Manhattan’s District Attorney Cy Vance has obtained former President Donald Trump’s long-sought tax returns, coming days after the Supreme Court ruled that it would not block them from being released to his office.
A spokesman for Vance’s office, Danny Frost, on Thursday confirmed the development to several news outlets. A subpoena was enforced against Mazars USA, Trump’s accounting firm.
The Supreme Court wrote a one-sentence order saying it would not block the subpoena without explanation.
Before Monday, the Supreme Court previously refused to stop lower court rulings and sided with Vance. In July, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote an opinion for a 7-2 ruling that rejected Trump’s argument that he was immune to state-level investigations while he was in office.
“In our judicial system, ‘the public has a right to every man’s evidence.’ Since the earliest days of the Republic, ‘every man’ has included the president of the United States,” said Roberts at the time.
Trump’s attorneys continued to fight the subpoena and said Vance’s office was acting in bad faith and was overreaching.
Vance’s possession of the taxes and other financial documents does not mean the public will ever see them. The records were sought in connection to an investigation by a grand jury convened by his office.
Trump, in a statement on Monday, criticized the Supreme Court’s decision and said it is part of a “witch hunt” against him that started years ago, persisted while he was president, and still continues now that he is out of office.
“So now, for more than two years, New York City has been looking at almost every transaction I’ve ever done, including seeking tax returns which were done by among the biggest and most prestigious law and accounting firms in the U.S.,” he said on Monday. “The Tea Party was treated far better by the IRS than Donald Trump.”
Trump added that it is “something which has never happened to a President before, it is all Democrat-inspired in a totally Democrat location, New York City and State, completely controlled and dominated by a heavily reported enemy of mine, Governor Andrew Cuomo.”
Vance said last year the former president has “had multiple opportunities for review of his constitutional and state law claims, and at this juncture, he provides no grounds for further delay,” adding, “His request for extraordinary relief should be denied, and the grand jury permitted to do its work.”
Mazars USA has said it isn’t contesting the subpoena and will comply with legal obligations.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the office of Vance, a Democrat, for comment.
The Supreme Court case is Trump v. Vance, 20A63.
From The Epoch Times