>>> WELCOME BACK TO "HARDBALL." HOUSE DEMOCRATS RATCHETED OCCUPY
IN A MAJOR WAY ON WEDNESDAY.
THE HOUSE JUDICIARY AUTHORIZED A
SUBPOENA FOR THE MUELLER REPORT.
THE CHAIRMAN ELIJAH CUMMINGS
SAID HE WOULD SUBPOENA AN
BEINGING FIRM TIED TO THE
PRESIDENT FOR 10 YEARS OF
FINANCIAL RECORDS AND THE WAYS
AND MEANS SENT A LETTER
REQUESTING SIX YEARS OF TRUMP’S
PERSONAL AND BUSINESS TAXES AND
ASKED WHETHER SUCH RETURN IS OR
WAS UNDER ANY EXAMINATION OR
AUDIT.
AUDIT. THAT’S AN OPEN QUESTION.
RICHARD NEAL OF THE WAYS AND
MEANS WAS ASKED WHAT COMES NEXT
IF THE ADMINISTRATION FAILS TO
COMPLY.
COMPLY. >> WE’RE INTEND TO DO FOLLOW-UP
IN A 10-DAY PRESIDENT PRESCRIBED
IN THE LETTER IN THE OVERTURE WE
MADE.
MADE. THEN I THINK A SERIES OF OTHER
OPTIONS GOING FORWARD THAT WE
WILL EXPLORE.
WILL EXPLORE. WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO THINK
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >> YOU CONSIDERING SUBPOENAS?
>> THAT’S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO
CONSIDER DOWN THE ROAD, BUT I
DON’T WANT TO ATD THIS STAGE
ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS ASKED
ABOUT THE REQUEST FOR THE WAYS
AND MEANS REQUEST.
>> FOR THE IRS NOT TO DISCLOSE.
>> SPEAK TO MY LEARN LAWYERS AND
THEY WILL SPEAK TO THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
GENERAL. THEY WILL SPEAK TO MY LAWYERS
AND SPEAK TO THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL.
GENERAL. >> JIMMY GOMEZ OF CALIFORNIA
SERVES IN THE HOUSE WAYS AND
MEANS AND THE OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEES.
COMMITTEES. THE DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN
OVERSIGHT.
OVERSIGHT. CONGRESSMAN, WHERE DOES IT STAND
RIGHT NOW?
RIGHT NOW? THE LAW IS SO CLEAR.
THE 1924 LAW SAID YOUR
COMMITTEE, WAYS AND MEANS AND
THE IRS HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY.
YOU SHALL PROVIDE THE TAX
RETURNS.
RETURNS. WHAT’S THE COMPLICATION?
>> THERE IS NO COMPLICATION.
IF THEY FOLLOWED THE LAW, THEY
WOULD TURN OVER THE TAX RETURNS.
IT’S VERY, VERY CLEAR.
IN THE HISTORY OF CONGRESS, NOT
ONE REQUEST HAS BEEN DENIED.
IF THERE IS A DENIAL TO THE WAYS
AND MEANS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN,
THAT MEAN THAT IS THE WHITE
HOUSE PROBABLY GOT INVOLVED.
EITHER STEVE MNUCHIN AND THE
WHITE HOUSE OR SOMEONE TOLD THEM
NOT TO DO IT.
>> THE LAW DOESN’T SAY THE
PRESIDENT SHALL PROVIDE THE IRS
RETURNS.
RETURNS. THE IRS SHALL DO IT.
>> CORRECT.
>> CORRECT. IT’S VERY CLEAR.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED
ABOUT THIS ADMINISTRATION,
ESPECIALLY STEVE MNUCHIN AND
WILBUR ROSS AND ANYONE
ASSOCIATED, I QUESTION THEM ALL.
>> THEY ALL TOTIES?
>> THEY DELAY, DODGE, AND LIE
FOR THE PRESIDENT TO PROTECT.
>> THE BATTLE OVER TAXES WILL
ALMOST CERTAINLY WIND UP IN
COURT.
COURT. ACCORDING TO TWO OFFICIALS, HE
TOLD WHITE HOUSE ADVISERS HE
DOES NOT PLAN TO HAND OVER HIS
TAXES AND HOPE TO STALL IT UNTIL
AFTER THE 2020 ELECTION.
I DON’T THINK TRUMP WANTS TO YOU
SEE HIS TAX RETURNS AND I MEAN
IN THE WORST WAY.
FOR HIM TO HIDE LIKE THIS FOR
ALL THESE YEARS, THERE IS
SOMETHING REALLY NASTY IN THERE.
>> IT SEEMS THAT WAY, BUT THE
PRESIDENT SEEMS TO HAVE A
PENSION FOR ACTING GUILTY.
IT’S NOT THE PRESIDENT WHO IS
TURNING THEM OVER.
IT’S THE IRS.
HE DOESN’T HAVE THE CONTROL.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S THE
PEOPLE AND THE CAREER CIVIL
SERVANTS AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
TO ANSWER TO HISTORY.
THE CONGRESS WILL HAVE TO DECIDE
WHETHER THEY WANT TO GO DOWN
STANDING IN THE WAY OF
CONGRESS’S OVERSIGHT RULE FOR
THIS PRESIDENT OR STAND UP FOR
THE CONSTITUTION.
THE CONSTITUTION. >> I DON’T KNOW IF YOU CAN
ANSWER THIS, BUT IT’S NOT A
QUESTION OF HE SAID SHE SAID OR
ANYTHING, BUT A QUESTION ABOUT
THE LAW.
THE LAW. IT’S NOT THAT THEY WANT THE
DOCUMENTS, BUT THEY HAVE A RIGHT
TO THEM.
TO THEM. >> PEOPLE THINK THERE IS NOT
MUCH PRECEDENT AND IT’S SO
CLEARLY WRITTEN THAT IT’S NEVER
BEEN CHALLENGED.
BEEN CHALLENGED. JUST RECENTLY WITH THE
INVESTIGATION WITH COMMITTEES ON
BOTH SIDES, THEY RECEIVED REAMS
OF PROTECTED TAXPAYER
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. THIS IS USED ALL THE TIME.
THE PRESIDENT WANTS A STANDARD
THAT NO OTHER AMERICAN GETS.
>> LET ME GO TO YOU ABOUT THE
COURT.
COURT. WE HAVE A 5-4 REPUBLICAN SUPREME
COURT.
COURT. IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE
NONPARTISAN, BUT YEAH.
ALL THESE FIGHTS WHETHER IT’S
GETTING THE MUELLER REPORT UN
REDACTED TO WHO THEY ARE GIVING
CLEARANCES TO LIKE IVANKA AND
JARED AND TAX RETURNS ALL COMES
DOWN TO IF IT GOES TO THE COURTS
THIS YEAR BY THE END OF THE
YEAR, DO YOU TRUST THE SUPREME
COURT TO GIVE US A NONPARTISAN
RESPONSE?
RESPONSE? >> I HOPE THEY DO, BUT OUR JOB
AS A COEQUAL BRANCH OF
GOVERNMENT IS TO ASK THE
QUESTION AND FOLLOW THE
QUESTIONS TO WHERE THEY MAY
LEAD.
LEAD. WE ARE BEING RESPONSIBLE
STEWARDS OF THIS BRANCH OF
GOVERNMENT TO CHECK THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. I THINK IF WE ASK THE RIGHT
QUESTIONS, WE WILL GET THE RIGHT
ANSWERS.
ANSWERS. >> THE PEOPLE ARE VERY
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. HE SAID NOBODY CARES.
WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE?
>> EVERYBODY CARES.
POLL AFTER POLL SHOWS THAT
PEOPLE CARE ABOUT WHAT THIS
WHITE HOUSE DOES.
THEY CARED SINCE HE STARTED
RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND HE
DIDN’T RELEASE HIS TAX RETURNS
WHICH HE LIED THAT HE WAS UNDER
AUDIT.
AUDIT. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT HIM TO
BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
IF NOT, WE WOULDN’T HAVE TAKEN
BACK THE HOUSE.
>> PEOPLE ON THIS SHOW CARE.
PEOPLE DO WANT THESE TAX
RETURNS.
RETURNS. >> PEOPLE THINK HE HAS SOMETHING
TO HIDE AND THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING IS NOT JUST THAT CONGRESS
ASKED THE QUESTIONS, BUT THE
COURTS DO.
COURTS DO. THIS ADMINISTRATION LOSES ALL
THE TIME.
THE TIME. COWERINGS MAKE YOU ARTICULATE
YOUR ARGUMENTS AND THEY LOSE.
EVEN THIS SUPREME COURT WILL
LOOK TO HISTORY.
>> DO YOU THINK MUELLER’S GOT
HIM?
HIM? >> MUELLER’S GOT HIM?
>> I THINK THE MUELLER TEAM
KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION’S FINANCES AND TALK