New Jersey law would require tax returns from presidential candidates to appear on ballot

[Jersey Devil]

Source: News 12 New Jersey

TRENTON - Two Democratic New Jersey lawmakers have introduced legislation that would require that future presidential candidates release their tax returns to get on the state's ballot.

Newly sworn-in President Donald Trump refused to release his tax returns during last year's campaign, citing a federal audit.
Assemblyman John McKeon says that raises questions and possible ethical dilemmas. He says that making tax returns public would clear up questions about any debt to foreign states.

The bill would require any presidential or vice presidential candidate release at least five years of returns to get onto New Jersey's ballot. They would also have to allow for the tax returns to be released to the public.


Read more: http://newjersey.news12.com/news/new-jersey-law-would-require-tax-returns-from-presidential-candidates-to-appear-on-ballot-1.12990844

[MattP]

1. Need a swing state to pass this law

[dalton99a]

4. +1

[BluegrassDem]

7. Not necessarily, it would kill the GOP down ballot if the nominee is not on the ballot

republican candidates could get washed out, even in a blue state, if voters stay home due to the nominee not being on the ballot. We need as many states as possible pass this law!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. I believe New Mexico is also attempting to do this.

[madville]

3. Trump would just ignore it if he runs for a second term

If Hawaii, New Jersey, California, and New Mexico pass proposed versions of this it really would't matter to Trump since he wouldn't be able to win those states anyway. Since the popular vote is meaningless he could write those states off.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. That would allow the Democratic candidate to focus all resources on other states

That would be helpful.

[lark]

6. I really hope this law passes in NJ and CA.

Pre-emptive move to stop him in 4 years because he can not let us know the truth or he'd be in jail.

[cstanleytech]

8. I would also look to include that they must put all their assets in a blind trust before

October 1st if they want to be on the Nov. ballot.

[Igel]

9. Some things can't be put in a blind trust.

That means either you liquidate (because owners of certain kinds of things are prohibited from seeking office) or bail.

Notice that last bit: It's a non-Constitutional state-level constraint on who can run for office.

Schaub, the civil servant who decided that his job included lobbying in the press, at first said "blind trust." Then he admitted, when asked if some assets could be put in a blind trust, that it wasn't possible. By this his first claim, the one that's false, was widely accepted as true.

[cstanleytech]

10. Fine what about requiring plans to be filed that detail the blind trust should the person

win the Presidency? If they dont win then nothing happens if they win then it kicks in.

[whistler162]

11. My first question was....

how would they put the returns on the ballets?

[drm604]

13. It's not saying that.

They would have to publicly release their returns in order for their names to appear on the ballot. There wouldn't be hundreds of pages of returns physically on the ballot.

[briv1016]

12. Congress would just pass a law superseding it.

The Supreme court would back them. Especially is Ginsburg is out of the picture.

[MosheFeingold]

14. I don't think a state can do this.

The requirements to be president are in the Constitution. Releasing tax returns is not one of the requirements, as wise as it may be.

It's a bit like the 2nd Amendment. We can piddle around, but the only real solution is to amend the Constitution.