The Supreme Court on Monday declined to expedite a ruling on President Donald Trump’s claim of legal immunity from a Manhattan prosecutor’s subpoena seeking his tax records. The decision means it’s likely that the issue won’t be resolved until after the Nov. 3 election. The court had previously agreed to decide whether Trump is immune from state grand jury subpoenas for the materials, which long have been held by his accounting firm. The president claims the Constitution and federal laws such as the Speech or Debate Clause bar a grand jury from demanding the records from him. Lower courts have sided with New York prosecutors, who are eager to obtain the records as part of an investigation into potential criminal activity. That could include financial fraud or insurance fraud, two areas of major concern to New York prosecutors. The Supreme Court’s ruling means that a decision from the justices is not likely until late this year or early next year. That will almost certainly make the outcome moot in terms of the presidential election.
