Cummings issued a letter earlier this month to Victor Wahba, CEO of accounting firm Mazars USA, asking for documents regarding the firm's preparation of Trump's 2009 financial statements. Cummings said he was looking for this information after Michael Cohen, former personal attorney, said Trump had inflated his net worth in order to buy the Buffalo Bills – and that Cohen had presented to the committee the 2011-2013 financial statements prepared by Mazars.
Mr. Cohen presented to the Committee the 2011, 2012 and 2013 financial statements that raise questions about the Chairman's statements regarding his financial affairs on these forms and other statements, particularly those related to the President's debts. ", wrote Cummings.
The Republicans of the committee accused Cummings of having sought "information to embarrass an individual" and criticized his decision to investigate Trump's finances before he was a presidential candidate and on the reasons why Fox News had not published any story in October 2016 about this charge. actress Stephanie Clifford – known professionally as Stormy Daniels – from an affair with Trump, which the president denied.
The Republican representatives of the committee, Ohio representatives Jim Jordan and Mark Meadows of North Carolina sent Wahba their own letter opposing Cummings' request. They also sent a letter Wednesday to Cummings asking him to "reconsider your poorly designed investigation into President Trump's finances while he was a mere citizen".
"There is still time to get away from your repeated partisan attacks on the president and his administration, and focus on improving the federal government's operations for the American people," the Republicans wrote.
Cummings 'request for Trump's financial information is distinct from the Democrats' pressure to obtain Trump's tax returns, which were not formally requested and would come from the House Ways and Means Committee. But Cummings' interest in Trump's finances, as well as the circumstances surrounding Daniels, underscore the fact that Democrats continue to investigate Trump even though the investigation of special advocate Robert Mueller is over. .
Republicans intensify their attacks on Democrats after Mueller has not found a criminal conspiracy between Trump's team and Russia – according to a summary of Mueller's report released Sunday by Attorney General William Barr – but until now, Democrats have not indicated that they would back away from their vast investigations of Trump, his administration and his finances, even if they concentrate their messaging efforts elsewhere on issues such as as health care.
Asked about the Republican's letter, Cummings told CNN on Wednesday: "They complain about everything".
"We are following specific allegations regarding the President's actions based on corroborating documents obtained by the Committee, and we will continue our efforts to conduct credible, robust and independent oversight," Cummings said in a statement.
