BREAKING: President Trump cannot block a US House subpoena seeking financial records from one of his accountants, federal judge rules.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta took some time to test the scope of the argument. The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank highlighted one of the key exchanges from the courtroom:

Mehta, an Obama appointee, probed for the limits of this breathtaking theory but found none: Trump’s finances are not subject to investigation? 

“Correct,” Consovoy informed the judge. 

Congress can’t verify the accuracy of the president’s financial statements?

“Correct.”

If “a president was involved in some corrupt enterprise, you mean to tell me because he is the president of the United States, Congress would not have power to investigate?” 

No, Consovoy said, because that’s “not pursuant to its legislative agenda.”

Of course, by this reasoning, Congress’ Watergate investigation was itself illegal. When the judge yesterday asked specifically whether Nixon’s corrupt enterprise should’ve been shielded from congressional scrutiny, Trump’s lawyer hedged, saying he’d “have to look” at some of specific questions surrounding the controversy.

Here’s a shocker for ya. A federal judge rules that Trump can’t block a subpoena by the House Oversight Committee to get his tax records from his accountant:

AP – A federal judge in Washington has ruled against President Donald Trump in a financial records dispute with Congress.

Judge Amit Mehta’s ruling says Trump cannot block the House subpoena of financial records.

The decision comes amid a widespread effort by the White House and the president’s lawyers to refuse to cooperate with congressional requests for information and records.

Trump and his business organization had sued to block the subpoena issued in April to Mazars USA, an accountant for the president and Trump Organization.

Democrats are trying to use the coercive power of government to get Trump’s taxes when the American people clearly elected him in 2016 after he refused to produce them.

The right course of action would be for Democrats to make as big a stink about it as they can in the 2020 election and let voters decide again.

But no, that’s not good enough. They need a reason to impeach Trump or prevent him from winning in 2020. So they are on a fishing expedition and they are trying to use the power of government to make it happen. I so hope it bites them hard in 2020.

Oh in case you were wondering, here’s the other ‘shocker’:

Mehta, a U.S. District judge, was nominated to his position by President Barack Obama.

I think it goes without saying that Trump’s legal team will appeal this in order to keep Trump’s taxes out of the hands of Democrats.

Wake me up when it gets to the Supreme Court.

In a 41-page opinion, Judge Amit Mehta of the DC District Court asserts that Congress is well within its authority to investigate President Donald Trump.

Read the opinion here: