that program is conducted, whether or not they need to change any laws in order to make sure they re sort of a cohesive element to how they do that, they also want to look at whether or not the president personally benefited from the gop s tax law, and they argue that president trump has complained multiple times he wasn t in office, because he was constantly under audit. they want to look into that, they want to see how the ish looks into people s tax returns. not just for the president, but american taxpayers overall. that s what they re looking at. they need the president s tax returns to understand how the president is conducting business. they don t need a legislative purpose in order to use 6103 that they re using to get their hands on the president s tax returns, a very interesting and compelling case going-forward today. an escalation as they fight the trump administration for more information about trump s
and means committee chairman richard neal requested the president s tax returns. then he heard from the treasury department that they would not turn them over, so this is that filing in federal court asking for the president s tax returns. they are relying on a statute, 6103, an irs statute, little known from the 1920s-era law that essentially says that the house ways and means committee chairman and the senate finance chairman can request anyone tax information and the treasury secretary shall furnish it. the fact that the treasury secretary, steve mnuchin, hasn t done so is the reason for this court filing. so a couple of interesting points. in the court filing, it says, quote, in refusing to comply with the statute, the defendants have mounted an extraordinary attack on the authority of congress to obtain information needed to conduct oversight of the treasury, the irs and tax laws on behalf of the american people. this court case makes is that, - you know, the president has been
president s taxes. do you think the ruling helps your case? and the law has been on our side. statute 6103 was very clear and i think the reelyslease of that draft memo ethat says more than to follow through unless the president evokes executive privilege supports the fact that the law and the statute is on our side. the treasury secretary says the congress has no purpose. and confront would a leaked memo that said his treasury would legally have to comply with requests. i would comment the memo is marked draft. it was not final memo e. but i don t know how it got to the washington post. it would have been more interesting how it got to me or the commissioner to review. i have been advised i m not
manipulated his finances or taxes. and i think the american people want to go know that. the ways and means committee has subpoenaed the treasury department and the irs for the president s taxes. do you think the ruling helps your case? and the law has been on our side. statute 6103 was very clear and i think the release of that draft memo ethat says more than to follow through unless the president evokes executive privilege supports the fact that the law and the statute is on our side. the treasury secretary says refused to release the taxes. saying that the congress has no purpose. and confront would a leaked memo that said his treasury would legally have to comply with requests.
that the memo states that the law does not require that the ways and means committee finance chair or jct chief of staff include a reason or purpose for the request? again, i haven t again, let me just say the legal advice that we ve relied upon and, again, i understand there s three branches of government and when it comes to constitutional issues there could be different interpretations and that s why there is a third branch of government to interpret i m sorry, i m reclaiming my time. you are aware you are at least aware that the conclusion of that memo directly contradicts the conclusion that you re relying upon? i actually don t believe that. reporter: and the contents of that memo, of course, poppy, have been what chairman richard neal who has requested the president s tax return has been arguing all along, that 6103 the irs statute he s using is indisputable. that the treasury secretary has no right not to turn over six years of the president s personal and busines