The US Department of Justice on Friday (July 30, local time) ordered the IRS to submit former President Donald Trump’s tax returns to the House Internal Revenue Committee. The Justice Department said the House committee provided “sufficient reason” to collect the documents.
The House Internal Revenue Service has long sought to collect Donald Trump’s tax returns, but the executive branch has refused to accept them.
Rep. Richard Neal (Democrat, Massachusetts), Chairman of the House Internal Revenue Service, has said that he wants six years of Trump’s tax returns and said the request is part of the process. collects information for the purpose of making it possible to govern federal law relating to tax policies.
Under the Trump administration, the Treasury Department blocked Richard Neal’s above effort.
The Justice Department has also previously said that the Treasury Department’s refusal to provide Mr. Trump’s tax returns to the House Taxation Committee was not against the law. However, when the United States has a new Democratic president, the Justice Department has reversed that view and now states that tax officials must submit Trump’s tax returns to Representative Richard Neal.
In an order released on July 30, acting assistant attorney general in charge of the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel, Dawn Johnsen, said: “When one of the congressional tax committees requested information tax information pursuant to Section 6103(f)(1), and having cited clear and reasonable reasons for the request, the Executive Branch should conclude that the request lacks a valid legislative objective. only in exceptional cases. The chairman of the House Taxation Committee gave full reasons for the former President’s request for tax information. Subject to Section 6103(f)(1), the Department of Justice is required to provide such information to the Commission.”
However, the same Office of Attorney General of the Department of Justice and Dawn Johnsen in 2019 issued a statement that Mr Neal’s committee was “dishonest about their true intentions” in seeking to collect Trump’s tax returns. The office then asserted that Neal appeared willing to “make public” Trump’s tax documents if his committee were to obtain them. Mr. Johnsen said that decision was wrong.
Following a new order from the Justice Department regarding Trump’s tax returns, Representative Richard Neal issued a statement to the press, saying: “As I have maintained my position for many years, This committee case is very strong and the law is on our side. I am delighted that the Department of Justice agrees [with my view] and that we can proceed with [this collection of records].”
Former President Donald Trump did not respond to a request for comment on the Justice Department’s latest statement regarding his tax returns.
