Mnuchin rejects the IRS memo stating that Trump's tax returns must be passed to Congress

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday rejected an internal IRS memo, concluding that it was "mandatory" for the IRS to hand over President Donald Trump's tax returns. in Congress, unless the President invokes the privilege of the executive.

"In fact, I do not think that's the case," he told the House Financial Services Committee at an unrelated hearing, during which he had been questioned several times. on his refusal to return Trump's statements. "If I understand correctly, this note concerns a different problem and not the problem we examined, as well as the Department of Justice."

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Rejecting Trump's request by House of Ways and Means Speaker Richard Neal (D-Mass.) For six years, Mnuchin said Treasury and Justice had concluded that there must be a legislative reason " legitimate "for the request, and that Neal does not have any.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the IRS draft bill concluded that "the inability of the Secretary of the Treasury to disclose declarations and information on returns would not be affected by the inability of the Tax Reporting Committee. To motivate his request. The "only base" [for] the agency's refusal to comply with a committee summons would be tantamount to the doctrine of executive privilege. "

Neal asked Trump to come back in April, saying the committee needed them to check how the IRS conducts its routine audits of presidential income tax returns. He cited a law that states that the treasury secretary "must" submit tax returns at the request of the heads of the congressional tax committees.

Mnuchin said he and the IRS commissioner, Chuck Rettig, "were not aware" of the IRS memo until the Post s & # 39; 39, inquire Tuesday.

"We are trying to find out who wrote the memo, where it came from, when and how it was not distributed," he said.

The President of Financial Services, Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Stated that she would ask the Attorney General of the House if Mnuchin should be found guilty of contempt for the Congress. not having provided the documents requested to the legislators.

Representative Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) Raised this possibility, saying that Mnuchin acted "illegally" by refusing to file tax returns and other documents that Lynch had not specified.

"We will put your question to the general advocate and put it in writing," Waters told Lynch, "and we will ask him for an answer on what our next step could or should be given in the way you have described, you may be thinking of an outrage based on what the law says. "

Mnuchin said the Treasury had "tried to respond to the Congress on hundreds or even thousands of requests for information."

"On this a request [for Trump’s returns] We were informed that there were different legal points of view and that is why he will probably be referred to "the courts," he said. And if the third branch of the government opposes congressional law, we would obviously provide the documents. "

Mnuchin last week rejected Neal's summons to appear, and Democrats should ask a court to order the Treasury to hand them over.

"Several months ago, I said that I thought the tax case would end up in court," Neal told reporters Wednesday. "I knew it from the first day, and that's why we were so careful when we followed the instructions of the Office of the Attorney General."

Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said the issue was also discussed at a meeting on Wednesday during which Democrats in the House called for the opening of an election. dismissal proceedings against Trump.

"We had another presentation from Richie Neal on what's happening on taxes," Pelosi told reporters. "It's very clear: it's the law of the land."

Aaron Lorenzo contributed to this report.