Acting Treasury watchdog sends to House committee report on handling of request for Trump's tax returns

The report from Richard Delmar was sent to both Neal and the top Republican on the committee, Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas.

The contents of the report are not known and a Democratic aide on the House Ways and Means Committee told CNN that they did not plan to comment on the report or its contents Wednesday evening.

Neal had requested six years of Trump's business and personal tax returns in April 2019. In a letter to the Internal Revenue Service at the time, Neal explained that the request is part of his oversight role and that the committee needed Trump's tax returns to consider legislation related to the IRS's practice of auditing sitting presidents.

"Under the Internal Revenue Manual, individual income tax returns of a President are subject to mandatory examination, but this practice is IRS policy and not codified in the Federal tax laws," Neal wrote in a letter to the IRS.

"It is necessary for the committee to determine the scope of any such examination and whether it includes a review of underlying business activities required to be reported on the individual income tax return."

The battle for Trump's taxes escalated last summer and is still tied up in court.

In the fall of 2019, Neal requested the Treasury inspector general investigate after reports surfaced that a whistleblower had sent a letter to Neal raising questions about whether the request for Trump's tax returns had been handled improperly.

Neal specifically asked for an investigation into whether the IRS "is enforcing the law in a fair and impartial manner and no one is endeavoring to intimidate or impede government officials and employees carrying out their duties."

Delmar, at the time, had responded, "We are undertaking that inquiry."