On Thursday, the Supreme court ruled that the Manhattan District Attorney can obtain President Trump’s business records and tax returns.
What We Know:
- The court ruled 7-2 in favor of Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance who is currently conducting a criminal investigation into the president’s business dealings. Vance will be conducting a criminal investigation against the President on his “hush-money” payments that were made for his past affairs before he was elected to be President.
- Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, who were appointed by Trump himself in the Supreme Court, joined the majority during the ruling. Meanwhile, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito differed from the decision and sent it to lower courts for further proceedings.
- Since the decision, Trump has taken to social media to express his disagreements on the ruling by the Supreme court with the following tweets:
PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
The Supreme Court sends case back to Lower Court, arguments to continue. This is all a political prosecution. I won the Mueller Witch Hunt, and others, and now I have to keep fighting in a politically corrupt New York. Not fair to this Presidency or Administration!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
- Chief Justice John Roberts, who has been going against the President regarding Transgender rights and DACA rulings, stated the following regarding the majority decision:
“Two hundred years ago, a great jurist of court established that no citizen, not even the President, is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding. We reaffirm that principle today.”
- The ruling is a major legal defeat for President Trump since it has rejected the President’s claims of “absolute immunity” from a criminal investigative process.
- The meaning of the 1-year long battle was due to possible violations of state tax law. Attorney Cyrus Vance is gathering records that go 10-years back with an array of personal records such as, bank statements, engagement letters, personal checks, loan applications, and tax returns.
The Trump legal team has lost in lower federal courts due to the case. ABC has reported that Trump has been the only modern-day American president who has not released tax returns while in office.
