Liberals demanded Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin be arrested after he refused to hand over President Trump’s tax returns.
“Mnuchin is legally required to hand over Trump’s tax returns. He broke the law when he didn’t, and now is obstructing multiple Congressional investigations. This lawlessness needs to end. It’s corruption. Throw Mnuchin in prison. And every accomplice in the WH. #LockMnuchinUp,” said Scott Dworkin, co-founder of the Democratic Coalition, which helps campaign for Democrats, using the trending “LockMnuchinUp” hashtag.
Mnuchin is legally required to hand over Trump’s tax returns. He broke the law when he didn’t, and now is obstructing multiple Congressional investigations. This lawlessness needs to end. It’s corruption. Throw Mnuchin in prison. And every accomplice in the WH. #LockMnuchinUp
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) May 7, 2019
Time to #LockMnuchinUp. No joke. ??
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) May 7, 2019
“We have ‘a government of laws and not of men’. If he won’t hand over Trump’s tax returns, #LockMnuchinUp! (and his boss too!),” said Brian Levin, a former senior editor at the Huffington Post.
We have “a government of laws and not of men”. If he won’t hand over Trump’s tax returns, #LockMnuchinUp! (and his boss too!)
— Brian Levin (@brianlevin) May 7, 2019
The tweets echoed chants of “lock her up” directed at Hillary Clinton by Trump supporters during the 2016 campaign.
The Treasury Secretary is breaking the law to hide Trump’s taxes.
The GOP blocked efforts to protect Mueller and release the Mueller report.
Trump has told thousands of lies and conspired to silence people.WHAT ARE THEY HIDING?#LockMnuchinUp
— Dr. DaShanne Stokes (@DaShanneStokes) May 7, 2019
Mnuchin should be arrested. Retweet if you agree. Help support the largest online organizing operation in the Democratic Party by donating below. @TheDemCoalition needs your help to fund our efforts. Please tweet link as well! #TheResistance #LockMnuchinUp https://t.co/kl20yXDCeZ
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) May 7, 2019
How do these Trump cronies have the mental bandwidth to be so crooked? It amazes me. #LockMnuchinUphttps://t.co/f3QDQ1QPA5
— Stephen J. Cloobeck (@sjcloobeck) May 7, 2019
Seth Abramson, a columnist at Newsweek and author of the upcoming book “Proof of Conspiracy,” tried to establish a legal basis to justify Mnuchin’s arrest but said he was not advocating for that outcome.
“I’m not one of those calling for Trump administration officials to be arrested,” Abramson tweeted. “That said, as a matter of our rule of law, that option *cannot* be taken off the table. Across America, people are commonly—and politely—taken into custody for brief periods to compel certain actions. Regarding Trump’s tax returns, ‘shall furnish’ is mandatory language—no exceptions. For those who say, ‘What if the duly appointed Congressional committee chair sought his ex-wife’s returns?’ the answer is THE IRS WOULD STILL FURNISH THEM but the EX-WIFE would seek an injunction.”
I’m not one of those calling for Trump administration officials to be arrested. That said, as a matter of our rule of law, that option *cannot* be taken off the table. Across America, people are commonly—and politely—taken into custody for brief periods to compel certain actions.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) May 7, 2019
Regarding Trump’s tax returns, “shall furnish” is mandatory language—no exceptions. For those who say, “What if the duly appointed Congressional committee chair sought his ex-wife’s returns?” the answer is THE IRS WOULD STILL FURNISH THEM but the EX-WIFE would seek an injunction.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) May 7, 2019
2/ And incidentally, under the rules of statutory interpretation, it’s likely that the only basis for an injunction would be a showing that the Congressman in question had a criminal or otherwise illegal purpose for seeking the return. But that’s *not Mnuchin’s argument to make*.
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) May 7, 2019
The outrage came in response to Mnuchin saying Monday that the request to get Trump’s tax returns “lacks a legitimate legislative purpose” as outlined by the Supreme Court. The letter was sent to the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass.
Time to #LockMnuchinUp. Retweet if you agree.
— Democratic Coalition (@TheDemCoalition) May 7, 2019
Mnuchin said he consulted with the Department of Justice before coming to his conclusion. The House of Representatives will likely sue Mnuchin for his failure to comply with the request leading to a potentially protracted legal battle
