In fight for Trump's tax returns, DA's office tells his lawyers to 'bring it on'
Trump isn't entitled to drag out his challenge to a subpoena, the office says.
After the Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s claim of broad immunity from a Manhattan grand jury subpoena for his tax returns, Trump's legal team is coming up with new ways to challenge it.
During a telephonic hearing Thursday, Assistant DA Carey Dunne said, "Our office’s position is 'bring it on.'"
The Manhattan DA sought the president’s tax records as he investigates hush payments to women who alleged long-denied extramarital affairs with Trump.
A federal judge in New York is now considering whether the subpoena was properly tailored or overbroad and whether it was motivated by a desire to harass or otherwise issued in bad faith.
"This is not a properly tailored subpoena," said the president’s attorney Will Consovoy on Thursday.
Protracted litigation over the subpoena could keep the tax records private through the election or through the time the statute of limitations would expire.
"What the president’s lawyers are seeking here is a delay," said Dunne. "There is nothing new here."
Consovoy told the judge the president hasn’t decided which specific arguments he intends to pursue as he fights the attempt to get him to relinquish his financial records.
The Manhattan DA’s office pushed for an expedited review and argued the president is not entitled to drag out his challenge to the subpoena.
"There is no special heightened standard just because he is the president," Dunne said.
The DA’s office also questioned whether Mr. Trump has standing to challenge a subpoena served on his accounting firm now that the Supreme Court turned down his immunity claim.
Written submissions are due later this month.