The New York legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would give New York tax officials the authority to hand over President Trump’s state tax returns to Congress.
The Democratic-led Assembly and Senate approved the measure Wednesday, sending it to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who will likely sign the bill. The bill could give congressional committees, who have been pushing to get a hold of Trump’s federal tax returns, his state returns — which likely contain much of the same information as the federal returns.
The president’s tax returns have been an ongoing point of inquiry for congressional Democrats. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., issued subpoenas for Trump’s tax returns earlier this month.
[Related: Mnuchin claims ignorance of IRS memo concluding he must give Congress Trump tax returns]
It was reported Tuesday that a confidential Internal Revenue Service legal memo was crafted last fall saying that the president must give tax returns to Congress unless executive privilege is exerted. Despite the memo’s reported existence, it is unsigned, marked “DRAFT,” and is not the official position of the IRS.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has asserted that Trump does not have to turn over his tax returns because there isn’t a “legitimate legislative purpose” for releasing them to Congress.
If Cuomo signs the Wednesday bill into law, the Trump administration might choose to fight it in court. The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
[Opinion: Ohio Democrat spells it out: Voters aren’t interested in Trump’s tax returns]
