House Democrats reviewing Trump's tax returns split into publish-everything and there-are-rules camp

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

House Democrats who recently gained access to some of former President Donald Trump's federal tax filings are wrestling with how to make the most of the sensitive data before incoming GOP leaders inevitably shut down the budding investigation next month.

Ways and Means Committee chairman Richard Neal, who will have to hand the gavel over to Republicans in January after their narrow midterms victory, met with Democratic tax writers late Thursday to talk strategy.

In addition to running short on time to comb through several years of the embattled former president's finances, Neal and whoever he taps to actually pore over the US Treasury documents must be mindful of disclosure laws designed to keep tax records confidential — though some of Neal's colleagues maintain that everyone deserves to know about any conflicts of interest Trump kept hidden while in office.

"I want them all released," Ways and Means Committee member Bill Pascrell told MSNBC ahead of Neal's group-wide meeting. The New Jersey Democrat added that any corresponding probe wouldn't be about "one man," but about accountability for all.

Link to tweet

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/house-democrats-reviewing-trump-s-tax-returns-split-into-publish-everything-and-there-are-rules-camps-with-gop-takeover-looming/ar-AA14PyOy

[former9thward]

1. Releasing them would confirm the arguments the Trump lawyers made to the court.

They said the committee would release the records. The court dismissed that concern. Releasing the returns would ensure courts would not allow this in the future.

Having said that I would be in favor of releasing but also everyone in the Senate and House should release full returns (no, they don't now) so we can see conflicts of interest. In particular the buying and selling of stock depending on legislation which is being considered.

[gab13by13]

3. This is not an unprecedented act,

why would the court refuse to follow the law? President Nixon and one other president whose name escapes me had their tax returns released to the public.

[former9thward]

13. Would you like to see all members of Congress release their full returns?

[brooklynite]

2. Unless there is clear evidence of fraud, there is no good reason to release them.

Regardless of tradition by candidates, tax records are confidential and there's no legal obligation to release them.

[gab13by13]

6. There is no legal obligation not to release them.

Not releasing them would be another case of Democrats bringing a feather to a gun fight.

The tax returns should have been turned over 4 years ago. Where is the outrage at Steve Mnuchin for not following the law?

This is what irks me, Trump skirts the law and delays long enough that releasing his taxes becomes meaningless,

House Democrats need to grow a pair.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

9. There IS legal obligation 26 U.S. Code § 6103

Either traitortrump is special or he is not. If he is not, then those returns that the Committee holds can't be disclosed without his written consent.

This is the same law relied upon by the Ways and Means Committee to obtain the forms.
26 U.S. Code § 6103 - Confidentiality and disclosure of returns and return information

[gab13by13]

11. I'm not a lawyer, but you are wrong.

The Committee wouldn't be debating whether or not to release them into the Congressional record were it against the law.

Nixon's and 1 other president's taxes were made public.

[SWBTATTReg]

4. tRUMP flouted the law that states that presidents provide their tax returns to Congress so

no conflicts of interest are present w/ candidates. tRUMP is the king of conflicts and refused for years to share his returns, despite even promising several times to do so. Never did.

As a result, since he took forever, until the clock is almost run out, I say put them in the Congressional Record. All six years' worth. This will serve as an appropriate punishment for flouting the laws of this Country. No one is above the law.

[gab13by13]

7. Absolutely, release them to the public,

there should be zero debate over this.

[Igel]

15. Nice one.

There is no such law.

[SWBTATTReg]

17. You're right, but the public does have a right to know of conflicts of interest, etc.

Although there is a heated debate around presidential candidates’ tax returns, they are not required by law to release them to the public. Like anyone else, presidential candidates can exercise their constitutional right to privacy regarding tax returns.

There is ongoing contention about whether presidential candidates should have to release their tax statements. One senator even proposed legislation that would legally bind them to do so. Although not legally required to, almost all presidential and vice-presidential candidates have released portions of their tax returns to the public over the last few decades. Donald Trump was the first major presidential candidate not to release his tax returns, breaking an over 30-year streak.

WHY DO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES RELEASE THEIR TAX STATEMENTS?
In short, presidential candidates release tax information due to a precedent set by former presidents. The public now expects it of them, and refusing to release tax statements might make it seem like the candidate has something to hide.

Etc.

[Walleye]

5. Isn't Bernie Sanders chairman of the Senate finance committee or something. Send them over to him

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. Turn the data over to the Senate Committee on Finance

It's been such a long battle to get the forms, here are some reminders:

The letter requesting the data

The law referenced 6103(f) : https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6103

[Silent3]

10. Why worry about "disclosure laws designed to keep tax records confidential"?

It would take the DoJ years to decided whether to even proceed with an indictment on that. Given that outright attempts to overthrow the government of the United States are handled so slowly (with indictments of the big fish still a ways off, if ever), the older committee members will be dead before possibly facing consequences.

(I'd add a sarcasm indicator, but I'm not sure if I'm being sarcastic or not. I'm definitely tired of Democrats bringing butter knives to gun fights.)

[gab13by13]

12. It's not against the law to release them.

“There is a provision of law in the Internal Revenue Code which says that the committee cannot release information obtained with respect to a taxpayers’ return until a report has been filed with the Congress,” then-Ways and Means Committee Chairman Wilbur Mills said in 1974, in releasing the report on Nixon.

[Igel]

16. Note the tenses.

That was 1974.

Has the law changed in the last 48 years?

I don't know.

[Trueblue1968]

14. RELEAST THE TURDS TAXES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!