According to court papers filed on Wednesday, the Department of Justice is helping President Trump in his legal fight to block the release of his tax returns to state prosecutors investigating the Trump Organization,
Over hush money payments made to two women who have claimed affairs with Trump before he became president, Manhattan District Attorney is asking for eight years of Trump’s personal and corporate tax returns as part of a criminal investigation into the Trump Organization.
Last month, president’s lawyers filed a lawsuit in federal court asking to block the subpoena. The suit says that the Manhattan District Attorney isn’t empowered to the returns and a present president cannot be criminally investigated.
As a defendant in the suit, President Trump mentioned his accountant Mazars USA as part of his bid to prevent his financial records from being turned over to District Attorney’s office.
Last week when federal prosecutors filed court papers, the case took a turn. The federal prosecutor said that they were considering whether to interrupt in the president’s suit.
Justice Department special counsel asserts that the suit has important implications for the country and the tax returns should not be released until it’s resolved.
The Wednesday court filing says that “The President’s complaint raises a number of significant constitutional issues that potentially implicate important interests of the United States”.
The Justice Department requests that the judge put the subpoena process on hold to allow it to prepare briefs in the case.
The Constitution immunizes the current president from criminal investigations, President Trump’s lawyers have asserted. However, Manhattan District Attorney’s office denied that argument and challenged whether federal prosecutors should be allowed to join the lawsuit at the eleventh hour.
