NYT: Manhattan prosecutors subpoena Trump tax returns

Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has subpoenaed 8 years of President Trump's "personal and corporate tax returns" as part of its investigation into hush money payments made to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election, the New York Times reports.

The big picture: A federal investigation into the payments resulted in Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen pleading guilty to campaign finance violations, and it "effectively concluded" in July with no further charges. Vance's office opened a new investigation last month into whether the Trump Organization falsely listed its reimbursement of Cohen for the $130,000 payment to Daniels as a legal expense, which would be illegal under New York law.

  • Per the Times, it's unclear whether the subpoena for 8 years of Trump's tax returns indicates that Vance's investigation has expanded into conduct unrelated to the 2016 election.
  • House Democrats have also subpoenaed Trump's tax returns and are currently engaged in a court battle with Mazars USA, the same accounting firm subpoenaed by Vance's office.
  • Their lawsuit, which was filed by the House Ways and Means Committee after Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin defied a subpoena for Trump's tax returns in May, is likely to end up in front of the Supreme Court.

Additional Stories

House Democrats subpoena White House in impeachment inquiry

Mick Mulvaney. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

House committees leading the impeachment inquiry against President Trump subpoenaed acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney on Friday.

The big picture: This comes after nearly a month of White House refusals to comply with House investigations into whether Trump jeopardized national security by pressing Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, and by withholding security assistance provided by Congress to help Ukraine, per the subpoena. The committees are demanding documents by Oct. 18.

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Ron Johnson says Sondland told him of possible Ukraine quid pro quo

Sen. Ron Johnson. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Sen. Ron Johnson (R.-Wis.) told the Wall Street Journal that he learned of a possible quid pro quo between the Trump administration and Ukraine's government from EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland.

The big picture: Johnson said that he pressed President Trump on the issue, which allegedly linked the distribution of $400 million in U.S. military aid with a Ukrainian investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden, in an Aug. 31 phone call. "He said ... 'No way. I would never do that. Who told you that?'" Johnson told the Journal of his conversation with the president.

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