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Lawyers: Trump Might Claim Harassment in Tax Return Quest

Associated Press

   NEW YORK - A week after losing a Supreme Court ruling, President Donald
   Trump's lawyers said Wednesday that they were considering challenging a
   subpoena for his tax records by criminal prosecutors on the ground that
   it's a fishing expedition or a form of harassment or retaliation
   against him.

   The plans were outlined in a letter to a federal judge overseeing legal
   squabbles related to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s
   request to Trump's longtime accountant for eight years of the
   president's personal and corporate tax records in a criminal probe.

   The judge, Victor Marrero, scheduled a hearing for Thursday.

   Vance is seeking the records in part for a probe of payments that
   Trump's then-personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, arranged during the 2016
   presidential race to keep the porn actress Stormy Daniels and model
   Karen McDougal from airing their claims of extramarital affairs with
   Trump. Trump has denied the affairs.

   Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to
   charges related to campaign finance and lying to Congress, among other
   crimes.

   In its ruling last week, the Supreme Court rejected arguments by
   Trump's lawyers and the Justice Department that the president cannot be
   investigated while he holds office or that a prosecutor must show a
   greater need than normal to obtain the tax records.

   The top court returned the fight over the subpoena to Marrero, saying
   Trump's lawyers could still challenge it in the same manner as anyone
   served with a subpoena.

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