US President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are suing California over recent legislation requiring presidential candidates to file tax returns in order to stand in primaries.<\/p>\n
State Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed the law last week.<\/p>\n
In two lawsuits, the plaintiffs said it was unconstitutional as it added an extra requirement to run for president.<\/p>\n
Mr Trump has refused to release his tax returns, saying that they are under audit.<\/p>\n
California is the first state to succeed in passing such a law, though others under Democratic control have tried.<\/p>\n
It would apply to ballots for primary elections but not the general election.<\/p>\n
The state is involved in more than 40 lawsuits against the Trump White House on issues such as environmental regulation and immigration.<\/p>\n
In the first lawsuit, the Republican National Committee said the law was “a naked political attack against the sitting president of the United States”.<\/p>\n
It argues that the law would “directly impede” Mr Trump’s chances of gaining the Republican nomination. California provides 14% of delegates needed to win.<\/p>\n
A second lawsuit by the Trump campaign argues that states do not have the power to supplement qualifications for president set out by the US Constitution.<\/p>\n
Currently there are only three requirements for presidential candidates – to be natural born citizens, over the age of 35 and resident in the US for at least 14 years.<\/p>\n
Mr Trump’s counsel, Jay Sekulow, described the law as an “attempt to circumvent the US Constitution”.<\/p>\n
He said voters had already spoken about whether Mr Trump should release his tax returns.<\/p>\n
However, Mr Trump is the first major-party presidential nominee not to release any tax returns since Republican Gerald Ford in 1976.<\/p>\n
Source: bbc.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"