Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is suggesting he will protect President Donald Trump�s privacy if he receives a request from House Democrats for Trump�s tax returns.

At a House Ways and Means Committee hearing Thursday, Mnuchin was asked whether he would meet a request for Trump�s tax returns. Chairman Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., is expected to formally ask for those as Democrats seek to shed light on Trump�s financial dealings and potential conflicts of interest.

Mnuchin said, �We will examine the request and we will follow the law � and we will protect the president as we would any taxpayer� regarding their right to privacy.

The law says the Treasury chief �shall furnish� the material, but Mnuchin did not specifically say he would turn them over.

(AP)