New Heights
Trump drops Republican Senator’s phone number in social post over fury on stalled bill
Republicans Pour Unprecedented Amounts of Money Defending Seats Trump Won by Double Digits
Spencer Pratt Reveals the Secret Behind His Viral Campaign Ads – And What Every Other Politician Is Doing Wrong
Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed execution as former US attorney tapped to lead independent review
Firebrand GOP rep: Democrats side with Iran ‘simply because they hate’ Trump
Mass Migration Devastated California’s Natural Resources Over Decades: Study
Springsteen, other stars share stage with hardcore leftist groups at music fest
Jack Smith Might Have Your Banking Info if You Supported Trump
Ebola Explodes in Africa Much Faster Than Infamous 2010s Outbreak
See also  Somali former aide to Minneapolis mayor sentenced in Feeding Our Future fraud case

The case in the May 22 ruling is Trump v. Deutsche Bank, No. 19-cv-3826 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Story cited here.

Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter