Trump Family, Businesses Sue Banks to Block Congressional Subpoenas
Deutsche Bank and Capital One both planned to start responding to subpoenas issued by Democrat-controlled congressional committees no later than May 6, according to the complaint.
April 29, 2019 at 11:30 PM
4 minute read
President Donald Trump. (Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM)
President Donald Trump filed suit late Monday in Manhattan federal court in an attempt to stop Deutsche Bank and Capital One from producing financial documents subpoenaed by House Democrats probing the president, his family and his business interests.
In a 13-page complaint filed against the two banks, the Trump family and business claimed the subpoenas issued by the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, and House Financial Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, have “no legitimate lawful purpose.”
“The subpoenas were issued to harass President Donald J. Trump, to rummage through every aspect of his personal finances, his businesses, and the private information of the president and his family, and to ferret about for any material that might be used to cause him political damage,” the complaint contends. “No grounds exist to establish any purpose other than a political one.”
According to the complaint, Deutsche Bank confirmed in writing to the Trump plaintiffs on April 17 that it had received the subpoenas issued by the two California Democrats' committees. The complaint claims these subpoenas and others issued by House committees now controlled by Democrats were coordinated “in order to inflict maximum political damage” on the president.
Deutsche Bank told the plaintiffs the subpoenas were for records and information related to “banking activities, including information regarding accounts, financings, and related financial information” for the president; his two sons; his daughter, Ivanka Trump; the Trump Organization; and other Trump-related businesses that are named as plaintiffs in the suit.
The subpoenas seek a slew of additional information related to former employees, business subsidiaries and even immediate family members that could include minor children, according to the complaint, and are looking for responsive documents from Jan. 1, 2010, to the present.
Absent a court order, Deutsche Bank informed the Trump plaintiffs that it intends to produce material in response to the subpoenas on May 6. Capital One confirmed it received similar requests and plans to provide the information before May 6.
According to the complaint, the subpoenas represent an overreach of Congress' power to investigate, which are legitimate “insofar as they further some legitimate legislative purpose.”
“No investigation can be an end in itself. And Congress cannot use investigations to exercise powers that the Constitution assigns to the executive or judicial branch,” the plaintiffs' complaint states.
Consovoy McCarthy Park name attorney William Consovoy, along with partner Patrick Strawbridge, represent the individual Trump family members in the suit. Mukasey Frenchman & Sklaroff name attorney Marc L. Mukasey is counsel for the Trump business entities. In a joint statement, the attorneys said the lawsuit sought to protect their clients' privacy rights.
“The subpoenas issued to Deutsche Bank and Capital One by Chairpersons Schiff and Waters are unlawful and illegitimate. They seek information going back decades from anyone with even a tangential connection to the president, including children, minors and spouses,” the attorneys stated. “Every citizen should be concerned about this sweeping, lawless, invasion of privacy. We look forward to vindicating our clients' rights in this matter.”
In a statement, a Deutsche Bank spokeswoman said the bank remained “committed to providing appropriate information to all authorized investigations and will abide by a court order regarding such investigations.”
A Capital One spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Related:
William Consovoy, Stefan Passantino Lead Trump Suit Fighting House Subpoena
What Rod Rosenstein Had To Say in his Resignation Letter
New York Law Journal Accused of Showing Bias Against President Trump
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