Trump sues California over law forcing presidential candidates to hand over tax returns

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Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign and the Republican Party have sued California over its new law requiring political candidates to release their tax returns before running in the state primaries.

One of the suits contends California’s law is “a naked political attack against the sitting President of the United States.”

The law signed last week by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is aimed at prying loose the president's tax returns, which he has refused to release, saying they are under audit.

California’s law requires candidates for president and governor to release five years of tax returns to appear on the state’s primary ballot.

It does not include a similar requirement for the general election.

California holds its 2020 presidential primary on 3 March.

The lawsuits argue the law violates the US Constitution by creating an extra requirement to run for president and deprives citizens the right to vote for their chosen candidates.

The Constitution puts just three requirements on presidential candidates: That they are natural born citizens, 35 or older and a US resident for at least 14 years.

Mr Trump's counsel Jay Sekulow called the law “flagrantly illegal,” and said voters already spoke in 2016 on whether Trump should release his tax returns.

“The effort to deny California voters the opportunity to cast a ballot for President Trump in 2020 will clearly fail,” Mr Sekulow told the Associated Press.

At least two other lawsuits have already been filed.

Additional reporting by AP