Hearing date set in fight over Trump's New York tax returns

[August 02, 2019]  By Jan Wolfe

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge will hear arguments on Aug. 29 in a lawsuit that President Donald Trump filed to block a U.S. House of Representatives committee from obtaining his New York state tax returns, according to a court filing.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington said the hearing later this month would focus on whether he has jurisdiction over New York officials named as defendants in Trump's lawsuit.

Nichols said the New York officials should not comply with a request by the House Ways and Means Committee for the tax information until he has had a chance to rule on the jurisdictional issues.

In a July 23 complaint, Trump’s lawyers argued New York state violated his constitutional rights with a law passed this month that would give the committee access to the president’s state tax returns.

Traditionally, U.S. presidential candidates have released their federal tax returns on the campaign trail. Trump has repeatedly refused to do so.

The Democrat-controlled committee has sought Trump’s federal returns to shed light on his business dealings. The committee has also said it needs Trump's tax information to determine whether the U.S. Internal Revenue Service is effectively carrying out a policy of auditing all sitting presidents and vice presidents.

President Donald Trump departs for travel to Cincinnati, Ohio from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., August 1, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

The Treasury Department, which controls the IRS, has denied the committee’s request, despite a federal law that says the department “shall furnish” such records to the panel if requested. The Treasury Department said the committee had no legitimate purpose for reviewing Trump’s returns.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe; Editing by Leslie Adler and David Gregorio)

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