New York authorities are playing a "really dangerous game" by subpoenaing the tax returns of President Trump and the Trump Organization, Fox News contributor Andy McCarthy said Tuesday on "America's Newsroom".
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office reportedly issued the subpoena late last month, seeking the records through the Trump Organization's accounting firm.
Jennifer Farrington, the chief marketing officer for Mazars USA --which has represented both Trump and the Trump Organization-- told Fox News, “We have received a subpoena.” She wouldn’t give specifics.
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McCarthy, a former federal prosecutor, said it's legal for tax returns to be subpoenaed under state law, but argued that Vance's decision appears to be politically motivated.
"This is basically an obvious politicizing of state law to try to investigate the president for political purposes. In politics, just like in law, what goes around comes around and this is something that could bite the Democrats if a Democrat is in the White House at some later point," he said, adding that prosecutors will have to show that the subpoena is "relevant" to an investigation and not "political harassment."
In a statement, Mazars says the firm will “respect the legal process and fully comply with its legal obligations.”
The company added: “We believe strongly in the ethical and professional rules and regulations that govern our industry, our work and our client interactions. As a matter of firm policy and professional rules, we do not comment on the work we conduct for our clients.”
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The New York Times, which broke the story, reported that the subpoena was issued late last month after the district attorney’s office opened a criminal investigation into the role that the president and his family business played in hush-money payments ahead of the presidential election.
Trump Organization attorney Marc Mukasey said, “We are reviewing and will respond as appropriate.”
Speaking outside the White House on Monday, Trump told reporters, “I don't know anything about it.”
Fox News' Marta Dhanis contributed to this report.
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