Free Republic

President Trump was granted at least a brief reprieve Monday after a federal judge issued a scathing order allowing the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office to subpoena his tax returns from accounting firm Mazars USA. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals put the subpoena on hold after Trump's attorneys filed an emergency appeal. “We are very pleased that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has issued a stay of the subpoena issued by New York County District Attorney Cy Vance,” Trump attorney Jay Sekulow said. The administrative stay will only be in place while the court reviews the...

A law allowing federal anti-terrorism agents to access information on the US public without a warrant has been ruled as unconstitutional by a US judge. Victor Marrero said Congress exceeded its authority by allowing the FBI to keep requests secret under the Patriot Act, passed after the 9/11 attacks. He said the act offended constitutional principles of checks and balances, and violated the guarantee of free speech. The requests were mainly for financial, telephone and internet records. Judge Marrero said his ruling would not take effect immediately, thus giving the government time to appeal. Personal records The Patriot Act allows...