Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin dueled with Democratic House members Tuesday attempting to get President Donald Trump to release his tax returns. Mnuchin said the White House has been in touch with Treasury over the issue but did not disclose what the decision might be about releasing the president's long-sought filings. Democrats have issued a letter seeking six years of returns. Trump refused to release the returns during the 2016 presidential campaign and has retained that stance since winning. The president had said that he would release his returns after they were done being audited, although there is nothing legally in the way of him releasing them. The House Democrats' letter "is being reviewed by the legal departments and we look forward to responding to the letter," Mnuchin said. "I have not had any conversations with anybody in the White House about this issue personally," he later added. "I want to be specific. That relates to me and not everybody at Treasury." The issue of whether the White House and Treasury have been in contact is relevant due to precedent that separates the two entities to prevent undue influence. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., questioned whether Mnuchin or Treasury should be making that decision, which he suggested belongs in the hands of IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. Mnuchin countered that he oversees Rettig, although he did not indicate whom he felt should have final say. The hearing between Mnuchin and members of an appropriations subcommittee turned contentious several times. Near the end of a hearing that lasted more than an hour, Mnuchin noted that Trump was still elected even though he refused to release his returns during the campaign. Tweet Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga., called the tax return requests a "political stunt by the new majority."<doc-sep>He told lawmakers Tuesday that the decision over whether to release Trump’s tax returns was his, but also that it was one to make “with the supervision of Treasury,” noting that the IRS is a part of the Treasury Department. Rettig said he has discussed Neal’s request with Mnuchin, but he added that Mnuchin did not order him to reject the request or tell him how to handle the returns.<doc-sep>Dana Bash: This is so telling about where the Republican party is NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 24: Trump Tower stands on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on August 24, 2018 in New York City. Following new allegations over hush money that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid to an adult-film actress, the Manhattan district attorneyÕs office in New York City may seek criminal charges against the Trump Organization in the coming days. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Why GOP is standing in the way of Capitol riot investigation WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 08: US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-VA) remarks on the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the US Capitol November 8, 2006 in Washington, DC. Warner said he supports President George W. Bush's nomination of former CIA Director Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense. Warner said he anticipates Gates' confirmation before the end of the year. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), joined by Senate Assistant Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (L) and Senate Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), speaks following a Senate Republican Policy luncheon at the Russell Senate Office Building on May 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump says he will not release taxes while under audit (CNN) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin informed Congress early Wednesday evening that his department would be unable to comply with House Democrats’ deadline for President Donald Trump’s tax returns, inserting himself into what is sure to be a pitched battle for the closely held documents. In a letter Wednesday to House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, Mnuchin said that “the Treasury Department will not be able to complete its review” by Wednesday’s deadline Democrats had given Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig to turn over six years of Trump’s personal and business tax returns. Highlighting what he called the “unprecedented nature of this request,” Mnuchin said that he would be overseeing the Treasury’s handling of the request and that the Department of Justice was being consulted “to ensure that our response is fully consistent with the law and Constitution.” Mnuchin’s decision to involve himself and the Justice Department in processing the returns suggests that he does not feel compelled to stick to a deadline, making for a prolonged and politicized process. Congressional Democrats believe the law clearly allows them to ask for the information in this way, with Rettig acknowledging in a hearing earlier Wednesday that requests are typically handled by the IRS commissioner. Mnuchin stressed in the letter that his and the Justice Department’s involvement was to protect all American taxpayers from the potential implications of the request. “The Committee’s request raises serious issues concerning the constitutional scope of Congressional investigative authority, the legitimacy of the asserted legislative purpose, and the constitutional rights of American citizens,” he wrote. “The legal implications of this request could affect protections for all Americans against politically-motivated disclosures of personal tax information, regardless of which party is in power.” Neal said Wednesday that he would discuss the proper response with counsel since the Treasury Department “has decided not to allow the IRS to comply with my request by the April 10 deadline.” The top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, on Wednesday called Mnuchin’s involvement “a sign of political interference,” adding that “if Secretary Mnuchin does not provide the president’s tax returns, he will break the law.” Mnuchin’s letter follows the directive in a letter from Trump’s attorney William Consovoy asking the Treasury Department to “refrain from divulging the requested information until it receives a formal legal opinion from” the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. Democrats anticipate lengthy battle A week after Neal made his formal request for Trump’s tax information, including information on eight of the President’s business entities, Democrats are fully anticipating a drawn-out political and legal showdown as the administration digs in and Democrats prepare to go to court. “They want to rig this thing. They’ve already started to do that,” Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from New Jersey, told CNN. “Their excuses for not giving them up are the most hypocritical I have ever heard of any subject in the Congress, and I’ve been here 22 years. … They’re trying to rig it? Good. We’re ready for you.” Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee huddled Tuesday afternoon to discuss potential next moves and to talk about other issues before their committee. Neal said Tuesday that he plans to send a follow-up request for the information in writing before taking more drastic steps. There are still questions about whether the committee would issue a subpoena on top of the request or if the request would be grounds enough to trigger a fight in court if the IRS didn’t comply. Earlier Wednesday, Mnuchin said he was consulting with the Justice Department on Neal’s request. “We need to make sure that the IRS and the individual taxpayer info does not become subject to political wills,” said Mnuchin on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund. “I take the obligation very seriously to make sure we follow the law correctly.” When asked by CNN if he had spoken Rettig in recent days, Mnuchin said, “I speak to the IRS commissioner regularly. It’s my job to supervise the IRS. I’m not going to comment on specific conversations that we’ve had together.” Democrats are relying on a 1920s-era law that has never been challenged in court before. The IRS statute, known as 6103, says three people on Capitol Hill – the Senate Finance Committee chairman, the head of the Joint Committee on Taxation and the chairman of House Ways and Means Committee – can ask for any individual’s tax information for legislative purposes and the secretary of the treasury “shall furnish” the request. It’s a provision that’s been employed before and is typically used for research purposes by the Joint Committee on Taxation. But asking for the president’s tax returns is uncharted territory, a fact that the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee was cognizant of as he was waiting to make the request. “We wanted to make sure that the case we constructed was one that stood up under the critical scrutiny of the courts,” Neal told CNN last week. Allies of the President have argued that the Democrats have no right to see his returns. Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday that Democrats would never see them and the American public had already settled the politics of it when they elected Trump. “They knew they were not going to get these taxes,” Mulvaney said of Democrats. “That is not going to happen, and they know it. This is a political stunt by my former colleagues.” During a tense exchange before the Financial Services Committee on Tuesday afternoon, Mnuchin wouldn’t commit to what precisely the Treasury Department would do next. Asked if he would comply, Mnuchin said he would “comply with the law” but stopped short of saying he would commit to handing over the returns. Democratic Rep. Nydia Velázquez of New York shot back, “And the law says – upon a written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, the chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Senate or the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation, the secretary shall furnish. So that’s the law. “ Mnuchin responded, “Again, I just want to be very clear. … I have said that I will comply with the law. I have not made a comment one way or another whether we would supply the tax returns. I want to be very clear on that. We have said we will comply with the law.” No matter what comes next, Democrats say they are ready for the fight. “Let ‘em try it,” Pascrell said. “We’re ready. We’re ready. I am smacking my lips on this one, and America should be also.” This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday. CNN’s Donna Borak, Gregory Wallace and Donna Borak contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven MnuchinDemocrats justified in filibustering GOP, says Schumer Yellen provides signature for paper currency Biden's name will not appear on stimulus checks, White House says MORE on Wednesday said it is "appropriate" for department lawyers to discuss a Democratic request for President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE's tax returns with the White House counsel, and that Treasury will also consult with the Justice Department on the topic. "This isn't just about the president's return," Mnuchin said on CNBC. "This is really about the issue of protecting American taxpayers and make sure that we enforce the laws correctly." ADVERTISEMENT "As I've said, we will follow the law," he added. "But this is a very important issue. This isn't just about the president and congressional oversight." House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal Richard Edmund NealLabor secretary faces questions from Democrats in police chief controversy Senators express bipartisan interest in reviving infrastructure financing tool Democrats renew push for permanent child credit expansion MORE (D-Mass.) last week requested that the IRS provide six years of Trump's personal and business tax returns. He asked the agency to provide the returns to the committee by Wednesday. Democrats have long sought to get at the tax returns for Trump, who in 2016 became the first major-party presidential nominee in decades to refuse to release them. “I would love to give them, but I’m not going to do it while I’m under audit,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. The IRS has said that audits in no way prevent taxpayers from disclosing their tax data publicly. As head of the agency that includes the IRS, Mnuchin is being closely watched to see how the administration responds to the request. During hearings on Tuesday, Mnuchin said that department lawyers had discussions with White House lawyers about the tax-returns issue before Neal formally sent his request. He also said that he has not personally discussed the topic with anyone in the White House. Mnuchin on CNBC defended the White House-Treasury communications. "I don't know why this should be big news at all, and I went out of my way of being clear, although that I had not had any discussions, I wanted to be very clear," he said. He called the tax return matter a "significant legal issue" and said that Treasury isn't taking direction from the White House.