Donald Trump, the twice-impeached ex-president who lost the popular vote twice and tried to stage a coup, is having the worst week ever. As his successor, President Joe Biden, racks up wins with the killing of Osama bin Laden’s right-hand man and passing legislation to address inflation, Trump is under multiple criminal investigations, has been visited by the FBI, and reports of him flushing documents down toilets have revealed him to be a frightened, cornered man.
On Tuesday, he got even more good news. The House Ways and Means Committee requested Trump’s tax returns many months ago, returns that Trump said he’d released as soon as he was no longer under audit (that was six years ago). A 3-0 decision by a federal appeals court has ruled that they’re going to get them, too.
🚨 🚨 🚨 BREAKING: The DC Court of Appeals has just ruled that the law is on our side in seeking Trump's tax returns. We expect to receive the requested tax returns and audit files immediately.https://t.co/FYzFzYrxF8
— Ways & Means Committee (@WaysMeansCmte) August 9, 2022
The congressional committee requested the returns amidst rumors of Trump’s attempts to cheat on his taxes, saying that they have a “responsibility to conduct oversight of our voluntary Federal tax system and determine how Americans – including those elected to our highest office – are complying with those laws.” Trump’s attorneys argued that this is a political witch hunt, that there was no valid purpose for the committee to obtain the documents, that it’s unconstitutional, it’s a violation (somehow) of Trump’s First Amendment rights, and all the same nonsense Trump spouts about investigations into all his crimes.
In the ruling, the decision said that:
‘Against both the Committee and Treasury, the Trump Parties asserted that the Request lacks a legitimate legislative purpose and violates the separation of powers…the Committee has stated a valid legislative purpose, § 6103(f)(1) is not facially unconstitutional and the Treasury Department’s compliance with the 2021 Request does not violate the First Amendment.’
Twitter was delighted by the news and offered no sympathy for the embattled ex-president. Read some of their comments below:
