A Gujarat-born, US judge for the District of Columbia says he will fast-track a decision on President Donald Trump’s bid to quash Congressional subpoena for financial records
Amit Mehta, an Obama-era appointee, said he will decide on the full case after a hearing on May 14.
Mehta, who was raised in Maryland, made his announcement on May 9 in a brief notice after receiving the first round of written arguments in the case, reports The Washington Post.
The lawsuit was brought April 22 by Trump and several of his businesses against House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings and the President's accounting firm, Mazars USA.
"The sole question before the court - Is the House Oversight Committee's issuance of a subpoena to Mazars USA LLP for financial records of President Donald Trump and various associated entities a valid exercise of legislative power? - is fully briefed, and the court can discern no benefit from an additional round of legal arguments," Mehta said.
Cummings's panel last month subpoenaed Mazars seeking documents to corroborate the testimony of the President's former lawyer Michael Cohen, who said at a congressional hearing that Trump intentionally misreported the value of his assets for personal gain.
The House Financial Services and Intelligence Committees are also investigating the President's finances and have delivered subpoenas to Deutsche Bank, Capital One and other major banks.
The House Ways and Means Committee has requested six years of the President's personal and business tax returns.
Mehta received his B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Georgetown University in 1993 and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1997.