Washington, D.C. — In response to the Supreme Court’s rulings today in Trump v. Mazars/Trump v. Deutsche Bank and Trump v. Vance, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous and Executive Vice President for Policy and Program Marge Baker released the following statements:
“By kicking two cases involving Trump’s finances back down to lower courts, the Supreme Court today likely deprived the American people of vital information they will need going into this fall’s elections. The people deserve to know if Trump is compromised by financial entanglements and Congress has a right to conduct oversight on this issue. The good news is that the Court rejected some of the president’s most exaggerated arguments about immunity from investigation, especially in the case being investigated by New York prosecutors. We can be glad the Court affirmed that the president is not a king, although it did us no favors by leaving so much vital information shrouded in secrecy until after the election,” said Jealous.
“We applaud the Supreme Court for rejecting some of Donald Trump’s most outrageous arguments about presidential immunity, even as his two appointees – Kavanaugh and Gorsuch – signaled that they were inclined to give him enhanced protection. At the same time, transparency suffered a defeat today that might not be rectified before the American people have to vote for or against this president. Every recent president has disclosed his tax returns to the American people – except Trump. By remanding the case involving a congressional subpoena for Trump’s financial records back to a lower court, the Supreme Court essentially forces voters to make a decision about Trump this fall with a very incomplete set of facts,” said Baker.
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org.