How to Make Trump's Tax Returns Public

[dalton99a]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/04/opinion/trump-tax-return-public-lawsuit.html

How to Make Trump’s Tax Returns Public
By David Cay Johnston
July 4, 2018

On June 14, the New York State attorney general, Barbara Underwood, filed a civil complaint against President Trump and his three oldest children, accusing them of “persistently illegal conduct” in using the Donald J. Trump Foundation as “little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality.” ...

Ms. Underwood sent those letters, at the same time she filed the civil complaint, because New York state law does not grant her automatic authority to initiate criminal investigations. Her criminal referral to Washington noted that it would be a crime for the president to interfere in such an investigation. However, given Mr. Trump’s assertion that he has the power to halt any criminal inquiry and to pardon himself for federal crimes, a criminal investigation by any part of the federal executive branch seems highly unlikely.

The attorney general could, however, easily gain that authority. All that’s needed is for Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the New York State Police or the state Department of Taxation and Finance to make a request, and the authority would be granted to her. Criminal jurisdiction also rests with Cyrus Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney. Mr. Vance has shown no interest, so far, in investigating other complaints against Mr. Trump.

A state or county criminal investigation that begins with abuse of the Donald J. Trump Foundation need not be limited to violations of charity and election law. It can also examine his personal and business tax filings and, in the process, lawfully put his tax returns in the public record.

Mr. Trump reportedly used hundreds of thousands of foundation dollars to settle legal cases and buy portraits of himself that hang at Trump properties, among other egregious examples of self-dealing. Those foundation expenditures were income, and unless Mr. Trump reported that income, he could be prosecuted for criminal tax fraud. ...

Mr. Trump has a well-documented history of cheating governments. He went to extraordinary lengths to block an audit of how much money he owed New York City in 1986 on the Grand Hyatt Hotel, for which he got a 40-year tax break but agreed to pay the city a share of the hotel’s profits. Mr. Trump’s lawyers claimed that no audit was allowed and there was no requirement to keep business records. Aides then broke appointments with the city auditor general’s team. Mr. Trump’s lawyers asserted that a water pipe break destroyed the records and that ledger copies in Chicago were no longer available.

....

[Maraya1969]

1. A water pipe destroyed all the hotel's records. How convenient. What about the records from

after the water break? And I'm sure there is some legal way to figure out a number for him to pay back.

I wonder what Cyrus Vance gets from refusing to look into any Trump financial crimes. I mean I wonder how much does he get?

[lagomorph777]

7. Any way to pressure Vance? Is he up for re-appointment, or election, or anything?

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Parallel thread

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210830323

[Timmygoat]

3. I am so sick of Trump

With the 4th July holiday, I hear nothing but the rethugs love America more than the Dems, I would guess most of the republicans to include Trump do not pay their fair share of taxes, would you cheat on a country you love?
How about those 5 deferments from the military, if /Trump loved the country he would defend it like thousands of others, why did his sons stay out of the military, too busy cheating people like their dad. As far as that goes I am also sick of Trump using his Pocohontes
name to make fun of Elizabeth Warren, perhaps someone should call him a name for his undocumented, crook of a grandfather who was a pimp and tax evader, also his father, a member of the KKK, also a member of organized crime.
I would say Trump & Co could not ever claim to love /America.

[rickford66]

5. He cheated on all three of his wives. No more needs saying.

[snowy owl]

4. I guess Rule of Law doesn't apply to Trump. Or a lot of elite. I don't get that.

[highplainsdem]

6. K&R. Laurence Tribe says this is a must-read:

Link to tweet

[DavidCayJohnston]

8. ACT don't gripe

If you want action then pick up the phone and call Gov. Cuomo and demand that he act. And when the operators tell you that unless you are a NY resident they don't care tell them you will vote against him if he runs for president. Or give them a NY zip code (14607 is in Rochester, 10018 in midtown Hell's Kitchen Manhattan).

My Tweets @DavidCayJ have Cuomo's number. So does our Action Box at DCReport along with other contacts: https://www.dcreport.org/2018/07/05/johnston-in-the-ny-times-how-to-make-trumps-tax-returns-public/

Take action if you want change. Call, email, organize others to do the same and then get people registered to vote and to the polls. But blogging about something giving hope -- no wonder the minority party is in power.

[dalton99a]

9. Thank you!

https://www.dcreport.org/2018/07/05/johnston-in-the-ny-times-how-to-make-trumps-tax-returns-public/

ACTION BOX / What You Can Do About It

Tell New York to open a criminal investigation of Trump.

Several officials have the legal authority to refer Donald Trump, his three oldest children and others for criminal tax investigation.

First is New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who can direct the New York State Police or New York State Department of Taxation and Finance to refer the matter to Attorney General Barbara Underwood for investigation of tax crimes. Underwood could then examine the tax returns and, if appropriate, seek indictments.

Cuomo takes email via this form. His Twitter is @NYGovCuomo.

Call his office at 518-474-8390.

Cuomo’s mailing address is The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo / Governor of New York State / NYS State Capitol Building / Albany, N.Y. 12224.

Cyrus Vance Jr., the Manhattan District Attorney, also has authority to pursue tax crimes against the state and city.

Call Vance’s office at 212-335-9000. His Twitter is @ManhattanDA.

Vance’s mailing address is One Hogan Place, New York, N.Y. 10013.