How a Democratic House Could Reveal Trump's Tax Returns.

[georgephillip]

https://newrepublic.com/article/150213/democratic-house-really-give-trump-hell

"New Mexico Senator Tom Udall has been on a months-long mission to solve one of the enduring mysteries of the era: What’s in President Donald Trump’s tax returns..."

If Democrats retake the House, they will have the power to "possibly" put Trump's tax returns into the public square:

"On Thursday morning, Udall was back at it, appearing on MSNBC’s Morning Joe saying he would support legislation to force presidential candidates to publicly release their tax returns. 'I think it’s very important that people know if there are conflicts of interest that the president might have, that we clear that up,' he replied. 'The easiest thing to do here is just disclose all the tax returns.'

"What Udall didn’t mention is that Congress doesn’t need legislation to release the president’s tax returns.

"If Democrats retake either the House or the Senate this fall members of the tax committees can obtain Trump’s tax returns directly from the IRS by using a provision in federal law that grants those committees special access to help craft legislation."

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

 

[JuliefromOhio]

Trump is destroying the Republican party.....just because that's what he does to everything in his path. All they'd had to do was demand during the primaries that every candidate running for president cough up tax returns for the last 10 years or drop out. They shall rue the day they didn't bother to do that.

 

[Addy]

Great OP on the NYT link. Thanks, George.

excerpt:
How to Make Trump’s Tax Returns Public

New York State tax returns strictly adhere to the federal tax system’s definition of income, so an audit of Mr. Trump’s state tax returns would apply equally to his federal tax returns. If an investigation concludes that Mr. Trump cheated the state, Ms. Underwood and Mr. Vance have the authority to put Mr. Trump’s tax returns — both state and federal — into the public record by filing civil or criminal tax fraud charges.

That disclosure could be much more important than the result of any potential criminal investigation. On the surface, the numbers on Mr. Trump’s tax returns will appear to comply with the law, as did the summary pages of his 2005 income tax return, which I disclosed last year. But a criminal audit would allow investigators to inspect the transactions justifying each entry on the tax returns. Those transactions would reveal whether Mr. Trump engaged in money laundering for Russians
and others, whether he fully reported profits from his more than 500 business organizations and whether he took unwarranted deductions or excessive expenses to lower his income taxes.

I believe that we, as citizens, own our government and that we should act like owners. The owners of New York State’s government should remind the governor, the Manhattan district attorney, the State Police and state tax authorities that they have a duty to initiate a thorough criminal investigation of Mr. Trump’s state and city tax returns and, if appropriate, to prosecute.
Mr. Trump asserts that he is no crook despite abundant indications to the contrary. Let’s find out the truth.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/04/opinion/trump-tax-return-public-lawsuit.html

 

[georgephillip]

New York State tax returns strictly adhere to the federal tax system’s definition of income, so an audit of Mr. Trump’s state tax returns would apply equally to his federal tax returns. If an investigation concludes that Mr. Trump cheated the state, Ms. Underwood and Mr. Vance have the authority to put Mr. Trump’s tax returns — both state and federal — into the public record by filing civil or criminal tax fraud charges.

It is interesting how Mr. Vance and the current governor of New York, both prominent Democrats, have the authority to put Trump's tax returns into the public record, yet each seems reluctant to offend wealthy New York real estate speculators?

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

"Ms. Underwood (New York State attorney general) believes there is abundant evidence to bring criminal charges against Mr. Trump as well.

"She made that position very clear in the letters she sent to the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Election Commission in Washington recommending 'further investigation and legal action.'

"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..."

"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."
http://www.crainsnewyork.com/articl...lopment-programs-citing-donald-trump-as-proof