Page 4 - aruba-today-20221123

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 23 november 2022
Supreme Court OKs handover of Trump tax returns to Congress

By MARK SHERMAN from providing the tax re-
Associated Press turns would leave lawmak-
WASHINGTON (AP) — The ers "little or no time to com-
Supreme Court on Tuesday plete their legislative work
cleared the way for the im- during this Congress, which
minent handover of former is quickly approaching its
President Donald Trump's end."
tax returns to a congres- Had Trump persuaded the
sional committee after a nation's highest court to in-
three-year legal fight. tervene, he could have run
The court, with no noted out the clock on the com-
dissents, rejected Trump's mittee, with Republicans
plea for an order that ready to take control of the
would have prevented the House in January. They al-
Treasury Department from most certainly would have
giving six years of tax re- dropped the records re-
turns for Trump and some of quest if the issue had not
his businesses to the Dem- been resolved by then.
ocratic-controlled House The House Ways and
Ways and Means Commit- Means panel first requested
tee. Trump's tax returns in 2019
Alone among recent presi- as part of an investigation
dents, Trump refused to re- into the Internal Revenue
lease his tax returns either Former President Donald Trump smiles toward guests, as he arrives to speak at an event at Mar-a- Service's audit program
during his successful 2016 Lago, Nov. 18, 2022, in Palm Beach, Fla. Associated Press and tax law compliance
campaign or his four years by the former president. A
in the White House, citing federal law says the Inter-
what he said was an on- documents to the House Lower courts agreed that Just over three weeks later, nal Revenue Service "shall
going audit by the IRS. Last committee investigating the committee has broad the court lifted Roberts' or- furnish" the returns of any
week, Trump announced the Jan. 6 insurrection at authority to obtain tax re- der without comment. taxpayer to a handful of
he would run again in 2024. the Capitol. Justice Clar- turns and rejected Trump's Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., top lawmakers.
It was the former president's ence Thomas was the only claims that it was overstep- the committee chairman The Justice Department
second loss at the Supreme vote in Trump's favor. ping and only wanted the until the next Congress be- under the Trump admin-
Court in as many months, In the dispute over his tax documents so they could gins in January, said in a istration had defended a
and third this year. In Oc- returns, the Treasury De- be made public. statement that his commit- decision by then-Treasury
tober, the court refused to partment had refused to Chief Justice John Rob- tee "will now conduct the Secretary Steven Mnuchin
step into the legal fight sur- provide the records during erts imposed a temporary oversight that we've sought to withhold the tax returns
rounding the FBI search of Trump's presidency. But the freeze on Nov. 1 to allow for the last three and a half from Congress. Mnuchin
Trump's Florida estate that Biden administration said the court to weigh the le- years." argued that he could with-
turned up classified docu- federal law is clear that the gal issues raised by Trump's The Trump campaign did hold the documents be-
ments. committee has the right lawyers and the counter not immediately respond cause he concluded they
In January, the court re- to examine any taxpayer's arguments of the admin- to a request for comment. were being sought by
fused to stop the National return, including the presi- istration and the House of The House contended an Democrats for partisan rea-
Archives from turning over dent's. Representatives. order preventing the IRS sons. A lawsuit ensued.q

TV meteorologist, pilot die in N Carolina

helicopter crash

snarled traffic along Inter- ing on the crash identified lives," Johnny Jennings,
state 77 in the Charlotte their colleagues through chief of the Charlotte-
area after its southbound cracked voices on air Mecklenburg Police De-
lanes were closed by inves- about three hours following partment, told reporters.
tigators, but no vehicles on the deadly crash. "And if that is truly the case,
the ground were involved. "We are working to comfort then that pilot is a hero in
Two people were on board their families in this difficult my eyes to make sure that
the Robinson R44 helicop- time. We appreciate the the safety and security of
ter, which crashed around outpouring of support for those that were driving was
12:20 p.m. local time, ac- our staff and your contin- not in jeopardy," Jennings
In this image take with a drone, emergency personnel work at cording to a statement ued prayers for their fami- said.
the scene of a helicopter crash on the side of Interstate 77 South from the Federal Avia- lies," the station said in a The chief added: "We're
in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022. tion Administration. The statement. looking at going into the
Associated Press Mecklenburg County EMS Police said that no ve- holiday season where we're
By BEN FINLEY highway in the Charlotte Agency said the two were hicles on the ground were supposed to be spending
Associated Press area, according to authori- pronounced dead at the involved in the crash. Pre- time with our loved ones.
A helicopter pilot and a ties and the station. scene. liminary witness accounts And tragically, there are
meteorologist who worked Meteorologist Jason Myers The station paid tribute to indicate that the pilot two people involved in this
for a North Carolina televi- and pilot Chip Tayag were Myers and Tayag both in a made some "diversionary" crash that will not be go-
sion station died Tuesday identified as the people written statement and on maneuvers and "tried to ing home and will not be
when a news helicopter killed in the crash in a state- the air. WBTV broadcast- avoid injuring anyone else" spending the holidays with
crashed along an interstate ment by WBTV. The crash ers who had been report- and "probably saved some their family."q