The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday morning that tax and financial records of Donald Trump and the Trump Organization must be turned over to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. The accounting firm Mazars, USA, had been subpoenaed to provide the tax returns and financial records form 2011 to 2018 to Vance, whose office has been investigating Trump and the Trump Organization.
In reaction, Vance issued a three-word statement: “The work continues.“
Monday afternoon, both Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr. issued statements sharply critical of the court. On Twitter, Trump Jr. said, “So the Supreme Court will allow the political persecution for Donald Trump by vindictive partisan democrats to continue. If they can keep a witch hunt against Trump going for years who cant (sic) they and more importantly who won’t they do it to??? My thoughts!”
Trump, in a statement issued by a spokesperson, characterized Vance’s investigation as continuing political persecution and added, “the Supreme Court should have never let this ‘fishing expedition’ happen, but they did.”
Trump’s lawyers had been asking the Supreme Court to a block subpoena that would require turning over the materials so they can be reviewed by a New York grand jury. They were appealing a ruling by a lower court judge that the documents needed to be produced. The Supreme Court’s order requiring that the documents be produced did not make note of any of the justices having dissented.
Trump’s lawyers had argued that the subpoena was overly broad and politically motivated.
In addition to company and personal financial dealings, Vance’s office has been reported to be looking into the payment of hush money to silence at least two women regarding their sexual relations with Trump.
There also have been recent reports that Vance expanded the investigation of Trump to include the 230-acre Westchester property Seven Springs estate. New York Attorney General Letitia James has been conducting a separate investigation that includes matters surrounding that property.
While not disclosing details as to precisely what its investigators were probing, Vance’s office has revealed that it was looking into what it described as protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer, has testified and said in numerous interviews that the organization inflated the value of Trump’s properties when seeking bank loans and insurance coverage while at the same time putting lower values on the properties for tax purposes. Cohen also admitted to having been involved in the hush money payoffs.
In a message on Twitter this morning, Cohen said, “The Supreme Court has now proclaimed that no one is above the law. Trump will, for the first time, have to take responsibility for his own dirty deeds.”
