The Treasury Secretary, Mnuchin, about President Trump's tax returns: "We will follow the law"

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House Democrats on Thursday questioned Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about how he would handle a congressional request for the president's tax returns at a Capitol Hill budget hearing.

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The Democrats, led by the Ways and Means Committee and presiding over President Richard Neal, are carefully preparing to seek the president's personal return for ten years – and to carry out the expected legal battle in the coming weeks.

PHOTO: Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, is preparing to testify on the 2014 budget proposal of Presidents to the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC March 14, 2019. Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin prepares his testimony on "The President's Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2020" before the Ways and Means Committee of the Capitol Hill House of Representatives in Washington, DC, March 14, 2019 .

At Thursday's hearing, Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, asked Mnuchin, "Have you received instructions or advice of any kind on how to process tax return applications?" President Trump presented to Congress, and if so, from whom? "

"First of all, I did not receive the request. If you have the demand for me today, I'm happy to accept it, "replied Mnuchin. "I can not speculate on the request until I see it."

He added that he had discussed it with the Treasury's legal department.

"We will examine it and we will follow the law," Mnuchin said. "I do not know if there has ever been an application for a tax return for an elected official, but we will respect the law and protect the president in the same way that we would protect all taxpayers by virtue of their rights."

Before the hearing, Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Penn., Told ABC News: "It would be perfectly legitimate to ask him questions on any subject within his jurisdiction as Secretary of the Treasury. Is in fact a fundamental function of one of the main responsibilities of the Congress ".

The Secretary of the Treasury is required to "provide" upon written request information relating to personal income tax returns to the Presidents of the three congressional committees ", under a 1924 provision of the Federal Tax Code.

PHOTO: Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, is preparing to testify on the 2014 budget proposal of Presidents to the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC March 14, 2019. Jim Watson / AFP / Getty Images
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin prepares his testimony on "The President's Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2020" before the Ways and Means Committee of the Capitol Hill House of Representatives in Washington, DC, March 14, 2019 .

But the Trump administration is expected to fight the demand, and a spokesman for Mnuchin told ABC News that the secretary would "review any legality request with the prosecutors of the Treasury".

Mnuchin was also scheduled to appear before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday to discuss the president's budget request for 2020.

Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., The largest Democrat in this group, raised questions about the Treasury's decision to relax the sanctions imposed on companies related to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian oligarch linked to the Kremlin .

Democrats also want to put pressure on Mnuchin on the impact of the GOP tax bill, including tax refunds. They had previously asked for his testimony on the impact of the partial closure of the government on taxpayers.

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