The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday cleared the release of Donald Trump¡¯s tax returns to a House of Representatives committee, handing a defeat to the Republican former president who had called the Democratic-led panel¡¯s request politically motivated.

The justices denied Trump¡¯s Oct. 31 emergency application to block a lower court¡¯s ruling that upheld the Ways and Means Committee¡¯s request for his tax records as a justified part of the panel¡¯s legislative work. No justice publicly dissented from the decision.

The committee, which has sought six years of Trump¡¯s tax records spanning 2015 to 2020, will have little time to complete its work related to the returns before a Republican takeover of the House. Republicans secured a narrow majority following the Nov. 8 midterm elections and take control of the House ¡ª and the committee ¡ª in January.