The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Tuesday upheld a ruling dismissing an attempt to overcome IRS privacy rules to acquire President Donald Trump's tax returns through a public-records lawsuit.

The Electronic Privacy Information Center attempted to use a Freedom of Information Act request to get the president's tax returns, which he has withheld citing a pending Internal Revenue Service audit. Legal experts contend nothing prohibits the president from releasing his tax returns.

The panel on Tuesday said all government records are presumed public under FOIA unless specifically exempted. The panel added the Internal Revenue Code specifically exempts individual taxpayers' tax returns. That code was passed after President Richard Nixon attempted to use the IRS to harass political opponents.