Tlaib urges Mnuchin to seek personal legal advice

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) told Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday that he should seek his own legal advice, as Mnuchin has rejected Democrats’ demands for President Trump’s tax returns.

“Secretary, please seek out legal advice personally, of what your obligations are, because the Department of Justice is not protecting you, it’s protecting the president,” Tlaib said at a House Financial Services Committee hearing.

Mnuchin last week rejected a subpoena from House Democrats for six years of Trump’s tax returns. Mnuchin has said that he has determined after consulting with the Justice Department that Democrats’ request lacked a legitimate legislative purpose.{mosads}

Tlaib, a prominent supporter of impeaching Trump, argued during the hearing Wednesday that Mnuchin needs to be “very, very clear about what your role is and what your responsibility is to the American people.”

“This goes beyond just providing taxes,” she said. “It goes about transparency and the fact that no one is above the law.”

Tlaib has offered a resolution that calls on the House Judiciary Committee to look at whether the chamber should impeach Trump. Several other Democrats have signed onto the resolution, and a growing number of other Democrats have also said they support an impeachment inquiry.