Manhattan prosecutor urges judge to reject Trump lawsuit over tax
returns
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[September 24, 2019]
By Brendan Pierson
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A Manhattan state
prosecutor on Monday urged a federal judge to dismiss U.S. President
Donald Trump's bid to block a subpoena seeking eight years of his tax
returns as part of a criminal investigation.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance argued in a court filing that
Trump must not be allowed to assert "blanket immunity from criminal
prosecution," including for conduct before he took office. Vance also
argued that the dispute belongs in New York state court, where a grand
jury issued the subpoena, not in federal court.
U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in Manhattan is scheduled to hear
arguments in the case on Wednesday.
Jay Sekulow, a lawyer for Trump, did not immediately respond to an email
seeking comment.
Trump filed the lawsuit on Thursday seeking to block enforcement of
grand jury subpoena that Vance issued on Aug. 29 to Mazars USA, Trump's
longtime accounting firm, for personal and corporate tax returns from
2011 to 2018.
Mazars is also named as a defendant in Trump's lawsuit.
The firm said in a statement it "will respect the legal process and
fully comply with its legal obligations," though as a matter of policy
it does not comment on its work for clients.
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Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. speaks at a news
conference to discuss the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act in the
Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., December 6,
2017. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo
Vance issued the subpoena four weeks after issuing another subpoena
to the Trump Organization for records of hush money payments,
including to two women prior to the 2016 election. The women, porn
star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal, have
said they had sexual relationships with Trump, which he has denied.
Michael Cohen, the president's former lawyer, has admitted to paying
$130,000 to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, to keep
her from talking about her alleged relationship with Trump in 2016.
He also admitted to helping arrange a payment of $150,000 to
McDougal.
Cohen is serving a three-year prison term for campaign finance
violations, including through the hush money payments, as well as
tax evasion and lying to Congress.
(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Cynthia
Osterman)
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