Judge denies Trump’s attempt to block subpoenas

WASHINGTON—A second federal judge on Wednesday ruled against President Donald Trump’s efforts to block House Democrats from accessing his financial records. U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos in New York declined to issue a preliminary injunction against House Intelligence and Financial Services committees’ subpoenas requesting documents from Deutsche Bank and Capital One. Lawyers for the committees argued they needed the president’s documents to determine whether he had inappropriate financial ties related to “foreign influence in the U.S. political process.” Trump’s legal team claimed the requests lacked a “legitimate legislative purpose.”

Ramos ruled that the subpoenas, though broad, “are clearly pertinent.” Trump’s lawyers have the option to fight Ramos’ ruling rather than hand over years of information about the president, his businesses, and his family members, and Ramos gave them a week to decide.

On Tuesday, Trump’s legal team appealed a separate ruling that the Mazars USA accounting firm must comply with a congressional subpoena.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in New York passed two bills Wednesday that obligate the state to hand over Trump’s state tax returns if congressional committees requested them for any “legitimate legislative purpose.” Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, is expected to sign the measures into law. New York is the president’s home state and where his business interests are headquartered.