Trump’s Lawyers Plead Immunity From the IRS to Avoid Congressional Scrutiny

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Donald Trump is scared.

After the Justice Department (DOJ) last month determined the former president does not have the right to withhold his tax returns from the House Ways and Means Committee, Trump‘s attorneys now argue the House committee investigation is merely an attempt to embarrass Trump, and requested a federal judge block the committee in its methods of auditing presidents.

Attempting to deflect from the issue, they claim the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)’s auditing process is suspect.

The DOJ Office of Legal Counsel explained last week that federal law compels the government to submit the returns, which were initially requested twice, and refused, in 2019 before Trump was out of office.

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Trump‘s lawyers contend Congress has no authority to investigate individuals and cannot demand personal, confidential information like law enforcement organization can.

The law is clear, though: the House Ways and Means Committee has absolute authority to formally demand the IRS submit any American’s tax returns, including those of sitting and past presidents.

The last president from whom Congress requested tax returns was Richard Nixon, who complied, revealing he owed $477,000 in additional taxes.

The only protection Trump had as president was a cadre of obsequious sycophants perfectly willing to risk prison time to shield him.

However, that flimsy protection is gone now that Trump is no longer in office.

After all the murders he either committed or was at least behind, after all the bootleg liquor he smuggled, the money he extorted, the prostitution rings he had a hand in, it was tax evasion that ultimately sent the notorious mobster Al Capone to prison.

Could the same fate befall Donald Trump, or least those covering for him?

Ted Millar

Ted Millar is writer and teacher. His work has been featured in myriad literary journals, including Better Than Starbucks, Caesura, Circle Show, Cactus Heart, & Third Wednesday. He is also a contributor to The Left Place blog on Substack, Liberal Nation Rising, and Medium.