Democrats issue subpoenas for Donald Trump's tax returns as battle with president intensifies

Democrats have issued subpoenas for six years of Donald Trump’s tax returns, as their quarrel with the president escalated.

As legislators on Capitol Hill said they were prepared to subpoena special counsel Robert Mueller to ensure he testified, they also sought to exert pressure on another of their priorities – getting a copy of the president tax returns.

Congressman Richard Neal, Democratic chair of the House of Representatives ways and means committee, issued the subpoenas for a half-dozen years of Mr Trump’s returns and gave tax treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and Internal Revenue Service commissioner Charles Rettig, a deadline of next Friday to deliver them.

Because of his position as chairman of the influential committee, Mr Neal did not need to issue the subpoenas and could have gone directly to court to seek a release of the documents.

However, reports said after speaking to lawyers, the congressman decided to issue the summonses in order to build the strongest case.

He did so just days after Mr Mnuchin refused to comply with demands to turn over Mr Trump’s returns. Mr Mnuchin told the panel he would not provide the president’s records because the panel’s request “lacks a legitimate legislative purpose”, as Supreme Court precedent requires.

Mr Neal reminded the two Trump appointees in a Friday on letter that federal law states that the IRS “shall furnish” the tax returns of any individual upon the request of the chairmen of Congress’ tax-writing committees and that his committee had “never been denied” a request.

Republicans say Mr Neal is using an arcane 1924 law that empowers him to obtain any individual’s tax filing to play politics with Mr Trump. Democrats also want to probe into Mr Trump’s business dealings, particularly his business relationships with foreigners.

“Your request is merely a means to access and make public the tax returns of a single individual for purely political purposes,” Republican congressman Kevin Brady said in a letter.

This week, the New York Times published some details of what it said were Mr Trump’s finances, showing he lost more than $1bn from 1985 to 1994. The newspaper said its reporting was based on printouts it acquired of the president’s official IRS tax transcripts, including figures from his federal tax form.

Mr Trump reported business losses of $46.1m in 1985, and a total of $1.17bn in losses for the 10-year period, it said.

Mr Trump has long said he was under audit and therefore could not release his taxes. In recent weeks, he has added to the argument, telling advisers that the American people elected him once without seeing his taxes and would do so again.