Supreme Court stays House subpoena for Trump financial records

The Supreme Court on Monday granted President Trump’s request to temporarily stay a subpoena for his financial records from the House Oversight and Reform Committee while the court considers whether to take up his appeal in the case.

Trump filed an emergency request on Nov. 15 to the Supreme Court asking the justices to block a subpoena from House Democrats after a lower court said his accounting firm must turn over his financial documents.

The justices gave Trump until noon on Dec. 5 to file a formal petition to the court.

The case arose after Democrats subpoenaed Trump’s accounting firm, Mazars USA, in April for years of Trump’s personal and corporate financial records.

Democrats said the information would help them determine if updates were needed to current ethics-in-government laws.

Trump challenged the subpoena, arguing the lawmakers lacked a legitimate legislative purpose.

A federal district court judge sided with the Oversight and Reform Committee, as did the D.C. Circuit on appeal.

The case involving the House subpoena is not the only fight over Trump’s financial records before the Supreme Court. The justices are also weighing whether to take up Trump’s appeal in a separate lawsuit to prevent Manhattan prosecutors from obtaining eight years of his financial records and tax returns in a grand jury investigation.

Trump’s appeals to the high court have set the stage for potentially groundbreaking rulings over the separation of powers, Congress’s oversight authority and the president’s immunity from prosecution.

Updated at 6:54 p.m.