SACRAMENTO — A U.S. judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked a California law aimed at forcing President Trump to release his personal income tax returns in order to appear on the 2020 primary ballot.
U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. issued a written opinion saying the law likely violates the U.S. Constitution. He had announced last month he planned to block the law.
The law requires candidates for president or governor to file copies of their personal income tax returns dating back five years with the California secretary of state’s office. If they refuse, they could not appear on the state’s primary ballot. The law would not have applied to general elections.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he signed the law because California has a “special responsibility” to hold candidates to high ethical standards. The Trump campaign sued, arguing the law seeks to add another qualification for running for president, something state governments don’t have the authority to do.
In his 24-page ruling, Morrison wrote the state’s concerns are “both legitimate and understandable,” highlighting that candidates have offered “unnecessary and irrelevant excuses for shielding the public from such information.”