Supreme Court requests briefs on political question doctrine for Trump’s tax cases News
© WikiMedia (White House)
Supreme Court requests briefs on political question doctrine for Trump’s tax cases

The US Supreme Court on Monday requested briefings from attorneys working two separate cases regarding efforts to secure President Donald Trump’s tax records. The court asked for briefings explaining whether the cases raise the political question doctrine, which states that courts should not hear cases that are political problems. Based on temporary stays from the Supreme Court to the subpoena orders, Trump’s tax information has yet to be disclosed.

The cases, Trump v. Mazars USA and Trump v. Deutsche Bank AG, were combined to be heard before the Supreme Court to settle the question of whether Trump’s personal information could be secured through subpoenas. They were both granted certiorari in 2019. Trump v. Mazars was last heard before the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and it arose when the House Committee on Oversight and Reform issued a subpoena in April 2019 to Mazars USA, LLP, which is one of Trump’s personal accounting firms. The subpoena requested eight years of financial information about Trump and his businesses.

Trump v. Deutsche Bank AG was heard before the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. This case originated from other subpoenas issued in April 2019 to banks such as Deutsche Bank AG requesting financial information about Trump, his businesses and his some of his family members.

Both courts of appeals ruled that the subpoenas were permissible. The cases will be argued before the Supreme Court in two weeks.