Trump’s Attempt To Hide Financial Records Goes To Court Run By Merrick Garland

Merrick Garland Image by Getty Images

By Alyssa Fisher May 21, 2019

President Trump’s legal efforts to keep his financial records sealed will go to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals — where the chief judge is Merrick Garland, HuffPost explained Monday.

A federal judge ruled on Monday in favor of the House Oversight and Reform Committee’s subpoena of president’s records from an accounting firm, Politico reported. Trump attorney Jay Sekulow promised they would appeal – leaving the case in a court system run by Garland.

Garland was President Obama’s nominee for Supreme Court justice in 2016, after Justice Antonin Scalia’s sudden death, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell never gave him a vote, citing the upcoming presidential election. Trump won and nominated Neil Gorsuch, who now sits on the bench.

It’s possible Garland won’t hear the appeal, as cases are heard by three randomly assigned judges, according to HuffPost. In some cases, though, the full court could still be called on.

The news was greeted with humor on Twitter:

When Republicans thought they had seen the last of Merrick Garland but he heads up the court that’s hearing Trump’s tax appeal. pic.twitter.com/vcHwKgmLYK

— Adam Best (@adamcbest) May 21, 2019

I wish I could say revenge is a dish best served cold, but Merrick Garland is a consummate legal professional who I’m sure will do everything possible to avoid the appearance of any bias.

Which, you know, would have been a great reason to have him on the Supreme Court. https://t.co/o9M0mLkh0K

— Zev Karlin-Neumann (@zkarlinn) May 21, 2019

Alyssa Fisher is a writer at the Forward. Email her at fisher@forward.com, or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

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