"The way Mnuchin talked and the way he writes, he’s very dismissive of the legislative branch of government, particularly if that part of the legislative branch of government is controlled by the Democratic Party,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell. | Julio Cortez, File/AP Photo finance & tax Pascrell suggests contempt of Congress for Mnuchin over Trump’s tax returns

Rep. Bill Pascrell, an outspoken advocate of getting President Donald Trump’s tax returns, lashed out today at what he considers administration stonewalling.

Congress could hold Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in contempt for failing to meet a Wednesday deadline for delivering Trump's returns to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, Pascrell, a senior Ways and Means member, told POLITICO. He also said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig should consider stepping down.


Mnuchin late Wednesday punted on turning over the returns to Neal (D-Mass.), who a week earlier demanded the IRS deliver them by April 10. Mnuchin said he’s consulting with Justice Department lawyers and couldn’t satisfy Neal’s demand in time. Neal is likely to send another letter Friday requesting the returns, Pascrell (D-N.J.) said.

“I want to take a look at contempt of Congress here,” Pascrell said, “because the way Mnuchin talked and the way he writes, he’s very dismissive of the legislative branch of government, particularly if that part of the legislative branch of government is controlled by the Democratic Party.”

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It’s incumbent on Congress to defend its Constitutional prerogatives, Pascrell said.

He also questioned why Mnuchin responded instead of IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig, to whom Neal sent his demand. Treasury secretaries have long deferred to the head of the IRS on these matters, numerous congressional Democrats told Rettig in two days of testimony on Capitol Hill this week, but Rettig repeatedly said Treasury supervises the IRS.

That sort of pre-formulated answer means Rettig should think about stepping down, Pascrell said.

“Richie [Neal] made a request in narrow fashion, correctly, to the IRS commissioner,” Pascrell said. “Now that IRS commissioner must stand up for America, or maybe he should leave his job if he can’t.”

