Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin denied House Democrats' request for six years of President Donald Trump's tax returns by Wednesday and has asked for more time to review the matter.
Mnuchin wrote in a letter Treasury would consult with the Justice Department to make sure all laws were followed in regards to their response and that he would oversee the process personally.
'The Committee requests the materials by April 10 but Treasury Department will not be able to complete its review of our request by that date,' he wrote to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal.
He offered no time frame of when the review would be completed.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin denied House Democrats' request for six years of President Donald Trump's tax returns by Wednesday
Mnuchin said Treasury needed more time to review the request for President Donald Trump's tax returns and he did not offer a time frame of when it may be completed
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal set Wednesday as the deadline for the IRS to hand over Trump's returns
Neal's request went to the Internal Revenue Service, which sits under the purview of Mnuchin and the Treasury Department.
The secretary's letter also contained several criticisms of the Democrats request.
‘The committee’s request raises serious issues concerning constitutional scope of Congressional investigation authority, the legitimacy of the asserted legislative purpose, and the constitutional rights of American citizens,’ he wrote.
He added that ‘the legal implications of this request could affect protections for all Americans against politically-motivated disclosures of personal information, regardless of which party is in power.’
Mnuchin noted given the ‘seriousness of these issues,’ the Treasury Department is consulting with the Justice Department ‘to ensure that our response is fully consistent with the law and the constitution.’
He concluded with: ‘I intend to supervise the Department’s review of the Committee’s request to ensure that taxpayer protections and applicable laws are scrupulously observed, consistent with my statutory responsibilities. The Department respects Congressional oversight and we intend to review your request carefully.’
President Trump said Wednesday he would 'love' to release his tax returns – but won't do so because he was under an audit, returning to an argument he has made throughout his presidency.
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President Donald Trump said Wednesday he won't give up his tax returns 'while I'm under audit'
A new poll shows that the majority of Americans support Trump turning over his tax returns to Congress
The president made the defiant statement on a day Neal had set as the deadline for the IRS to turn over six years of Trump's tax returns – setting off a likely legal struggle.
Trump's refusal comes as a new Morning Consult/Politico poll found that a majority of American voters, 51 per cent, support the push for Trump to turn over his tax returns to Congress.
Trump was asked about a law allowing the heads of key congressional committees to gain access to any U.S. return.
'There is no law. As you know, I got elected last time with this same issue,' he said, pointing to repeated calls for him to release his returns during the 2016 election.
'And while I'm under audit, I won't do it. If I'm not under audit I would do
