Trump Loses Battle To Hide Tax Papers From Congress

The 2-1 ruling of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia is the latest blow to Mr. Trump as he tries to battle an unrelenting impeachment probe.

A US federal appeals court gave the nod Friday to House Democrats’ subpoena demanding a trove of President Trump’s financial documents from one of his accounting firms.

Judge David S. Tatel, a Clinton appointee to the bench, said the Oversight Committee’s subpoena for records from Mazars USA, the accounting firm, is valid and enforceable.

He rejected the Trump’s claims that the committee was on an untenable fishing expedition, and that it needed a more firm grant of power by Congress to pursue the information.

The subpoena concerns allegations Mr Trump paid hush money to two porn stars during the 2016 campaign.

The subpoena was issued in April, well before House Democrats announced they were in the midst of an impeachment inquiry of the president, and the fight is not directly related to that inquiry.

But the ruling is likely to boost Democrats’ hopes as they prepare to battle the president on a slew of subpoenas and demands for witnesses to testify in the impeachment inquiry.

Judge Tatel and Judge Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, said the House’s regular investigative powers are strong enough to demand the most private information from the president.