Democrats in the House officially request Trump's statements

April 3, 2019, 22:03 GMT

By Rebecca Shabad, Kasie Hunt and Alex Moe

WASHINGTON – Democrats have officially launched an assault on President Donald Trump's tax returns.

Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) Said Wednesday night that he had filed a formal request with the Treasury Department to obtain these documents.

It's just the opening salvo in which is sure to be a long battle with the administration to see the returns that the president refused to release.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said at a Ways and Means hearing last month that he would protect the privacy of the president if members of Congress tried to ask him for his tax return.

"I have discussed with the Treasury legal department that we would most likely receive this request. As I said, on the basis of demand, we will look at it and we will respect the law, "Mnuchin said at the time. "And we will protect the president as we would protect any taxpayer by virtue of his rights."

Democrats have asked to see Trump's tax returns since the 2016 presidential campaign, Neal's request being just the first step in what will probably be a long legal battle to get them. Since being a candidate, Trump has claimed he could not release them because he was audited by the IRS.

Ways and Means is one of three congressional committees that has the power to seek the return of the president. The other two are the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation.

NBC News reported last month that Neal had asked lawyers on his committee to prepare the tax return application.

In early March, Senate finance committee chairman Chuck Grassley of R-Iowa told reporters that if Democrats in the House were to ask for Trump's tax returns, he would expect that his committee do the same, but they would remain incommunicado, according to the law.

"If we have them, we will ask for them, and I think we can get them, according to our rules or the law, provided we guarantee security," he said.

President Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Reiterated on several occasions that he was part of the Ways and Means discussion group to decide whether or not to request a return from Trump.

As chair of the committee, Neal has the authority to send a written request to the IRS to provide the information. If the Treasury Department were to deny it, Democrats in the House would have to decide whether to pursue tax returns legally. If they are obtained, then Neal will have to designate the group members as "agents" to read the statements. They should then vote to make the documents public and report back to the House as a whole.