Federal judge questions Democrats' effort to obtain Trump tax returns

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Source: The Hill

A federal judge on Tuesday questioned a House committee's pursuit of former President Trump's tax returns.

During a hearing in a long-running lawsuit from the House Ways and Means Committee, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden appeared concerned about the prospect of allowing the panel to obtain Trump's personal records.

During one exchange, he questioned the Biden administration's Justice Department lawyer over the agency's reversal in the case.

"If Congress changes hands in a couple years here and a Republican chairman of the Ways and Means Committee asks for Hunter Biden's tax returns, are we just going to say, 'Oh, sure. You know, we've got to defer to Congress. They've said they're interested in legislating on presidential families, therefore we've got to turn them over'? Is that going to be the administration's position?" McFadden said.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-judge-questions-democrats-effort-to-obtain-trump-tax-returns/ar-AAQMCYt

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McFadden must be one of the unqualified idiot nominees who was quickly confirmed.

First of all the request was made last session when Trump was still president.

Second Hunter Biden is not an elected official. The judge's what-aboutism is childish.

Between this guy, the 5th circuit court of appeals and the judge presiding over the Rittenhouse trial it seems we have some real mental midgets in our court system.

[COL Mustard]

1. Yup.

Judge McFadden is a TFG appointee. No standing in my mind. Then again, I never met a bar I couldn't pass.

[WA-03 Democrat]

2. My experience with the Federal Court system is no

different than what we are watching. There is no justice in the system.

What's the difference between God and a Federal Judge?

God does not think she is a Federal Judge

[Nictuku]

3. If a congressional committee requested Hunter Biden's tax returns

If a congressional committee requested Hunter Biden's tax returns, then the request would be granted. End of Story. Congress has this right.

[Bayard]

15. That's my understanding

Congress can have anyone's tax returns that they want, and not even a fed judge can deny them.

[MichMan]

19. Should a Republican led Senate be able to demand Pelosi's tax returns?

Or Pramila Jayapal or Pete Buttigieg ? What about Rachel Maddow ?

How about a potential challenger to one of the congressional incumbents?

Just because they want to see them for political purposes

[Nictuku]

25. Congressional Committee, regardles of majority party

Same rules should apply.

[MichMan]

26. So you think yes,they should in the examples I mentioned

[Nictuku]

27. Same Rules

But it can go to court, like it has for Trump, and there is a question of legitimate congressional business as a reason for requesting them.

Now if Congress is crooked, and the Courts are crooked, then I think you can see it happen for political purposes (vs congressional legitimacy).

[MichMan]

28. Your post said nothing about having courts agree about legitimate congressional business

You said that if congress requested them, they should get them, even if it is a Hunter Biden as it is their right.

I don't agree that congress has an unlimited right to have anyone's tax returns they want at any time.

[DeeNice]

29. Everything you think the republicans will do if the democrats are allowed to they have already done.

And without reasonable justification like there is with regard to TFG. Remember Ken Starr?

[MichMan]

30. Was Ken Starr a member of congress ?

Ken Starr was a Special Council appointed by Bill Clinton. He was not a member of congress

The courts will rule whether or not they believe the request is legal

[cstanleytech]

4. If Hunter Biden is in elected office and or is appointed to a federal office then Congress

should be granted reasonable access to his taxes, however currently he is not in office nor has he ever been so the judges question is irrelevant.

[Rebl2]

8. Exactly

[cstanleytech]

23. Plus by invoking Hunter the judge has shown bias.

[Calista241]

20. That sounds like rather a giant loophole that could be exploited by some future nefarious Repub.

[samsingh]

5. they will say yes if a Democrat's taxes were been requested

two laws - rather law for Democrats and no law for republicans

[BlueIdaho]

6. How do we get these unqualified jokers

Off the bench?

[packman]

7. Christ - They'll find the Lost Ark of the Covenant before we see his tax returns

[soldierant]

12. Didn't indiana Jones find that?

[mn9driver]

9. Judge is a hard core wingnut. Appointed by the orange guy.

He is qualified on paper, but his rulings are consistently hard right Trump humper. He has been reversed more than once on this kind of bullshit.

[CBHagman]

14. Federalist Society and the whole ball of wax.

https://fedsoc.org/contributors/trevor-mcfadden-1

[zaj]

10. That's a fair question...

It's about the boundaries and limits of the ruling. It helps the attorneys establish their reasoning I'm advance. It's not necessarily a negative at all.

[EndlessWire]

18. I'd like the judges

to rule on the law that is before them, and not create a "what if" policy. There are always a lot of what ifs available. I mean, what if aliens land in the parking lot? This guy is playing a hand in the Congressional Civil War.

[Calista241]

21. That's kind of the whole point of the federal court system.

They think about these what ifs and make rulings on them. That's one reason the Supreme Court is issuing these very narrow rulings so that they only affect this one case in these specific circumstances. Roberts, and the rest of the court, has been after the district courts and appellate courts to narrow their rulings and refrain from creating nationwide policy.

[zaj]

22. They are clarifying the argument the atty is making

... to help them rule on the law.

[C Moon]

11. Shocking! Appointed during traitor trump.

Judge Trevor N. McFadden was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2017.

I’ll bet he got a phone call a couple days ago, telling him to do this

[Marcuse]

13. "Whatabout when Republicans request President Biden's taxes? Oh that's right. Never mind."

[turbinetree]

16. Maybe the judge didn't get the memo....that Congress has the right to have that information...

https://www.americanprogress.org/article/president-trump-cannot-hide-tax-returns-congress/

[Steelrolled]

17. My guess is that the justice dept doesn't care about what happens in future congresses.

They care about what happens now. Politics excels at short-term thinking.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

24. I wonder what reason he'd make up to hide TFG's tax returns if he were still prez? (shudder)

He'd probably open his box of Official Joe Manchin Red Lines and pull one out at random.

[Deminpenn]

31. The law is specific to the House Ways and Means committee

and the request must serve a legitimate legislative purpose.

Since Pelosi and most other politicians already voluntarily make their tax returns public, there's no need to ask the IRS to provide them.