By trying to hide his tax returns and financial documents, Trump has set the stage for their release during the middle of the 2020 election.
The Washington Post reported:
The decision Thursday by a three-judge panel puts that agreement in effect and calls for oral argument July 12. The timeline allows the case to move swiftly by court standards and could set up a decision from the Supreme Court that could land in the thick of the 2020 presidential campaign.
If the appeals court in Washington — and perhaps the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in New York, where a second similar case may be filed — rules within a matter of weeks rather than months, the justices might have to take up procedural motions this summer.
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If the high court decided it should weigh in, either at the request of the Trump lawyers or the House, it could set an expedited briefing schedule, as well. But even if the justices heard the case in late fall, a decision would be unlikely until after the first of the year.
Trump has no legal basis for his non-compliance with the House request, and the lower courts have ruled twice this week that Trump’s argument about legislative purpose being necessary for subpoenas is bogus, so even if the Supreme Court would decide to hear a case, there is no certainty of a Trump victory even with a 5-4 conservative majority on the Court.
Trump is playing a dangerous game by stalling and delaying congressional investigations. If he wins in court, he can run out the clock through the 2020 election, but a loss means that his tax returns will be revealed in the middle of his reelection campaign.
Donald Trump could be setting himself up for a fatal “October surprise” in 2020.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association