MSNBC: Could Bernie Sanders' tax returns drive his supporters away?

[Celerity]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/c/could-bernie-sanders-tax-returns-drive-his-supporters-away/vp-BBVJuOC

2020 frontrunner Bernie Sanders is stalling over releasing his tax returns. Stephanie Ruhle discusses whether Sanders’ records contain anything that can drive his supporters away. Weighing in: MSNBC Contributor Victoria DeFrancisco Soto, Washington Post National Political Reporter Robert Costa, Princeton University Professor Eddie Glaude and Commentary Magazine Associate Editor Noah Rothman.

[dlk]

1. It Could Drive Bernie Off the Ballot in Several States

Can Bernie win if he’s not on the ballot in several states, including California? Without Bernie releasing his tax returns, this will happen.

[dem4decades]

3. If Bernie doesn't release his taxes he shouldn't be on the ballot.

[msongs]

14. states have No authority over presidential candidates running for federal office nt

[dlk]

21. Some States Have Passed Laws Making Release of Tax Returns a Requirement to be on the Ballot

These new laws have nothing whatsoever to do with deciding who runs. It’s about post-Trump transparency and and making the release of tax returns a prerequisite for being on the ballot, California being one. I don’t think Bernie can win if he’s not on the ballot there. Do you?

[SFnomad]

24. Wrong ... the Constitution sets some parameters (qualifications) for President

But state law, not federal law, regulates the majority of United States elections. This includes primaries, general elections and voter eligibility, etc.

[TwilightZone]

30. States have a lot of latitude in determining how elections are run in their states.

If you have a source for your claim, I'd be interested in seeing it.

[Blue_true]

36. Yes they do.

In the primaries they do have that authority. In the General the election becomes federal and states are bound by federal rules.

But, back to primaries. States decide whether their primaries are financed by the state, or by the parties, whether they are open or close and they can set any other condition that does not violate federal anti discrimination laws. Requiring candidates to release tax returns to run in their primary is totally under a state's charter.

[lapucelle]

53. There are ballot access laws in some states. N/T

[brush]

76. He's got a problem. He's been railing against millionaires and billionaires...

for years but by releasing his taves he will reveal himself to be a millionaire, not to mention all of Joan's financial shenanigans.

Oh the hypocrisy.

[walkingman]

2. As someone that supported Bernie last time I see several people these days that interest me more. My

major concern this time is that Dems allow tribal ideology to keep them from voting against the nominee whomever it it is. I hope EVERYONE NEEDS TO REMEMBER THAT THE PRIMARY GOAL IS TO DEFEAT TRUMP.

[OnDoutside]

78. Where were you in 2016 ? The tax returns stuff matters now as then.

How can the Democratic Party be demanding to see Trump's tax returns and not their own candidates ? This is a minimum standard that Democrats are applying, and if you can't meet it, you should not be running.

And as soon as they get back the 3 branches, HR1 will be passed.

[walkingman]

81. Admittedly I didn't pay attention to Bernie's tax returns in 2016. I was attracted to his

progressive agenda. I am tired of being a yellow-dog Democrat and seeing my party being almost Republican lite. I much prefer a more left agenda but realize that for the most part any Dem is better than the best Republican. My dream would be for the American voter to realize that the "Conservative" agenda is all about Corporations over people, Military aggressiveness, and Religious rationalization for disgusting public policy.

What happened to “Harmony and understanding,” as the song promised, along with “sympathy and trust abounding.”?

[OnDoutside]

82. It was as much about Bernie's tax returns as it was about Trumps...and MSM gave them a free pass. To

have to listen to that tosh that "Jane does my tax returns and is to busy" was so obviously bogus, especially as he was portraying himself as not being well off, while railing against the millionaires and billionaires.

There's a huge difference between any Democrat and the Republican Party, and the agenda of the Democratic Party is far more open and advanced than the Republican Party. The issue is that the far left preach to people that they can have it all now, and they are unwilling to compromise on anything, which opens the door for Trump again. And if/when Trump wins, they'll be throwing their hands up in angst. Trump has to be beaten, nothing else matters.

[walkingman]

87. Agree that beating Trump is all that matters. However, I do not see the equivalency between

Bernie and Trump. Bernie should be willing to to share his tax returns but for me it is obvious that Trump is hiding something. His history of multiple bankruptcies, huge loans from Russian oligarchs, questionable real estate dealings, and refusal to divest himself of his businesses put him in a category by himself.

If Bernie being the nominee when all is said and done and he can beat Trump - I'm fine with that. From what I have read recently concerning many, many public officials failing to pay back taxes with no repercussions, it points out that the working class is being screwed. Most working people pay their taxrs on earned income and most wealthy people get it through capital gains. The system is rigged in favor of the wealthy and that is just a fact. Otherwise we would not have such a complex tax system.

[Gothmog]

4. This was a great segment by MSNBC

Link to tweet

[Cha]

9. Voters are asking bc BS is always pushing

for "Transparency".

Certainly he can be Fully Transparent himself?

[BeckyDem]

5. Nope, not a chance.

[WeekiWater]

6. At this point it has to be more than the confirmation he is a one per center.

That is known without them.

I’m assuming he wants people to throw out assumptions in order to set expectations.

[Autumn]

7. Nope. Bernie said he will release them after the tax deadline of the 15th. Unless there's a W2

from the Trump foundation I'm fine. I don't mind the wait and I doubt I will even bother to look at them when he does release them.

[BlueFlorida]

8. Not all supporters

of a given candidate wear blinders. Or do they?

[Cha]

10. No, I've seen so many former BS

supporters who don't have them on.

[BlueFlorida]

11. Which is probably why they are "former" n/t

[Autumn]

15. What am I wearing blinders about? His taxes?

I expect him to be a millionaire after all, his books sold well. I know I bought one. Bill and Hillary did well from book sales and their speeches and I certainly don't care about their wealth. In fact I have every book they did including the Buddy and Socks books. The only one I don't have and won't bother to buy is her last book.

https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-makes-one-million-dollars-second-straight-year-book-deals-992845

Along with Our Revolution the senator also penned a young adult book titled Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution, which urged his young voters to participate in progressive political movements.

Then in 2017, Sanders did it again. Financial disclosure reports filed in May show that the senator pocketed about $1.06 million last year. Most of his income, $885,767, came from book royalties and advances as Sanders has another book in the works with Macmillan-St. Martin's Press. The book is titled Where We Go From Here and will be released on October 30.

Historically, Sanders has been one of the least wealthy members of Congress, making little above his Senate salary of $174,000. In 2013, he was the 86th richest senator of the 100-person chamber, according to a report by NPR.

[UniteFightBack]

13. You don't care about his returns huh? Doubt you'll even look at them. Who does that remind me of?nt

[Autumn]

17. I don't need to look at them. It will be days of investigating every pixel on them.

Anything amiss will be shouted from the rooftop. I have concerns for a few posters though if nothing evil shows up.

You are accusing me of being a Trumper based on my post?

Autumn (34,031 posts)

7. Nope. Bernie said he will release them after the tax deadline of the 15th. Unless there's a W2

from the Trump foundation I'm fine. I don't mind the wait and I doubt I will even bother to look at them when he does release them.

By the way you do know he released a Senate Financial Disclosure in May of 2017? I don't expect any surprises.

https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-makes-one-million-dollars-second-straight-year-book-deals-992845

In 2016, Sanders became a millionaire for the first time largely due to royalties from his book Our Revolution. The book, which shares his personal experiences on the campaign trail and outlines a progressive policy agenda, quickly became a New York Times best-seller and involved a 19-stop book tour across the country.

Along with Our Revolution the senator also penned a young adult book titled Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution, which urged his young voters to participate in progressive political movements.

Then in 2017, Sanders did it again. Financial disclosure reports filed in May show that the senator pocketed about $1.06 million last year. Most of his income, $885,767, came from book royalties and advances as Sanders has another book in the works with Macmillan-St. Martin's Press. The book is titled Where We Go From Here and will be released on October 30.

Historically, Sanders has been one of the least wealthy members of Congress, making little above his Senate salary of $174,000. In 2013, he was the 86th richest senator of the 100-person chamber, according to a report by NPR.

[UniteFightBack]

19. I would hope that after all this time he has straightened out anything that would "be amiss".nt

[Gothmog]

20. I look forward to finding out if Jane owns Old Towne Media, LLC

[Autumn]

23. I'm sure you will find out soon. Good luck. Maggie Haberman's been right before.

She has quite the following during her Mueller investigation. At first anyway.

[Gothmog]

89. sanders has not yet reported what happened to 2016 campaign funds

Link to tweet

[cwydro]

66. He never actually said that.

My bet is he won’t.

We’ll know soon.

[Autumn]

67. Yes we will know soon. If he doesn't he won't be on the ballot in some places. nt

[cwydro]

68. Good. nt

[melman]

12. Stephanie Ruhle gets really mad when you criticize billionaires

[Uncle Joe]

16. Stephanie Ruhle reminds me of Kelly Ripa for some reason.

Just a personal observation, it might be their general body language or appearance?

[Cha]

18. BS brings this on himself by saying

in Feb he was going to "release them soon".

Bernie Sanders Still Dragging His Feet on Releasing His Tax Returns

In February, Sanders said he’d release a decade of past returns “sooner rather than later.” More recently, he somewhat vaguely pointed to the April 15 federal tax filing deadline and said he’d release the old returns “very shortly” after that.

http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/04/sanders-still-dragging-his-feet-on-releasing-his-tax-returns.html

[BannonsLiver]

72. Bernie's a wealthy guy

Which is why he’s been hiding his returns for so long. Turns out, he’s one of the people he’s been railing against. Quite inauthentic.

[Cha]

73. Yeah, I saw a tweet of his today

from Dec 2016 where he was really railing against Millionaire$ and Billionaire$.

Thanks to all the pressure on him it looks like we're finally going to see his Full Tax Returns for 10 years.

[Cha]

88. Exactly why..

[NastyRiffraff]

92. He's still railing against Billionaire$

but he's silent about Millionaire$. I wonder why?

[Cha]

94. 'Cause he didn't want to

get caught "railing" against himself.

[DURHAM D]

22. I doubt they will reveal anything interesting.

otoh - I would really like to see the financial reports he never filed with the FEC in 2016.

[RandySF]

27. He reportedly doesn't want his personal wealth made public.

Last edited Mon Apr 8, 2019, 10:24 PM - Edit history (1)

[Blue_true]

39. Yet he constantly bash people about personal wealth.

That is rather hypocritical of him.

Given how long he has been in federal government, the minimum that I expect is that he is a millionaire.

If he is just a millionaire, release of his tax returns is a non event that he can explain pretty easily.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

28. He files the reports every year for the Senate. If you are so interested, they are available online

[DURHAM D]

37. Not the same thing. nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

38. Personal financial disclosures. So yeah.

[Blue_true]

41. LOL.

Not the same think, not remotely. In the Senate he only has to give a range, which can be both big and distorted toward the low end.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

50. So the range can be both on the high end or distorted to the low end?

So take the high end. What’s the problem again?

Is it going to uncover some dastardly conspiracy if he has $300k in his CREF retirement account versus $100k?

Go pull his Senate disclosures and use the high numbers on all his assets. Then get back to me with your grave concerns. I’d love to hear this...

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

57. Cue the crickets... chirp! chirp!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[DURHAM D]

43. Nope - FEC campaign financial info

he didn't file

https://publicintegrity.org/federal-politics/how-bernie-sanders-beat-the-clock-and-avoided-disclosure/

[Hassin Bin Sober]

46. You keep saying campaign financial information but your article (and the law) says personal.

Note: campaign financials are still required after he is no longer a candidate.

The only requirement that drops off is the personal financial disclosure - he still has to file The Senate version (which still requires income and positions held)

Information Required in OGE’s Public Financial Disclosure Report
EIGA requires that candidates for the office of President of the United States disclose their financial interests.8 The information required in the Public Financial Disclosure Report, OGE Form 278, includes a brief description of any financial interest held by the filer, the filer’s spouse, and dependent children, as well as these individuals’ noninvestment and investment income. OGE Form 278 and resources on how to properly report financial interests are available on OGE’s Web site at http://www.oge.gov. For more information on how to properly report financial interests on OGE Form 278, contact OGE at [phone].
B. OGE’s Public Financial Disclosure Report must be Filed with the FEC
A candidate must initially file OGE’s Public Financial Disclosure Report with the FEC. For more information on how to file a Public Financial Disclosure Report with the FEC, contact the FEC's Office of General Counsel's General Law and Advice Division at [phone]. After the FEC receives the submission, it sends a copy to OGE for review. OGE’s review of the candidate’s financial interests ensures legal compliance with reporting requirements under EIGA. Because the reporting requirements under EIGA are very detailed, it is usually necessary for a candidate or a candidate’s representatives to consult with OGE to ensure technical compliance with the law.

[LongtimeAZDem]

49. Totally beside the point; he promised to release his taxes years ago. If he was a man of his word,

he would have done it already. Since he hasn't, he isn't.

It's that simple.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

52. You'll get the taxes soon. Very soon.

[LongtimeAZDem]

54. Too late; if he had any integrity, he would have done it long ago.

As I posted elsewhere, the actual substance of his returns are irrelevant at this point.

[Thekaspervote]

59. +1000

[Blue_true]

55. So does Gillibrand, Klobuchar, Booker, Harris

But each of those except Harris has released years worth of tax returns. Harris released her tax returns in California every year up through 2015.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

56. I don't think Harris released more than one year and Booker only allowed a limited viewing.

The limited viewing thing with no photographs or copies is kind of odd.

[Blue_true]

58. Harris' returns are public knowledge in California.

I don't know what she released as a senator, that would cover 2016 and 2017 until after April 2019, when 2018 would be applicable. So, if Harris had already released 2016 and released 2017 after announcing, she has released far more than Bernie has.

Booker at least allowed the returns to be viewed, that is something that Bernie has resisted.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

61. As far as I can tell Harris only released 2015 in 2016. No more. Though I'm open to correction.

I think not allowing copies is a bit odd. Nothing I’m going to lose sleep over but odd.

I underwrite mortgages. We require copies. That way if anything comes up there is a paper record. Anything verbal is useless.

I’m not saying he is doing this but he could put anything on those “returns” and nothing could ever be verified if more information came out. It would be a “he said she said” because there would be no paper records of what he provided.

Somehow I doubt that standard would fly with Bernie. Just a guess

Like my lawyer friend says, “say anything put nothing in writing”

Or

Martin Lomasney, an old Boston political boss “Never write if you can speak; never speak if you can nod; never nod if you can wink”.

[Blue_true]

69. I honestly hope that everyone release several sequential years of returns.

So that the issue can be put to bed. But I will admit, I can't trust anyone that don't.

[pnwmom]

71. They don't contain the same information, and they contain numbers in broad ranges,

rather than precise figures.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

74. So use he highest figures. What's the problem?

Is it going to make or break The Republic if he has $300k in his TIAA CREF account and not $100k?

Income and assets are on both reports.

[pnwmom]

75. Personal real estate isn't in the reports. First homes. Second and third homes.

The only real estate listed is income-producing property.


https://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-net-worth-assets-house-salary-book-sales-2019-2#in-2016-sanders-bought-a-1800-square-foot-house-on-the-shore-of-lake-champlain-in-vermont-for-575000-9

[Hassin Bin Sober]

83. Besides being public knowledge, the homes are public record.

We’ve already heard “durrrrrrr he has teh 3 mansions!1!” from conservatives for years.

Face it, this is really a non issue

[pnwmom]

84. If it's a non-issue, then why didn't he release his returns last time around, or in the years

since then?

And what did he mean when he said that he was waiting till he could release the 2018 return, so he'd have ten years to release? If he wanted to release 10 years worth at a time, why didn't he release 2007 - 2017? Or 2006-2016? Or 2005-2015? Was there something in those early years that he didn't want voters to learn about? Otherwise, why the years-long delay?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

85. What about 1985?

[pnwmom]

86. Sure, if he had wanted to he could have made as many years public as Hillary.

But he has only released a single year, a 7 page return from 2014, so far.

[LongtimeAZDem]

25. No; Sanders could shoot somebody and it wouldn't drive his supporters away.

[NurseJackie]

29. Is there even a word for that kind of devotion?

[LongtimeAZDem]

31. Not one that I could use and keep my posting privileges, I expect.

[NurseJackie]

32. I understand.

[Blue_true]

42. Could he shoot somebody on Fifth Avenue in NYC though? nt

[LongtimeAZDem]

48. I decline to answer on the advice of counsel

[Blue_true]

51. Good non answer. nt

[RandySF]

26. Bernie may have no choice.

States like WA, MD and NJ are moving legislation to require tax returns for a place on the presidential ballot. He may not have a choice if he doesn't want to lose out on delegates.

[NurseJackie]

33. Whatever he's hiding...

... well, you know.

[Blue_true]

44. For President, their actions are likely unconstitutional

because that election is federal. But for primaries they can require release of tax returns for a place on their primary ballot, IF they run the primary election instead of the parties. Here in Florida the state runs all even year elections and special elections, I think states like California and New York do the same, so they can set a tax return requirement for primaries only.

[RandySF]

45. MD and NJ already run the primaries

WA has held primaries for years but they never counted because of the caucuses, but that's about to change.

[Historic NY]

34. Were going to have to put up with the same bullshit from him and Jane...

they're going to run dab smack into a few states that they have to show them to be on the ballot. What is Bernie Sanders hiding.

[Blue_true]

35. Bernie is likely a millionaire.

That may be causing him heartburn, but stuff like that can be explained easily enough if he got his money honestly.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

40. His personal financial disclosures already show that.

He earned a bunch of money from his books.

The media, and many here, already did the “omg! Bernie is a millionaire!1!” Shtick

I’m sure we will hear it again from the usuals as if it is some new revelation. This being silly season and all...

[trueblue2007]

47. it is not silly. BERNIE...... WHERE ARE YOUR TAXES, DAMMIT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JI7]

60. his supporters don't care

[comradebillyboy]

62. It's difficult for me to imagint the circumstances that would compell

me to support Bernie Sanders in the primaries.

[Gothmog]

63. Release the tax returns

Link to tweet

?s=20

[RandySF]

64. His stubbornness will drive more people away than anything likely in his returns.

[Quixote1818]

65. I am sure corporate MSNBC hopes so. nt

[aidbo]

70. Haha. No.

[CentralMass]

77. No.

[tirebiter]

79. It would be hilarious if Bernie was richer than Trump

[Gothmog]

90. What happened to sanders 2016 campaign funds?

Link to tweet

[TwilightZone]

93. They were carried forward.

There's a good explanation in that thread.

[Gothmog]

95. There was no accounting for the disposition of these funds

[BlueFlorida]

91. I dOnT tHinK tHeY wIlL bE dRiVeN aWaY nt