Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Sign up for Axios Pro Rata
Dive into the world of dealmakers across VC, PE and M&A with Axios Pro Rata. Delivered daily to your inbox by Dan Primack and Kia Kokalitcheva.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Austin news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Austin newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Atlanta news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Atlanta newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Philadelphia news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Philadelphia newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Chicago news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Chicago newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
Want a daily digest of the top DC news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios DC newsletter.
Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
President Trump on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the House Ways and Means Committee, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York tax commissioner Michael Schmidt in an effort to block them from releasing his state tax returns.
The big picture: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo last month signed a bill known as the TRUST Act that would permit tax officials to turn over Trump's state tax returns to any one of three congressional committees. Trump's lawsuit alleges that the House Ways and Means Committee's invocation of the TRUST Act would "lack a legitimate legislative purpose" and that the law itself violates the First Amendment because the state of New York "enacted it to discriminate and retaliate against President Trump for his speech and politics."
Details: Trump claims that House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal was initially reluctant to use the TRUST Act because the state tax returns have nothing to do with the reason he gave for requesting the president's federal returns: "investigating the mandatory presidential audit program at the IRS to determine whether or not the program needs to be codified into federal law."
- The lawsuit adds that — under pressure from House Democrats — Neal has recently changed his tune and no longer opposes using the TRUST Act. If Neal were to invoke the law, Trump claims that it would prove he is "trying to expose the president's financial information for political gain, not to study the IRS's audit procedures."
- The lawsuit states that the speed with which Neal could invoke the law and immediately obtain Trump's state tax returns is what prompted Trump to file the lawsuit.
- Trump is demanding a permanent injunction to block the committee, the New York attorney general and the New York tax commissioner from exercising the law. He is also seeking declaratory judgments that the committee "lacks a legitimate legislative purpose" to obtain his state tax returns and that the TRUST Act violates the First Amendment.
Read the full lawsuit: