The Great Need for Impeachment of Donald J. Trump

[StarfishSaver]

27. I think you may have misread the explanation

He didn't say he didn't ask for them because he would be accused of playing politics. He said that asking for the New York returns would undermine the justification of the committee has given for asking for the federal returns. The justification given for getting the Federal returns is oversight of the IRS. The state tax returns do not advance that purpose and, therefore asking for them would bolster Trump's claim that the committee request has nothing to do with oversight but was simply on a political fishing expedition.

Neal has said he fears that getting the state returns would bolster Trump administration arguments that Congress is on a political fishing expedition -- and not, as Neal has claimed, overseeing the Internal Revenue Service’s annual audits of the president.

Neal has crafted his requests to Mnuchin by citing the need for the Ways and Means Committee to oversee the IRS’s annual audits of the president. He fears that seeking the state returns will weaken that argument.

“We don’t have jurisdiction over New York taxes,” Neal said.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-05/trump-tax-fight-sows-discord-between-wary-and-warlike-democrats

And he's right.

Moreover, as I said, they're not going to get the New York returns anytime soon anyway- Trump can tie them up in court for years, especially since this law is untested. They are, however, very likely to get the federal returns soon using the federal law and legal strategy they've mapped out and are, fortunately, sticking to, despite the badgering of people from the sidelines.