Former President Donald Trump filed an emergency request with the U.S. Supreme Court Monday, seeking to prevent a congressional committee from obtaining six years of his personal and business tax returns.
The filing represents Trump's latest attempt to block the House Ways and Means Committee from examining financial records he has fought to keep private since 2019.
The request comes after a federal appeals court rejected Trump's efforts to prevent the Treasury Department from turning over the documents.
Years of Legal Battles Over Tax Records
House Democrats first requested Trump's tax returns in 2019, citing their responsibility to oversee the Internal Revenue Service and examine how the agency audits sitting presidents.
Trump's administration refused to comply, setting off a lengthy legal battle.
Unlike previous presidents, Trump declined to voluntarily release his tax returns while running for office or serving in the White House.
Federal courts have repeatedly ruled that the committee established a legitimate legislative purpose for requesting the records.
Last week, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit declined to reconsider an earlier ruling allowing the committee to obtain them.
Trump Claims Congress Is Targeting Him Politically
In Monday's emergency filing, Trump's attorneys argued that congressional Democrats are attempting to expose his private financial information rather than conduct legitimate oversight.
His legal team warned that allowing the records to be released could undermine the constitutional separation of powers and establish a precedent affecting future presidents.
Democrats maintain that examining Trump's returns is necessary to evaluate the IRS's presidential audit procedures and determine whether additional safeguards are needed.
The dispute also concerns a federal law authorizing certain congressional tax committees to request confidential taxpayer information from the Treasury Department.
Supreme Court Faces Another Trump Appeal
Trump is asking the Supreme Court to intervene before the Treasury Department provides the records to Congress, potentially as early as Thursday.
The request places another dispute involving Trump's financial secrecy before the nation's highest court.
With the November 8 midterm elections approaching, the outcome could also affect whether the Democratic-controlled committee obtains the documents before a new Congress takes office.
For now, Trump's financial records remain at the center of a legal fight over congressional oversight, presidential accountability, and the limits of executive privacy.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on Monday's emergency request.