The 3-0 decision by the D.C. Court of Appeals is a blow to Trump, who has for years argued in court against releasing his tax returns to any investigators. A trial judge appointed by him as president previously rejected his arguments in the case.
But Trump can still appeal, making it unlikely that the litigation will end at this point. The court said the ruling would not be issued for seven days, giving Trump time to appeal. That litigation is separate from the House Select Committee’s investigation into the January 6 riot.
The majority opinion, written by District Judge David Sentell, said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal’s request for the records was within the scope of his committee’s investigation, and the court also rejected Trump’s argument that the request had motive for revenge, which makes it void.
Neal requested the returns under a law that allows disclosure of an individual’s tax returns to the commission, a request that the Trump administration has denied.
The appeals court on Tuesday said Trump did not prevail in his argument that, as a former president, his tapes should not be released.
“In this case, the need for the Trump countries’ information to inform potential legislation outweighs the burden on the executive in large part because that burden is so weak,” Sentell, a Reagan appointee, wrote in the opinion.
Judges Karen Henderson, a George HW Bush appointee, and Robert Wilkins, an Obama appointee, also agreed with the ruling, though Henderson wrote that he believed there should be more scrutiny over a request like this one that would have consequences for the presidency.
The lawsuit stems from a lawsuit Neal filed in 2019 seeking a court order forcing the IRS, then under the Trump administration, to turn over Trump’s tax returns
The litigation has moved at a slow pace that has outlasted Trump’s presidency, and in July of last year the Justice Department signaled it was changing its position on the case in favor of the commission getting the returns. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, last December granted requests from the department and the House to dismiss the case, prompting Trump to appeal the complaint to the D.C. Circuit.
This story has been updated with additional details.
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