SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California cannot force President Donald Trump to release his taxes by leaving him off of primary ballots in March, the state Supreme Court ruled Thursday morning.
The ruling is a huge blow to Governor Gavin Newsom and other state Democrats who passed into law Senate Bill 27 in July which would require any candidate in statewide elections to release their tax returns or else be removed from primary ballots.
A lawsuit contended that the law violated the U.S. Constitution by demanding additional requirements to run for president.
Justices on Thursday agreed to its unconstitutionality.
READ MORE:
A federal judge had temporarily blocked the state law in response to a different lawsuit and the high court ruled quickly because the deadline for submitting tax returns to get on the primary ballot is next week.
The state Republican Party and Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson challenged the bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom because it was aimed at Trump.
While the law was aimed at Trump, it would have applied to any candidate for president or governor.
The top Democratic challengers for president in 2020 have already released years worth of financial information, while Trump has mostly refused to release his, bucking decades worth of precedent set by former presidents and candidates for the office.
In July, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra argued that the law doesn't bar anyone from accessing the ballot or deprive voters of their rights. The state defended the law, saying tax returns are a simple way for voters to weigh candidates’ financial status.
FREE ABC10 APP:
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for ABC10's Daily Blend Newsletter