WASHINGTON _ House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal announced Friday he had issued subpoenas to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig to provide President Donald Trump's tax returns.
Neal first asked for six years of Trump's tax returns and six years of returns from eight of the president's businesses in an April 3 letter to IRS Commission Charles Rettig. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who oversees the IRS, responded that he was considering the request while making arguments as to why Neal was not entitled to the documents.
Neal rejected those arguments in an April 13 letter, and on May 6, Mnuchin formally rejected the Massachusetts Democrat's request.
Neal made his request under Section 6103 of the tax code, which states that upon "written request" from the chairman of either of the two tax-writing committees, "the Secretary shall furnish such committee with any return or return information specified" in the request.
Neal and legal experts have predicted the issue could entail a lengthy court battle.
