Steven Mnuchin suggests he'll defy subpoena for Trump’s taxes

(Image credit: SAUL LOEB / Getty Images)

published 15 May 2019

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin suggested on Wednesday he will defy a congressional subpoena for President Trump's tax returns.

Mnuchin testified before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee after Democrats last week issued a subpoena for six years of Trump's federal taxes. This subpoena came after Mnuchin defied a previous House Ways and Means Committee request, and it set a May 17 deadline to hand over the tax returns.

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Democrats have argued Mnuchin is violating a 1924 law that states the Treasury secretary "shall furnish" tax returns when requested by a congressional committee, while Mnuchin contends Congress needs a "legitimate legislative purpose" that it does not have. Ahead of the subpoena possibly being ignored, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, on Tuesday said that if Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig "say no all the way, then I'd put them in jail all the way."

Explore More

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox