Voice of America
20 Sep 2019, 03:35 GMT+10
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - A federal judge on Thursday handed President Donald Trump a victory in his effort to keep his financial information secret, siding with his campaign's effort to block a California law aimed at forcing him to release his tax returns.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Morrison England Jr. comes as the president faces multiple Democratic-led efforts to force him to reveal his returns. Also Thursday, Trump sued to block New York prosecutors from their push obtain the returns as part of a criminal investigation.
Trump has bucked decades of precedent by refusing to release them, arguing they are under audit.
England, an appointee of former Republican President George W. Bush, plans to issue a written ruling by Oct. 1, and California is expected to appeal.
The law signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in July says candidates for president must release five years of tax returns by November to run in the California primary, which is scheduled for March 2020.
Attorneys for Trump and the Republican Party argued the law violates the U.S. Constitution by adding an additional requirement to run for president. England also seemed open to their argument that a federal law requiring presidents to disclose financial information supersedes state law.
"I don't care how you skin the cat, it's an unconstitutional law," said Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer for the state and national Republican parties.
Democratic state lawmakers have argued that tax returns provide critical information for voters because they show a candidate's financial dealings, business interests and charitable giving.
Trump, California feud
The law is a part of a feud between California and the Trump administration. They have clashed over issues like immigration and environmental regulations, including the state's auto mileage standards that Trump said he's revoking because they are stricter than those issued by federal regulators.
Former Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, vetoed similar tax return legislation in 2017, arguing it would create a slippery slope of putting extra requirements on presidential candidates.
All the major Democratic presidential contenders have released their tax returns.
California's law also applies to candidates for governor.
Get a daily dose of New York Telegraph news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to New York Telegraph.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - Strong economic data jump-started U.S. stocks and the dollar Tuesday, a welcome reprieve after weeks of pressure...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: This week, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) dropped its lawsuit against PepsiCo, which had accused...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: New single-family home sales in the U.S. rose sharply in April to their highest level in over three years as builders...
VEVEY, Switzerland: Nestle is realigning its focus on its core food and beverage operations after expanding into areas like health...
DEARBORN, Michigan: Ford Motor Company has filed a lawsuit against several California lawyers and law firms, accusing them of cheating...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: U.S. drugmakers are charging significantly more for new treatments, particularly those targeting rare diseases,...
BOSTON, Massachusetts: U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has taken away Harvard University's right to enroll international...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: This week, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) dropped its lawsuit against PepsiCo, which had accused...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Passenger numbers at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey have dropped sharply, according to...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said this week that it will require airlines to reduce the number of flights...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Justice Department is investigating Andrew Cuomo, the former governor of New York and a top candidate for...
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly asked finance ministers not to mention the oil price cap in a joint statement US Treasury...