Trump's tax returns must be turned over to Congress, DOJ says

The Treasury Department has been advised by the Justice Department it needs to turn over former President Donald Trump's tax returns to Congress.

The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel in an opinion Friday said the IRS must release Trump's tax returns to Congress, affirming the House Ways and Means Committee had a legitimate legislative purpose for seeking them, CNBC reports.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) requested six years of Trump's tax returns, which the former president had long refused to release, back in 2019. Then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, though, argued the request "lacks legitimate legislative purpose."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

The DOJ opinion on Friday, though, said "the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has invoked sufficient reasons for requesting the former President's tax information," per CNN. It concluded that the Treasury Department "must furnish the information to the Committee." Neal told CNN, "As I have maintained for years, the Committee's case is very strong and the law is on our side. I am glad that the Department of Justice agrees and that we can move forward."