NY Senate passes bill to allow Congress to request Trump's tax returns -- bypassing Steve Mnuchin

The New York state Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that aims to allow certain committees in the U.S. House of Representatives to request tax returns -- include those filed by President Donald Trump.

The bill was passed by a vote of 39 to 21.

If the bill is passed by the New York Assembly and signed into law, the chairperson of the Ways and Means Committee could ask for a person's tax returns if a request has already been made to the U.S. Treasury. The bill requires the chairperson to specify a "legitmate legislative purpose."

“The fact is that President Trump is taking this country in a very dangerous path,” state Sen. Mike Gianaris reportedly said before the bill was passed.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin defied U.S. law this week and refused to turn over the president's tax returns to Congress.