The Trump administration on Friday filed a motion to dismiss House Democrats’ lawsuit into President Trump’s federal tax returns.
The president and his administration are asserting that the House Ways and Means Committee cannot coerce the federal courts to rule against Trump because the matter involves a dispute between the executive and legislative branches over a request for information.
The administration was expected to file the motion to dismiss the case after expressing intent to do so in prior court filings. Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns has been the subject of much scrutiny throughout his presidency and whether the courts can settle the matter.
The motion was filed after Judge Trevor McFadden rejected Democrats’ motion to expedite the lawsuit and refused Democrats’ motion for summary judgment “as premature.”
The Ways and Means Committee filed the lawsuit in July to compel the court to force the Treasury Department and IRS to adhere to their demands for six years of Trump’s personal and business tax returns.
The Treasury Department, IRS, and leaders of both departments are listed as defendants in the lawsuit. Trump and his business entities were later included as intervenor-defendants, which gives them the chance to give their testimony.
The president’s tax returns were first sought by Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal in April. He said his committee wants the tax returns because of its duty to perform oversight and review legislative proposals concerning how the IRS audits the president.
The Treasury and IRS both rejected Neal’s demands and the ensuing subpoenas, saying no valid legislative purpose was given and that Democrats just wanted to reveal Trump’s tax returns for political means. Both the administration and House Democrats said they thought the matter would be settled in the courts.
Trump is the first president in decades to refuse to release his tax returns to the public. He has referred to an IRS audit as a reason for his refusal, but the IRS has countered Trump’s excuse by saying that there are no restrictions for people to release their own tax information.
