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House Watch and Reform Committee Chair Elijah Cummings, D-Md., Told reporters the issuance of subpoenas as part of his investigation into persons under the administration of President Donald Trump who had obtained a security clearance despite "disqualifying questions" in their context, at Capitol Hill Washington, Tuesday, April 2, 2019. (Photo AP / J. Scott Applewhite)
The chairman of the House's oversight committee announced Friday that he intended to summon President Donald Trump's accountant for his financial statements.
Representative Elijah Cummings, D-MD, told the committee members in a letter that Mazars USA would not be handing over Trump's records, its company and its related entities without subpoena.
TRUMP TAX RETURN CENTER AT DC HEARINGS
Cummings said he planned to issue the subpoena on Monday for the statements of financial position, the reports of the independent auditor, the annual accounts and other documents covering the period from from 2011 to 2018.
Mazars stated that it "would respect the legal process and comply fully with its legal obligations". The firm said it did not comment to the media about its work with clients.
A comment message was left to Trump's company, the Trump organization.
The announcement by Cummings of its intention to subpoena Trump's financial documents comes two days after the Treasury Department missed a deadline to hand over Trump's tax returns to the chairman of the Tracks Committee and means of the House.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday to committee chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., That the ministry had not yet decided whether he would comply or not. Neal asked for Trump's return a week ago.
Cummings said his request was prompted by the testimony of Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, in February, that Trump had overvalued his fortune before becoming president.
Cohen provided the committee with copies of the financial statements that Trump had provided to Deutsche Bank when it attempted to buy the Buffalo Bills in 2014.
The documents show that Trump's net worth has climbed from $ 4.55 billion in 2012 to $ 8.66 billion in 2013 due to the addition of a $ 4 billion position to " brand value "- essentially the value that Trump has placed on his name.
On 20 March, the Supervisory Committee sent a letter to Mazars asking for information on how these financial statements and other information documents were prepared.
On March 27, Mazars replied that it was impossible for him to provide the documents without a Congressional summons.
On the same day, the largest Republican on the committee sent a letter to Mazars in which he claimed that Cummings' request exceeded the legislative authority of the committee. The application "does not seem to have a valid legislative purpose, but rather seems to look for information to embarrass an individual," said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
Cummings criticized Jordan in his letter of Friday, calling his actions "disturbing" and claiming that they were working to undermine the authority of the committee and hinder its investigations.
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Jordan retorted in a statement, claiming that Cummings could have voted on the summons this week, but that he had instead waited for the committee members to leave Washington for the Easter holidays, in order to solicit their comments.
He termed the move to Trump's accountant's financial accounts "an astonishing abuse" of the committee's authority and a "shameful departure" from fair and legitimate control.
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