Judge skeptical of Trump effort to keep record from House

A federal judge suggested Tuesday he is skeptical of President Donald Trump’s efforts to block Congress from obtaining some of his financial records.

Judge Amit Mehta spent about an hour and a half holding a hearing on Trump’s effort to keep financial records from Congress. Mehta did not rule during the hearing whether the House’s subpoena of Trump financial records is a valid exercise of legislative power, but he said he would do so “promptly.”

The lawsuit before Mehta comes amid a widespread effort by the White House and the president’s attorneys to refuse to cooperate with congressional requests for information and records. And it is the first of what is likely to be many related to Trump’s stonewalling.

House Democrats have said court battles are inevitable as they have made dozens of requests for documents and witnesses that the White House and others in the administration have rebuffed. Trump, his business and family have also filed a lawsuit in New York against Deutsche Bank and Capital One in an attempt to block subpoenas from the House Financial Services and intelligence panels seeking their banking and financial records. A hearing in that case is set for May 22.