Appeals court refuses to block House subpoena for Trump’s financial records

The ruling orders Deutsche Bank, Capital One to comply with the request for records.

House Democrats can access President Trump’s private financial records from two banks, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday, finding a “public interest” in refusing to block congressional subpoenas.

The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit came in the ongoing legal battle Trump has waged to shield his private business records from disclosure — including in two cases that have already reached the Supreme Court.

The New York-based appeals court upheld Congress’s broad investigative authority and ordered Deutsche Bank and Capital One to comply with the House subpoenas for the president’s financial information. The court gave the president seven days to seek review by the Supreme Court in the case, which predates the public impeachment proceedings in the House.

In a 106-page ruling, the court said the House committees’ “interests in pursuing their constitutional legislative function is a far more significant public interest than whatever public interest inheres in avoiding the risk of a Chief Executive’s distraction arising from disclosure of documents reflecting his private financial transactions."

“The Committees have already been delayed in the receipt of the subpoenaed material since April 11 when the subpoenas were issued. They need the remaining time to analyze the material, hold hearings, and draft bills for possible enactment,” according to the ruling written by Judge Jon O. Newman, who was joined by Judge Peter W. Hall.

The president’s lawyer Jay Sekulow said in a statement Tuesday that Trump’s legal team believes the subpoena is “invalid as issued” and is reviewing the ruling to determine next steps, “including seeking review at the Supreme Court.”