I fully expect the spirit of Sam Ervin, walking the parapets of the Capitol, any night now. The president*'s lawyers are throwing the long ball in their attempts to make sure nobody sees the science-fiction series that are the president*'s financial records. From USA Today:

Trump’s personal lawyer, William Consovoy, argued repeatedly that Congress was seeking the president's financial information for what is essentially a law-enforcement purpose – which was outside its authority – rather to work on legislation. The subpoena sought Trump’s financial records to look for inconsistencies in his financial disclosure forms, and whether he misstated his holdings for loans that could leave him beholden to foreigners.

“That is law enforcement,” Consovoy said. “Are you complying with federal law?" At one point, Mehta asked if Congress could investigate if the president was engaged in corrupt behavior in office.“I don’t think that’s the proper subject of investigation as to the president,” Consovoy said, although executive agencies could be investigated.

Mehta sounded incredulous, asking whether Congress could have investigated Watergate, which led to President Richard Nixon's resignation, and Whitewater, which led to President Bill Clinton's impeachment. Consovoy initially said he’d had to look at the basis for those investigations. “They were inquiring as to violations of criminal law,” Mehta said. “It’s pretty straightforward – among other things.” Consovoy said the question is whether the legislation the committee cited was a valid reason for the subpoena. “That is still law enforcement," Consovoy said.

No, you didn't suddenly have a stroke. The president*'s lawyer just argued before a federal judge that both the Watergate and Whitewater congressional investigations were illegitimate exercises of congressional powers. (Whitewater was a fraudulent scandal, but that's a different argument.) I am amazed that Judge Mehta didn't immediately get out of the business. After all, government work now seems like little more than an asylum.

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Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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