U.S. House Democrats to seek Trump tax returns

Given his history of lies and fraud, wanting to see his taxes is just common sense. Checks and balances is a good thing, not a bad thing.

If you want his taxes so bad trade them for the wall funding and save the American people another nonsense “investigation” based only on the evidence of might and could be and we hope so.

OR, we don't build that stupid wall and still get Donny's tax returns. I like that one better. Trumpeter's are really overplaying their hand at this point.

The WSJ is reporting that Trump's inauguration team is under criminal investigation in New York based on information from Cohen involving paying for influence and misusing funds.

Current headline on Fox? The Clinton's will be investigated by....the GOP.... involving paying for influence.

This is why liberals scare me, Trump’s tax returns are way more important than the security and safety and the sovereignty of this country.

Trump's tax returns are directly connected to the security and safety of the country. If the president is financially beholden to non-American interests, it means he is making his decisions not based on the best interests of America, but the best interests of his financial requirements. That means he may be making decisions that prioritize benefit to the countries he is financially beholden to over America. You think that's ok in a president?

From what I've read, Congress has the ability to request a judge to subpeona any citizen's tax records if it can prove such are required to further an ongoing investigation. So, first, a House committee must launch an investigation; that committee must provide compeling reasons why this info is required for investigation completion to a judge; and Trump will be allowed to fight tooth and nail against it.

Whether the Dems will succeed is unknown, but even just the effort will add to Trump's legal worries and further expose his hypocrisy - and vulnarability to prosecution once out of office.

Bass, you don't have to look at his tax returns if they are released. Just click away from any website articles and cover your ears if it pops up on TV news.

What a bunch of hogwash. The only people that want to see them are the Democrats

Don’t you want to see Trump’s tax returns so that he can prove these witch hunters wrong and ridicule them while boosting his own chances of winning in 2020?

This is a win-win for Trump supporters. Why you are not looking forward to this is strange.

Just twenty-one days till Trump's worst nightmares begin. Stock up on popcorn!

I'm thinking that if Mueller doesn't already have Trump's taxes the Southern District of New York does...

Let's see, how many times as the GOF (Great Orange Fibber) lied about releasing his tax returns...

2011

"I may tie my tax returns, I'd love to give my tax returns, I may tie my tax returns into Obama's birth certificate."

He also hinted he might release them "if I decide to run" for office.

2012

With Mitt Romney running on the Republican presidential ticket, Trump again and again offered a bit of advice from one businessman to another: The candidate must release his tax returns, ASAP.

Trump started saying this in January, telling Fox News that releasing the returns is a "great thing" because it lets a person prove "you've been successful, and that you've made a lot of money."

"I actually think it's a positive," he said.

In the final weeks of the campaign, Trump even fell back on his birther deal, telling CNN he urged Romney to release his returns if Obama showed his birth certificate. Trump said it could be "a swap."

2014

"If I decide to run for office, I'll produce my tax returns, absolutely. And I would love to do that," he said in an interview with Ireland's TV3.

2015

Months before announcing his presidential candidacy, Trump assured that he'd release the returns as part of his proof that he "would make money for our country."

"I would certainly show tax returns if it was necessary," he said in a February radio interview with Hugh Hewitt.

As the year neared its ends, and Trump surged in the GOP primary polls, he said he was "thinking about" letting the returns out.

2016

In January, Trump said he and his campaign were "working on" getting the returns out, but it was hard because it "is not, like a normal tax return."

Starting the next month, though, Trump introduced the excuse he'd stay with for the rest of the campaign: He couldn't get them out because he was under a "routine audit" from the IRS.

In various February interviews and appearances, he called the audit "very complicated" but said the returns would emerge once it was over.

But he shooed away even basic questions about his tax rate, telling George Stephanopoulos in an interview that it was "none of your business."

Meanwhile, on the campaign trail, Trump scolded Romney for waiting until weeks before the 2012 election to release his returns, with Trump implying this played a part in the candidate's defeat.

Trump stuck to the audit line right through the election, even saying in one of the presidential debates against Clinton that the returns would come "as soon as the audit's finished."

But by Election Day, the only thing that emerged were pages from his 1995 returns that were leaked to the New York Times. They revealed that, at the time, Trump's businesses had lost nearly a billion dollars, enough to allow him to skirt income tax for up to 18 years.

2017

A reporter asked Trump about the returns in his first press conference as President-elect. Almost reflexively, he replied, "Well, I'm not releasing the tax returns because as you know, they're under audit."

When pressed, though, Trump said for the first time that he simply didn't believe the American public cared about seeing them, because he won the election.

The issue did not seriously resurface again until another leak of his returns, this time from 2005. The White House confirmed the authenticity of the pages even as Trump dismissed it as "fake news."

He's lying for a reason - get the returns - they're laden with crime and fraud.....

If you want his taxes so bad trade them for the wall funding and save the American people another nonsense “investigation” based only on the evidence of might

Heh, you guys manufacturing outrage about nonsense investigations is as hypocritical as... well as anything has ever been hypocritical. I hope you don't expect us to do anything except shake our heads at the ridiculousness of your feigned outrage. You people clearly, obviously, and without any doubt whatsoever have no problem whatsoever with as many investigations as you want, if it's about one of your conspiracy theories. Yet suddenly when there is a very reasonable basis behind an investigation, you have problems with them? Boo-fricken-hoo.

And why would the Democrats trade a wall they don't want for the records they can get by subpoena? That makes no sense whatsoever.

And then what?

And then we find out if the man who is leading the US is financially beholden to owners in other countries.

If Obama were owned by Iran or Cuba, you would be going ballistic. So surely you'd see that Trump being owned by Russian and or Saudi Arabia would not be a good thing.

Well no, not surely - you've shown you place hyperpartisanship over patriotism in the past.

And another investigation...this administration is the most lawless in our history - it's filled with fraudsters, cheaters, liars, felons and traitors...one big crime family led by the "Orange Don"....

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/federal-prosecutors-probing-trump-inauguration-spending-wsj/ar-BBQVggE?ocid=ientp

Mueller took down Gotti - he'll take down this one too...and if he doesn't, there's three other investigations that will...

Bass: Then the scrtutiny should hurled toward the corrupt Mueller and brown shirt Democrats under him

No one knows what you are talking about.

Can't wait to see how much of a liar about supposed finances Trump is. Appearance is everything. Bet he's leveraged to near $0 (when compared to his claimed assets).

Well, I'm going to need a very big bag of popcorn for this.

I expect that his declared income is about a million a year, a little below his boasted $300m. Hiding income is something in sure he's very good at.

Eric Trump: “We don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia

So how much slush fund does the government have?

What I want to know is why did Eric Trump say the above when Donald Trump has said on 23 occasions he has no business ties with Russia?

On at least 23 occasions since the summer of 2016, Mr. Trump has said either that he had “nothing” to do with Russia, or that he has “no deals,” no investments and no “business” in Russia.

No one takes you seriously when you consistently post blatantly false information

And the same goes to you, sir.

Sir, you said its only Democrats that want to see Trump release his tax returns and I provided information that Mark Sanford, a Republican Senator also called for the returns to be released. 

What you posted was completely false - please just admit it, apologize, and say you'll be more careful...

It’s just not rocket science to me. Trump is a proven scammer and known liar. Of course seeing his tax returns would be appropriate oversight. 

Oversight to what? You’ll feel better once you know and then what? You can sleep well, you don’t have to lock your doors? Lol

See above...

Absolutely hilarious, knowing what’s in Trump’s taxes is not going to change the haters perception, so I think at this point, the Dems they can try, but the President should use his powers to the hilt to stop these people from seeing them.

Or, at the very least, let him stand in front of America and refuse.

After he promised at least 10 times to release them - yes, explain those lies to the American people Mr President...

His supporters will be obedient regardless so what does he have to lose?

Unlike the haters that frolic in others misery, the man has nothing to lose and like with Obama, he didn’t have to show his birth certificate and the right made the same baseless and stupid argument, what does he have to lose? The answer is, nothing.

But Obama did show his certificate - and even now Trump can't admit he was wrong - that shows a very sick individual...

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/28/politics/donald-trump-barack-obama-birth-certificate-nyt/index.html

And did you see the latest bombshell - both Cohen and Pecker will testify that Trump was in the room and directed the conversation to capture and kill the Stormy story - smoking gun on conspiracy....

He's toast...and I'm dreaming on....

To be honest, tax records aren't really something he should be embarrassed or worried about showing the FBI because anything irregular or any new illegalities that are illuminated from auditing them can and will just be attributed to mistakes by Mr. Trump's lawyers, staff, accountants, and bedmakers.

This isn't what is being looked for though. Releasing tax records is how presidents show they are not beholden to other nations.

Trump's personal financial information would help illuminate whether foreign leaders might have leverage over the president.

All Trump's life he's had armies of highly paid accountants and attorneys cover up his shady dealings and find ways to limit the amount of tax he's paid.

His administration controls the IRS. It's likely Trump and members of his syndicate have been able to hide much of the slime that defines his business history. Still, the public needs to know.

It will be interesting indeed to learn what connections the Trump syndicate have to MbS and others in the Saudi 'royal' family, plus the other oil 'royals' in the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and other states, and especially what connections the Trump-gumi have with Putin and his oligarchs.

In addition to foreign leaders, the public need to know what investments Trump has in US based corporations. How many corporations are benefitting from his war industry policies and spending, from reductions in environmental protection, from consumer rights protection, from workers rights protection in his and the GOP's attempts to further corporatocracy.

It’s just not rocket science to me. Trump is a proven scammer and known liar. Of course seeing his tax returns would be appropriate oversight.

Or, at the very least, let him stand in front of America and refuse. His supporters will be obedient regardless so what does he have to lose?

the President should use his powers to the hilt to stop these people from seeing them.

Bass, I’m starting to think you are doubting Trump’s claim that he’s clean. Are you ‘evolving’ on this issue?

Listen JT posters, if President Trump had ANY tax irregularities the IRS would be all over him

Exactly. Why Trump doesn’t willingly release his tax returns to take these witch hunters to the cleaners is very confusing.

Trump may be doing something like the Ali rope-a-dope before putting these witch hunters on the canvas. It may even be described as 4D chess.

Blacklabel: "If you want his taxes so bad trade them for the wall funding and save the American people another nonsense “investigation” based only on the evidence of might and could be and we hope so."

No surprise you guys support extortion. In any case, the fun part is that Trump would still say "no". Of course, if you have an ounce of morality -- which Trump supporters obviously do not -- you wouldn't be suggesting funding for a border wall in exchange for giving information that might not only be concealing a crime, but that every other president does willingly because they are hiding Nothing.

bass4funk: Love how you are for Trump continuing to hide from revealing his taxes, but still support Trump's demands for an Obama Birth certificate, despite it being proven -- by showing it -- time and again he is American born and raised. Hint: The REAL certificate is next to Iraq's WMDs... which are still out there!

Listen JT posters, if President Trump had ANY tax irregularities the IRS would be all over him and every MSM station would devote all their time on that story.

What does this have to do with anything? You aren't under the silly impression that we want to see his tax returns to look for irregularities, are you? That would just be icing on the cake. Definitely not what is being looked for though.

And by the way, I'm still looking for the news report...

Good for you. Have a cookie. None of us care what you're still looking for.

This is why liberals scare me, Trump’s tax returns are way more important than the security and safety and the sovereignty of this country.

Totally! How can knowing if Trump is beholden to anyone help national security as much as an unnecessary wall? Why can't libs understand that us conservatives know best about national security?

Wanting to see Trump’s tax returns is understandable. All presidents in recent history have released them. Trump himself said he would release them but then suspiciously decided not to.

You think Trump is clean so no worries. He can make them look like fools. You must be looking forward to seeing them.

What a bunch of hogwash. The only people that want to see them are the Democrats,

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/397471-gop-lawmaker-renews-call-for-trump-to-release-tax-returns-following-putin

other than that it does nothing for the economy and it does nothing for the country knowing about his tax returns.

Existing law — specifically, 26 USC §6103(f)(1) and (4)(A) — already authorizes the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation to obtain any of the president’s returns from the IRS without his consent, carry out an investigation and release the information to Congress for potential disclosure to the public, as long as there is a legitimate purpose.

Eric Trump:  “We don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia.”

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/05/eric-trump-russia-investment-golf-course

Seriously, you guys....

No one takes you seriously when you consistently post blatantly false information...

 if Trump's business generates conflicts of interest.

I think there’s no longer a need to be PC (which I know Trump supporters and other rightists abhor) and use ‘if’ when it’s well known ‘Trump’s businesses generate conflicts of interest.'

Here’s a website keeping track: https://sunlightfoundation.com/tracking-trumps-conflicts-of-interest/

Here are others.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/16/donald-trumps-properties-reveal-unprecedented-conflicts-of-interest-warns-public-citizen-report.html

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/370488-trumps-scandalous-conflicts-of-interest-live-on

https://www.citizensforethics.org/press-release/crew-releases-report-profiting-presidency-years-worth-president-trumps-conflicts-interest/

Maybe a Trump supporter can find links from quasi-public Fox’news’, RT/Sputnik, Breitbart, infowars, or the other rightist outlets protecting the President (while spewing fake news).

If the president is financially beholden to non-American interests, it means he is making his decisions not based on the best interests of America, but the best interests of his financial requirements. That means he may be making decisions that prioritize benefit to the countries he is financially beholden to over America. You think that's ok in a president?

You're not American, it won’t hurt your paycheck or investments, if you have any.

So you think it is ok for the president to be financially beholden to governments of other countries on a personal level?

Then the scrtutiny should hurled toward the corrupt Mueller and brown shirt Democrats under h

Preach on, brother Bass! Libs just don't get the information us conservatives get from Mueller TV. We've seen irrefutable evidence of Mueller and his band of impeccable lawyers not acting in a bias manner!

Admittedly, Teflon Don has had an impressive run by fooling some of the people all of the time, but anyone of sound mind can easily see that Trump's time in the White House is running out.

I don’t think so at all, quite the opposite. Democrats are once again overreaching on this.

Couldn't agree more! Us conservatives are rubber and libs are glue, what they say bounces off us and sticks to them. LOL! Kudos!

This is a win-win for Trump supporters. Why you are not looking forward to this is strange.

We know it's a win-win for our Dear Leader. The issue for us is it's unnecessary. Why libs can't understand that is beyond us.

what does he have to lose? The answer is, nothing.

But so much to gain. That he doesn't realize this... Or does but still chooses not to show... Yes he has a lot to lose.

@Andrew

Who is threatening to shut down the government?

Another words the Democrats are going to waste the next two years until the next Presidential election .

Right? Us conservatives know that justice isn't that important.

Trump is guilty of fraudulent practices, tax evasion, money laundering, stealing. He is not above the law!

Poor Nancy must be unaware that Trump is not legally required to divulge his tax returns.

Right? Our Dear Leader is above the law, so not even subpoenas can force him to divulge his taxes. He has nothing to hide anyway, which is why us conservatives aren't worried at all; we're just making excuses because that's what we like to do!

What? Partisan? Lol

I know! Libs think partisan means constantly bagging off on the other side whilst turning a blind eye to our side's shortcomings. They need to check the dictionary!

I’m sorry, but I’ve always been consistent in my displeasure how both sides have played this. It’s ludicrous.

So true, and your posts back up this assertion!

And another investigation...this administration is the most lawless in our history - it's filled with fraudsters, cheaters, liars, felons and traitors.

Sounds like the Democratic Party. LOL.

Mueller took down Gotti - he'll take down this one too...and if he doesn't, there's three other investigations that will...

Libs are soooo desperate (to ensure criminals are brought to justice)!

What a bunch of hogwash. The only people that want to see them are the Democrats, other than that it does nothing for the economy and it does nothing for the country knowing about his tax returns. Seriously, you guys....

Absolutely! It's not as if Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he puts himself above everyone/everything. It's not like knowing if he is financially beholden to foreign interests would explain his stable behavior and well thought out plans.

You're not American, it won’t hurt your paycheck or investments, if you have any. It just won’t be that easy for the Democrats to get to hands on his tax returns that is a fact they’re going to try, of course he will begin their hands on him it’s a whole different ball park.

Amen! Why can't libs understand that America isn't inextricably intertwined with the rest of the world financially and politically?! Har! ROFL! Smh. Oh my . . .

Please not far-right Christian evangelist Penge as next world boss.

To be honest, tax records aren't really something he should be embarrassed or worried about showing the FBI because anything irregular or any new illegalities that are illuminated from auditing them can and will just be attributed to mistakes by Mr. Trump's lawyers, staff, accountants, and bedmakers. These are the people that should be held accountable, not Mr. Trump, and not Mr. President. That's what he seems to think anyways, right?

Strangerland, You are correct. Again, he will dismiss any findings as faults of his staff and/or actions that any businessman like himself has pursued which should render him innocent of any misconduct because he is a human incapable of wrongdoing, so he seems to believe. So what I don't understand is, why he won't cough up? He seems to blab all day about being cleaner than the pope or Clinton or Obama or any other President, yet he is unwilling to share any private info? And he wants to be transparent.

Poor Nancy must be unaware that Trump is not legally required to divulge his tax returns.

Trump's tax returns are directly connected to the security and safety of the country.

What a bunch of hogwash. The only people that want to see them are the Democrats, other than that it does nothing for the economy and it does nothing for the country knowing about his tax returns. Seriously, you guys....

If the president is financially beholden to non-American interests, it means he is making his decisions not based on the best interests of America, but the best interests of his financial requirements. That means he may be making decisions that prioritize benefit to the countries he is financially beholden to over America. You think that's ok in a president?

You're not American, it won’t hurt your paycheck or investments, if you have any. It just won’t be that easy for the Democrats to get to hands on his tax returns that is a fact they’re going to try, of course he will begin their hands on him it’s a whole different ball park.

What a crock! It's not as if Trump's tax returns will help us understand if Trunp receives money from foreign sources so acts in certain ways. This is just another witch hunt, but it won't be as successful as the Mueller's.

Another words the Democrats are going to waste the next two years until the next Presidential election .

Eric Trump: “We don’t rely on American banks. We have all the funding we need out of Russia

So how much slush fund does the government have?

No one takes you seriously when you consistently post blatantly false information

And the same goes to you, sir.

It’s just not rocket science to me. Trump is a proven scammer and known liar. Of course seeing his tax returns would be appropriate oversight. 

Oversight to what? You’ll feel better once you know and then what? You can sleep well, you don’t have to lock your doors? Lol

Absolutely hilarious, knowing what’s in Trump’s taxes is not going to change the haters perception, so I think at this point, the Dems they can try, but the President should use his powers to the hilt to stop these people from seeing them.

Or, at the very least, let him stand in front of America and refuse.

He did and since liberals have a failed memory, we’ve been down this road before.

His supporters will be obedient regardless so what does he have to lose?

Unlike the haters that frolic in others misery, the man has nothing to lose and like with Obama, he didn’t have to show his birth certificate and the right made the same baseless and stupid argument, what does he have to lose? The answer is, nothing.

Don’t you want to see Trump’s tax returns

No, I didn’t care about the birth certificate thing either.

so that he can prove these witch hunters wrong and ridicule them while boosting his own chances of winning in 2020? 

Then the scrtutiny should hurled toward the corrupt Mueller and brown shirt Democrats under him

This is a win-win for Trump supporters. Why you are not looking forward to this is strange.

Yeah, some my conservative colleagues said the same about the birth certificate. Smh.

Given his history of lies and fraud, wanting to see his taxes is just common sense. Checks and balances is a good thing, not a bad thing

And then what? Will it put more money in your pocket, make you not not feel safe when you step out of your house? Again, this whole obsessive thirst for Democrats to get Trump’s is not going to be an easy one even with a majority.

OR, we don't build that stupid wall and still get Donny's tax returns.

This is why liberals scare me, Trump’s tax returns are way more important than the security and safety and the sovereignty of this country.

I like that one better. Trumpeter's are really overplaying their hand at this point.

I don’t think so at all, quite the opposite. Democrats are once again overreaching on this.

Glad to see the 'evolution' in your thinking. Reassuring that partisan extremists can change their minds. 

What? Partisan? Lol

But I guess that's balanced by the devolution, i.e. going from 'the lunatic fringe' trust Trump to becoming a spokesman for the lunatic fringe

I’m sorry, but I’ve always been consistent in my displeasure how both sides have played this. It’s ludicrous.

He's lying for a reason - get the returns - they're laden with crime and fraud.....

Yeah, that won’t be so easy. Good ok with that.

I enjoyed this.

There are a lot of Democrats fuming in these answers. Beware of wishful thinking.

The house and senate both have a subpoena power. This is expressed in the rules of each of body. Specifically in Senate Rule XXVI and House Rule XI . There are some definite restrictions in both rules. The subpoena has to be issued by majority vote of a committee, and according to Wilkinson v US it must meet three conditions to be “legally sufficient”:

First, the committee investigation of the broad subject area must be authorized by its Chamber

the investigation must pursue "a valid legislative purpose" but does not need to involve legislation and does not need to specify the ultimate intent of Congress

the specific inquiries must be pertinent to the subject matter area that has been authorized for investigation

These rules apply to any subpoena. If a subpoena is made against the sitting executive, then issues of separation of powers will arise. These would likely play out by the executive asserting “executive privilege”, which is the power claimed by the President and other members of the executive branch to resist certain subpoenas and other interventions by the legislative and judicial branches of government to access information and personnel relating to the executive branch.

The Supreme Court confirmed the legitimacy of this doctrine in United States v. Nixon but only to the extent of confirming that there is a qualified privilege. Once invoked, a presumption of privilege is established, requiring the party seeking the subpoena to make a "sufficient showing" that the "Presidential material" is "essential to the justice of the case".

In the case of the Fast and Furious gunrunning scandal, a subpoena was issued to Eric Holder. The president claimed executive privilege. Congress held him in contempt. He still did not comply. The House filed suit against the DoJ and eventually won, after three years. Then the DoJ produced the documents. Had they not, impeachment could have followed for defying the court order.

Now back to reality. No Congressional inquiry has been authorized by any committee. The majority of that committee would have to authorize the subpoena. Let’s get real. Trump “might” have business dealings in Russia isn’t going to cut it, since that is not illegal.

If those things happens, then if a subpoena goes to Trump or the IRS it’s going to immediately be responded to with an “executive privilege” claim. To overcome that, it will go to Judicial branch. It’s going to be very hard to claim the tax returns are "essential to the justice of the case" without already knowing they prove something specific. No court is going to authorize a fishing expedition.

https://www.quora.com/Can-Congress-subpoena-the-IRS-for-Trumps-tax-records-Could-Trump-as-President-order-the-IRS-to-refuse-compliance-Is-the-defiance-of-a-Congressional-subpoena-an-impeachable-offense

If you want his taxes so bad trade them for the wall funding and save the American people another nonsense “investigation” based only on the evidence of might and could be and we hope so.