U.S. Treasury's Mnuchin refuses to release Trump's tax returns to Congress

[May 07, 2019]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday denied a leading House Democrat's request for President Donald Trump's tax returns, setting the stage for a lengthy court battle between lawmakers and the Trump administration.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing on the "State of the International Financial System" on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

In a May 6 letter, Mnuchin told House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal that he would not comply with the Democrat's April 3 request, saying it lacks "a legitimate legislative purpose."

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Tom Brown)

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