WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Tuesday dismissed a bid by former President Donald Trump to keep his tax returns from a House of Representatives committee.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden said in his ruling that Trump was “wrong on the law” in seeking to block the House Ways and Means Committee from obtaining his tax returns.
McFadden, who also said it was within the power of the committee’s chairman to publish the returns if he saw fit, put his ruling on hold for 14 days, allowing time for an appeal.
Trump was the first president in 40 years not to release his tax returns as he aimed to keep secret the details of his wealth and the activities of his family company, the Trump Organization.
The committee sued in 2019 to force disclosure of the tax returns, and the dispute lingers nearly 11 months after Trump left office.
(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Peter Cooney)