Donald Trump arrives at the White House's South Lawn in Washington for a photo shoot with sheriffs from all over the country.WASHINGTON A federal judge has given Donald Trump the opportunity to challenge an order by the Department of Justice that required the IRS to surrender its income tax returns to Congress.Trevor McFadden, a U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia, stated that Trump and his attorneys have until Wednesday to respond.Trump and his lawyers have not yet indicated if they will contest Friday's order.The Department of Justice announced Friday that the IRS must release tax returns from the former president to Congress. This is a change from the position it held under the Trump administration.In a 39-page opinion, the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel stated that Trump's House Ways and Means Committee made a request for a legitimate legislative purpose. The stated objective was to assess how the IRS audits Presidents' tax returns.CNBC did not receive a response from Trump's legal team immediately to its request for comment.Friday's decision comes nearly a year after Trump's longtime accountants told him that he had to turn over his tax returns to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. because of a subpoena.Vance indicted the Trump Organization's chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Organization with crimes related to a scheme to avoid paying taxes on compensation. This was a "sweeping, audacious" scheme that began in 2005.Trump broke decades of precedent established by candidates and ex-presidents by refusing the release of his income tax returns. He repeatedly claimed that his filings were being audited by IRS.During audit, however, taxpayers can release their returns to public.
