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An attorney for President Trump said in a letter Friday that the democratic efforts to get the IRS to hand over the president's tax returns were an attempt to harass a political opponent and that this would create a "dangerous precedent" for the Agency returns them.
"For good reason, it would be a blatant abuse of power for the majority to use tax returns as a weapon to attack, harass and intimidate their political opponents. Once this Pandora's box has been opened, the resulting coup de grace will cause lasting damage to our country, "said William S. Consovoy in a letter to the Attorney General of the Treasury.
AOC REMINDS ITS TRUMP ON TWEET ABOUT THE TAX RETURN REQUEST: "WE HAVE NOT ASKED YOU"
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal, D-Mass., Formally asked the IRS Wednesday to provide six years of Trump's tax returns, the latest of his efforts to gain access to Trump's financial documents.
Neal requested Trump's personal and commercial statements for the 2013-18 period and set April 10 as the deadline. Democrats say this is part of their Congressional control mandate, but Republicans have opposed this unprecedented move that should herald a long legal battle.
Trump has repeatedly stated during the 2016 presidential campaign and his presidency that he could not make his tax returns public because he is currently under audit.
In his letter, Consovoy said that Neal "can not legally ask" because the tax code protects the privacy of taxpayers, with the exception of certain conditions – which, according to him, are not met.
"Even if Ways and Means had a legitimate committee purpose to request the president's tax returns and information, this goal does not result in President Neal's request," he wrote.
"His request is a transparent effort by a political party to harass a leader of the other party because they do not like his politics and his speech," he added. .
HOME MOVEMENTS MAKE EFFORTS TO OBTAIN TRUMP TAX RETURNS, "WILL TAKE ALL NECESSARY STEPS"
Consovoy also rejects Neal's assertion that the committee is seeking to assess how the IRS is auditing and enforcing the tax law against the president, asking him why he did not request any other presidential tax returns.
"Of course, the answer is that President Neal's request is not to review the IRS policy. It is to score political points against President Trump, "he said.
"If the IRS acquiesces to President Neal's request, it would create a dangerous precedent," he said.
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Journalists in California on Friday asked Trump if he had any comments on the letter: "I'm under audit, if you're under audit, you're not doing it," he said. .
During his testimony before Congress last month, Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin said he would "protect the president in the same way as any taxpayer" with respect to their right to privacy.
John Roberts, Fox News, and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
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