Trump Rages Against Supreme Court's Tax Records Decision: 'A Political Prosecution'
After losing a Supreme Court decision that rejected President Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from a New York prosecutor’s request to provide his tax returns and financial records, Trump on Thursday fired off tweets alleging “PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT” and “PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT.”
Trump had argued that his tax records and personal and corporate financial information could not be disclosed because he was immune from prosecution while in office. The court rejected that argument, according to The New York Times.
In a companion ruling Thursday, the court said Congress cannot see records it has requested, sending the duel between Trump and Congress back to a lower court.
Although the practical effect of the court’s action is such that the records are unlikely to be released before the November election, Trump lashed out at the ruling.
“The Supreme Court sends case back to Lower Court, arguments to continue. This is all a political prosecution. I won the Mueller Witch Hunt, and others, and now I have to keep fighting in a politically corrupt New York. Not fair to this Presidency or Administration!” he tweeted. “Courts in the past have given ‘broad deference’. BUT NOT ME!”
The Supreme Court sends case back to Lower Court, arguments to continue. This is all a political prosecution. I won the Mueller Witch Hunt, and others, and now I have to keep fighting in a politically corrupt New York. Not fair to this Presidency or Administration!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
Courts in the past have given “broad deference”. BUT NOT ME!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
Trump fired off a series of tweets about the investigations of his campaign that took place during the waning days of the Obama administration.
“We have a totally corrupt previous Administration, including a President and Vice President who spied on my campaign, AND GOT CAUGHT and nothing happens to them. This crime was taking place even before my election, everyone knows it, and yet all are frozen stiff with fear. No Republican Senate Judiciary response, NO ‘JUSTICE’, NO FBI, NO NOTHING. Major horror show REPORTS on Comey & McCabe, guilty as hell, nothing happens. Catch Obama & Biden cold, nothing. A 3 year, $45,000,000 Mueller HOAX, failed – investigated everything,” Trump tweeted.
….No Republican Senate Judiciary response, NO “JUSTICE”, NO FBI, NO NOTHING. Major horror show REPORTS on Comey & McCabe, guilty as hell, nothing happens. Catch Obama & Biden cold, nothing. A 3 year, $45,000,000 Mueller HOAX, failed – investigated everything….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
“Won all against the Federal Government and the Democrats send everything to politically corrupt New York, which is falling apart with everyone leaving, to give it a second, third and fourth try. Now the Supreme Court gives a delay ruling that they would never have given for another President. This is about PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT. We catch the other side SPYING on my campaign, the biggest political crime and scandal in U.S. history, and NOTHING HAPPENS. But despite this, I have done more than any President in history in first 3 1/2 years,” he tweeted.
….for another President. This is about PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT. We catch the other side SPYING on my campaign, the biggest political crime and scandal in U.S. history, and NOTHING HAPPENS. But despite this, I have done more than any President in history in first 3 1/2 years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
The Supreme Court decision said a president does not have the absolute right to block the release of the documents sought by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
“No citizen, not even the president, is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote.
However, the ruling means Trump can still fight the release of the documents by objecting to the scope of what is requested.
Both opinions were written by Roberts and supported by a 7-2 court, with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting in both cases.
Vance has said he wanted the records in connection with payments the Trump Organization made before the 2016 election.
“This is a tremendous victory for our nation’s system of justice and its founding principle that no one — not even a president — is above the law,” Vance said after the ruling. “Our investigation, which was delayed for almost a year by this lawsuit, will resume, guided as always by the grand jury’s solemn obligation to follow the law and the facts, wherever they may lead.”
We are pleased that in the decisions issued today, the Supreme Court has temporarily blocked both Congress and New York prosecutors from obtaining the President’s financial records. We will now proceed to raise additional Constitutional and legal issues in the lower courts.
— Jay Sekulow (@JaySekulow) July 9, 2020
Jay Sekulow, a lawyer for Trump, saw the glass as half full.
“We are pleased that in the decisions issued today, the Supreme Court has temporarily blocked both Congress and New York prosecutors from obtaining the president’s financial records,” he said in a statement. “We will now proceed to raise additional constitutional and legal issues in the lower courts.”
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