Inside House Dems' move to seize Trump's tax returns
The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee had been quietly working behind the scenes for weeks to prepare the request.
By AARON LORENZO and HEATHER CAYGLE
04/04/2019 12:51 PM EDT
Updated 04/04/2019 07:09 PM EDT
Richard Neal is doing things his own way.
The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has for months rebuffed calls from his liberal colleagues to demand President Donald Trump’s tax returns. And when Neal finally made the request — having it delivered in a letter handed off to the IRS commissioner late Wednesday — hardly anyone knew about it much ahead of time, even Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The move was typical of Neal — subtle, without fanfare and on his own timeline – and shows how the Massachusetts Democrat has approached his job as a powerful chairman in the Trump era. Whereas other high-profile committee heads charged with oversight of the administration seem to relish fighting Trump, Neal has taken a much more muted approach.
“There was pressure, don’t get me wrong,†said Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), a Neal ally on Ways and Means. “There was several on our committee that wanted it, you know, yesterday and I appreciate their point of view. But I think he was right to not throw caution to the wind.â€
Now Neal is prepared to issue a subpoena for Trump's tax returns if the administration refuses to fork them over, the latest escalation of Democrats’ multi-front investigation into the president.
The potential subpoena — which multiple aides confirmed to POLITICO — aligns with the combative posture Democrats have taken towards the Trump administration in the early months of their majority. But Neal wouldn’t elaborate on the possibility during an interview Thursday.
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https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/04/democrats-trump-tax-returns-1321840