President Trump, his accounting firm, and House Democrats jointly requested an expedited hearing from the D.C. Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals in a filing submitted late Wednesday.
The move speeds up a case that could reach the Supreme Court and have broad implications over congressional investigations into the president’s finances and businesses and whether he may have violated laws or a clause in the Constitution. The lawsuit could also have broader implications over setting precedent for Congress’ investigatory power.
Under terms agreed upon by the three parties, Trump’s legal team would submit a brief by June 12, while House Democrats and the accounting firm, Mazars USA LLP, would be expected to submit their own briefs by July 3, and a final reply brief from Trump’s team submitted by July 12.
The three parties request that the court hold oral arguments as soon as possible. If the court denies the motion to expedite, then Trump’s legal team plans to file an emergency motion to stay a lower court’s decision on Monday to allow the subpoena to move forward.
The accounting firm said if the motion to expedite is not granted by the court, it would not provide documents until the court decides on the Trump legal team’s emergency motion.
Democrats agreed to suspend the deadline set by the subpoena while the appeal is argued in court. Mazars agreed to continue preparing material for a response to the subpoena in case Trump’s legal team loses its appeal of Monday’s lower court decision to uphold the congressional subpoena.
The case began when Trump sued the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and his accounting firm to prevent a subpoena of his financial records with that firm.
House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Md., subpoenaed the firm after Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, testified earlier this year that Trump misrepresented his finances in business dealings and possibly with the IRS.
