Deutsche Bank May Give Trump's Financial Records To Congress, Judge Rules

Deutsche Bank and Capital One, two banks that had extensive financial dealings with Donald Trump the businessman, said they stand ready to turn over to House Democrats the records of their business ties with the president.

“We remain committed to providing appropriate information to all authorized investigations and will abide by a court order regarding such investigations,” said Deutsche Bank spokeswoman Kerrie McHugh. Capital One hasn't commented but did previously state it won't stand in the way of a subpoena sent to it by House Democrats.

This affirmation follows the ruling Wednesday by Judge Edgardo Ramos of the District Court for the Southern District of New York that both banks can turn over financial documents related to Trump and his businesses in response to subpoenas from House Democrats.

For the past decades, Deutsche Bank was the main source of loans for Trump, who was consistently rebuffed by other banks because of his repeated bankruptcies. Capital One keeps the financial records of the Trump Organization’s hotels, as well as being the repository of Trump’s cash.

Ramos said the counter arguments put forward by Trump’s lawyers “are not sufficiently serious as it relates to Supreme Court precedent” dealing with the question of turning over documents to Congress. He also brushed aside the argument made by Trump’s lawyers that the demand for the documents lacks a legitimate legislative purpose. Ramos argued such a purpose does exist.

The judge also admitted the congressional subpoenas are “undeniably broad but are clearly pertinent.”

Ramos’ decision is another legal rejection of Trump’s stonewalling tactics meant to stymie Congressional investigations of his businesses. It comes two days after another federal judge, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C., said Trump’s accountants at Mazars LLP had to comply with a congressional subpoena for his financial records.

Mehta wrote that the House Oversight Committee had “facially valid legislative purposes” for subpoenaing Mazars for records related to Trump and his businesses.

Ramos’ ruling also came a few hours after the New York State Legislature passed two bills that will allow Trump’s tax returns in the state to be turned over to Congress, if so requested.

The main bill, clearly aimed at Trump, requires New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Jerry Boone to provide New York state tax returns to Congress upon request from the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee or the Joint Committee on Taxation.

The second bill restricts requests to elected officials only. It also mandates the removal of any federal tax information that might appear on state returns. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (a Democrat) supports the bills, but hasn’t confirmed he will sign them.