Trump goes to the Supreme Court again in the dispute over tax returns

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US President Donald Trump

Photo: Brendan Smialowski / AFP

US President Donald Trump has gone to the Supreme Court again in the dispute over his withheld tax returns.

In an urgent motion, Trump's lawyers called on the Supreme Court to block the transfer of financial records to Manhattan's Attorney Cyrus Vance.

Otherwise the president is threatened with "irreparable damage".

Prosecutor Vance wants to see Trump's tax returns from 2011 to 2018, among other things.

He is investigating hush money payments to the porn actress Stormy Daniels and another woman who say they had affairs with Trump years ago.

The investigation was subsequently expanded: on possible banking and insurance fraud by the Trump Organization.

The president's business empire is bundled in it.

This is the second time the Supreme Court has dealt with the handover of Trump's financial records.

In July he ruled that the president did not enjoy "absolute immunity" and could therefore not refuse to hand over evidence to the judiciary.

The President's lawyers subsequently argued that eight-year tax records were too broad a requirement.

This amounts to political harassment of the president.

With this argument, Trump failed in the first and second instance.

His lawyers therefore filed an urgent application to the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

At the same time, they are preparing a more comprehensive appeal application.

Trump paid no federal income tax for years

Even if Trump loses the case, his tax return will be presented to Vance, but will likely not be made public.

Conservative judges are currently in the majority at the Supreme Court.

This should soon be expanded with the confirmation of Trump-nominated constitutional judge Amy Coney Barrett.

Trump is the first president since Richard Nixon to refuse to disclose his tax returns.

This leads to speculation as to whether the real estate entrepreneur has something to hide.

The "New York Times" caused a stir at the end of September with revelations about Trump's tax and financial practices.

Accordingly, Trump paid no federal income tax in eleven of the 18 years between 2000 and 2017 - and only $ 750 each in 2016 and 2017.

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