Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday told House Democrats he would not furnish President Trump’s tax returns despite their legal request, the latest move by Trump administration officials to shield the president from congressional investigations. But Mnuchin, Trump’s former campaign finance chairman, has fought to protect the returns from public disclosure and said it would create a dangerous precedent if the returns are released. In April, Mnuchin revealed that Treasury officials had conferred with White House lawyers about Trump’s tax returns before Democrats sent their formal request to the Internal Revenue Service. “He’s not delaying any further.”With Treasury’s rejection, House Democrats may seek other avenues to obtain the president’s financial records. Trump is the first president since the Nixon administration to refuse to provide his tax returns.

Source: Washington Post May 06, 2019 21:33 UTC