Trump files an emergency petition with Supreme Court to keep tax returns away from House Democrats

Former President Donald Trump on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a Democrat-led House Committee from accessing his tax returns.

Mr. Trump filed an emergency request with the nation’s highest court after a federal appeals court last week ordered the tax returns to be turned over to the House Ways and Means Committee by Thursday. The petition asks the Supreme Court to stop the release of the documents by Wednesday.

Mr. Trump’s legal team said in a court filing that the committee is not interested in the former president’s taxes for legitimate investigative purposes, but rather a partisan probe to embarrass him.

“The committee’s purpose in requesting President Trump’s tax returns has nothing to do with funding or staffing issues at the IRS and everything to do with releasing the president’s tax information to the public,” they wrote.

Democrats lawmakers have insisted the tax returns are necessary for their investigation into the Internal Revenue Services’ audit processes.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers said Congress doesn’t wield the power to demand his tax returns, warning of “far-reaching implications” if the U.S. D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling stands.