Tuesday was the day to hear the arguments around a petition from Donald Trump and his family members in their effort to block a congressional subpoena seeking records from Trump’s accounting firm. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta has previously fast-tracked the hearing, potentially shaving months off the process.
Last Thursday, Mehta said that the only question to be considered was whether the House subpoena to accounting firm Mazars USA represented a valid exercise of legislative power. Mehta also indicated that the the arguments around the petition were “fully briefed,” which usually indicates a quick decision is forthcoming. Combined with the fast-track hearing, many expected Mehta to make a ruling from the bench on Tuesday.
Arguments were heard, with the attorney for Trump claiming Congress can’t ask for these records without a specific, legislative purpose. The attorney for the House argued that was wrong and didn’t respect precedent. No surprises, as these positions mirrored the positions in the subpoena and petition.
However, no matter what people were expecting, it appears there will be no ruling this week. Judge Mehta not only did not issue an immediate ruling from the bench, he has left the record open until Saturday. So it will be next week, at the soonest, before there is a decision … which will then likely start the clock on a repeat performance in appeals court.