WASHINGTON (AP) — 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.