In his legal team’s latest response to the subpoena from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, President Trump is claiming that the continued legal pressure to turn over his financial records amounts to “illegal harassment,” The New York Times reports.
Vance’s office is reportedly investigating widespread fraud, money laundering and financial impropriety done by Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, according to court documents, and it seeks eight years of Trump’s tax records as part of the inquiry.
No matter the scope of Vance’s investigation, however, Trump’s attorneys claim that there is no justification for the District Attorney to repeated demand Trump comply with the subpoena.
“If anything, it shows that the district attorney is still fishing for a way to justify his harassment of the president,” Mr. Trump’s lawyers wrote in its court motion, noting that the request “for every document and communication related to the president and his businesses over about the last decade” was what a Congressional subpoena also requested.
Since taking office, Trump has tweeted “presidential harassment” a total of 38 times, including 20 times where the phrase was posted on its own without explanation.
PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020