Judge accuses Trump of trying to sneak his absolute immunity argument 'through a back door'

A judge has dismissed President Trump's latest effort to keep his financial records out of the hands of New York prosecutors and a grand jury.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero threw out a lawsuit from Trump's legal team that attempted to block Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance from obtaining his tax records. Vance subpoenaed Trump's accounting firm as part of an investigation into hush money payments made to two women who allege they had affairs with Trump. Trump's lawyers had argued the subpoena for the records was too broad and issued "in bad faith," but Marrero wasn't convinced.

The Supreme Court ruled last month that Trump is "neither absolutely immune from state criminal subpoenas seeking his private papers nor entitled to a heightened standard of need," which significantly undercut the president's legal argument. As BuzzFeed News reports, Marrero accused Trump of trying to get the absolute immunity argument "through a back door." On the contrary, Marrero argued, Trump is entitled to "high respect" in this legal battle, but that doesn't mean he is immune from subpoenas. "High respect for the President does not imply diminished respect for the ancient functions of the grand jury or the long-established standards governing challenges to its subpoenas," he wrote.

Subscribe to 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

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

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

Sign up

Marrero said Trump's legal team had failed to prove the subpoena was issued in bad faith, and had basically rehashed the same argument that was previously shot down.

Trump's team has already appealed the dismissal, asking for a delay in enforcing the subpoena, reports The Washington Post. Trump "believes there is a likelihood of reversal on appeal," lawyers said.