Washington [US], February 23 (ANI/Sputnik): Former US President Donald Trump issued a statement in which he slammed the US Supreme Court for not blocking New York prosecutors from obtaining his tax records.

Earlier on Monday, US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer declined to issue a stay for a lower court ruling in favour of former President Donald Trump disclosing his tax returns to a New York grand jury.

"The Supreme Court never should have let this 'fishing expedition' happen, but they did," Trump said on Monday. "This is something which has never happened to a President before, it is all Democrat-inspired in a totally Democrat location, New York City and State, completely controlled and dominated by a heavily reported enemy of mine, Governor Andrew Cuomo."Trump further said the New York Attorney General's investigation is a continuation of the greatest political hunt in US history, adding that the probe is similar to practices in Third World countries and represents a threat to the foundation of liberty in the United States. Trump also reiterated his stance that the 2020 US presidential election was rigged and stolen from him.

Monday's decision significantly weakens Trump's ability to protect his tax returns from the grand jury subpoena, barring further - but unlikely - US Supreme Court interventions in the case.

New York City District Attorney Cyrus Vance is seeking Trump's tax returns dating back to 2011.

Trump has contended that an August 2019 grand jury subpoena to his accounting form Mazars USA to provide his tax returns was overly broad and issued in bad faith.

Last summer, the Supreme Court rejected Trump's earlier request to block the order, claiming that his position as US president did not shield him from complying with the subpoena. (ANI/Sputnik)