Appeal stops subpoena of Trump’s tax returns

U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on Monday rejected President Donald Trump’s challenge to the release of eight years’ worth of his tax returns to the Manhattan district attorney. But Trump’s attorneys immediately appealed the ruling, and the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay “pending expedited review” of the case.

Why does New York want the documents? Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. wants the tax returns for an investigation into the Trump Organization’s connection to hush money paid to two women who claimed to have affairs with Trump. Presidential immunity should protect the information, Trump’s lawyers said. They called the investigation politically motivated.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read my report in The Sift about the payments that helped spark the investigation.