The Forgotten Law That Could Compel Mnuchin to Hand Over Trump’s Tax Returns

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Analysis: Congress has a secret weapon at its disposal, one that has been lurking in the U.S. code since 1789

If the House invokes this statute, it could have the president’s tax returns in hand in a matter of months, or spark a separation-of-powers standoff the president likely would not win in front of the now solidlyThis unassuming statute, buried four paragraphs under the heading “Reports” in 31 U.S.C. § 331, requires the Treasury secretary to provide the House or Senate with any information they request.

The 1789 statute also refutes the Justice Department’s OLC memo. The memo, which contends Congress doesn’t have the authority to compel the executive branch to supply information, reasoned by analogy from a handful of modern Supreme Court decisions on separation of powers. But the “duty to report” provision predates those decisions by more than a century, calling into question not only the memo but also the assumptions underlying those Supreme Court opinions.

For the next 2½ centuries, Congress wielded this statute as a critical tool of legislative oversight.members of the president’s Cabinet. But during the latter half of the 20th century, Congress stopped relying on it. By then, the Treasury Act had been rewritten and reworked to accommodate for the evolving executive branch, and the duty to report had moved around the U.S. code several times. Even so, the statute remained in every new publication of the U.S. code. .

 

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Yes let's find out that he filed correctly and took a lot of write-offs, a worthwhile trade-off for catching Obama and Comey in an act of treason.

You guys are so weak with your Trump hate. Going to try everything aren't you?

Is there any Law that allows Congress to have Trump’s official IQ Test results? He always claims to be the smartest person in room, even in meetings with Physics Nobel Prize winners. IQ Results are more secret than his Taxes. Truth is needed!

So why haven’t they used it?

Still haven’t seen a straight answer about why it is so important to see Trump’s tax returns...other than it is just another Democrat fishing trip?

Oh, please. Trump and his lackeys are not capable to follow the law even if it was voice-recorded by the Constitutional Convention and played to them 24/7. And Bill Barr certainly doesn't give a flying fig about it. On the contrary, he's there to help Trump get away with it.

Когда мы узнаем правду?

This is what you waste your time on? Get a life.

steve_vladeck ?

Give it a rest.

What are they waiting for?

this administration don't follow the law

Congress has to have a genuine reason....

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