A federal judge on Wednesday rejected an attempt from President Trump’s personal attorneys to halt a House subpoena to Deutsche Bank and Capital One.
Through personal attorney William Consovoy, Trump demanded that Ramos issue a preliminary injunction that would halt the subpoenas to the Trump lenders.
After the U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos issued his ruling denying the preliminary injunction, Trump’s lawyers asked for a stay pending appeal.
“That application is denied,” Ramos immediately said. The Trump attorney arguing the case – Patrick Strawbridge – told Ramos that it was a “safe bet” that they would appeal the case, after the judge asked.
Trump sued Deutsche Bank and Capital One to prevent them from carrying out subpoenas sent by the House Intelligence and Financial Services committees, using private attorneys he hired.
Deutsche and Capital One have taken no position until the case is resolved; House Democrats are defending the subpoenas in court.
In a filing before the hearing, a personal attorney for Trump, Consovoy, accused House Democrats of trying to “rifle through” Trump’s personal financial info and that of his close family, a number of whom are either White House officials or Trump Org executives.
The subpoena to Deutsche Bank targets “records and/or information related to banking activities, including information regarding accounts, financings, and related financial information,” according to the lawsuit. The Capital One subpoena asks for similar documents from Trump, his businesses, and his family members, as part of an investigation into fraud allegations.
The case comes as as a piece of a larger stonewalling effort that Trump has undertaken against myriad Congressional investigations. In a similar but separate case where Trump sued his longtime accountant, a D.C. federal judge on Monday smacked down the President’s attempt to halt the subpoena.
These hearings and decisions are likely to be followed by similar dramas until the next election.
