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A2 u.s. news
Wednesday 4 december 2019

Court sides with Congress in battle for Trump's bank records

By LARRY NEUMEISTER issues, including whether
Associated Press Trump was "vulnerable to
NEW YORK (AP) — A fed- foreign exploitation."
eral appeals court in New It rejected arguments that
York handed President the subpoenas were meant
Donald Trump another le- merely to embarrass the
gal defeat, ruling Tuesday president, though the court
that Congress can see his said Trump did deserve
banking records for inves- some privacy protections
tigations into possible for- and outlined procedures
eign influence in U.S. poli- for protecting some sensi-
tics or other misdeeds. tive personal information in
A panel of 2nd U.S. Circuit the documents from pub-
Court of Appeals judges lic disclosure. It also gave
said two banks, Deutsche Trump a limited chance to
Bank and Capital One, object to disclosure of cer-
should comply with sub- tain documents.
poenas from the House Fi- Judge Debra Ann Livings-
nancial Services and Intelli- ton said in a partial dissent
gence committees seeking that the lower court should
records related to Trump's take a longer look at the
business ventures. "serious questions" raised by
The court said Congress the case and give the par-
was acting within its consti- ties time to negotiate. President Donald Trump meets French President Emmanuel Macron at Winfield House, Tuesday,
tutional authority to investi- Jay Sekulow, Trump's per- Dec. 3, 2019, in London.
gate a series of significant sonal lawyer, said in a Associated Press

statement that an appeal ble money laundering from adequately supports re-
to the Supreme Court was abroad. In a decision writ- quests for information to
under consideration. ten by Circuit Judge Jon determine whether proper
"We believe the subpoena O. Newman, the appeals banking procedures have
is invalid as issued. In light court said that while Trump been followed," the deci-
of the Second Circuit deci- and his children might suf- sion said.
sion, we are evaluating our fer a loss of privacy if the The ruling is likely to put sev-
next options," he said. documents were disclosed eral appeals over Trump's
The ruling by the appeals to Congress, the records financial records at the
court upheld a May rul- had to do with their busi- Supreme Court's door at
ing by U.S. District Judge ness ventures, not intimate once.
Edgardo Ramos, who had personal details. In mid-November, Trump's
said Trump and his compa- "The Committees' interests lawyers filed an emergen-
ny were unlikely to succeed in pursuing their constitu- cy appeal with the high
in proving that the subpoe- tional legislative function is court over a ruling in a
nas were unlawful and a far more significant pub- Washington, D.C., case in-
unconstitutional. The 2nd lic interest than whatever volving a subpoena from a
Circuit panel said three of public interest inheres in House committee for finan-
his children had not shown avoiding the risk of a Chief cial records held by Trump's
a likelihood of success on Executive's distraction aris- accountants.
any of their claims and had ing from disclosure of docu- And Trump's lawyers are
not identified a single fac- ments reflecting his private also counting on the Su-
tual issue to take to trial or a financial transactions," the preme Court to rule by next
single witness or document decision said. summer whether Manhat-
that might add substance Deutsche Bank has lent tan District Attorney Cyrus
to their claims at trial. Trump's real estate com- Vance Jr. can obtain
Lawyers for the House com- pany millions of dollars over Trump's tax returns since
mittees, both of which are the years. 2011 from his accountant
controlled by Democrats, The court noted that the as part of a wide-ranging
say they need access to president had not disputed criminal grand jury probe.
documents from the banks that the bank loaned him They argue that Trump can-
to investigate possible "for- at least $130 million when not be prosecuted or even
eign influence in the U.S. no other bank would do so. investigated for crimes
political process" and possi- "That unusual circumstance while he's president.q