BREAKING: Federal judge grants Trump temporary victory, blocks law requiring release of his taxes!

Here’s some good news on the Trump taxes front. A federal judge has blocked California’s law requiring that Trump release his taxes if he wants to be on the primary ballot:

Here’s more from the LA Times:

A federal judge ordered a temporary injunction Thursday against California’s first-in-the-nation law requiring candidates to disclose their tax returns for a spot on the presidential primary ballot, an early victory for President Trump but a decision that will undoubtedly be appealed by state officials.

U.S. District Judge Morrison England, Jr. said his final ruling will be made in the days to come but took the unusual step of issuing the temporary order from the bench. He said there would be “irreparable harm without temporary relief” for Trump and other candidates from the law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in July.

Morrison spent much of the court proceeding on the question of whether a long-standing federal financial disclosure law preempts any additional rules that a state could impose.

The federal law, known as the Ethics In Government Act, or EIGA, was originally passed in 1978 and applies to a range of top federal officials. Trump has filed the annual report, most recently in May, which provides a glance at his finances.

“Do we even need to get here if EIGA preempts [the new California law]?,” England asked attorneys for the state. “Is that it?”

I think the judge is exactly right when saying there would be “irreparable harm” if he doesn’t issue an injunction up front. If Trump were forced to release his taxes before the case was settled, it wouldn’t matter which way the judge ruled because his tax returns would already be out there.

In case you wondering, Judge Morrison England, Jr. was appointed by George W. Bush in 2002.


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