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[GK86]

Link. Searched and it came up empty.

Republicans on the House Ways and Means committee voted down a proposal on Tuesday that would have let Congress obtain President Donald Trump’s tax returns.

Ways and Means Dems @WaysMeansCmte

By a vote of 23-15, Republicans just voted to not request President Trump's tax returns from the Treasury Department.

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) first advanced the proposal in a letter to the committee’s chair on February 1st. His request that the committee obtain Trump’s tax returns is based on an obscure tax law: Section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code.

That law allows three congressional committees — House Ways and Means, Senate Finance, and the Joint Committee on Taxation — to request that the IRS disclose private tax information to the committee. The committee can then review it, and vote on whether to disclose it to the public. Both the review and disclosure must be in the public interest.

“In 1924, Congress put in place this statute, 6103, in our tax law, specifically to investigate conflicts of interest in the executive branch of government,” Pascrell said at the committee meeting, pointing out that the law was passed shortly after the Teapot Dome Scandal. “Following that scandal, Congress wanted a way to examine business ties in the Executive Branch of government. That is the law, Mr. Chairman.”

Unlike all but one Presidential nominee since Nixon, Trump has not released his tax returns to the public (Gerald Ford, the one nominee who didn’t, released a summary). Trump has also, unlike every other modern president, refused to divest from his business holdings.

“My belief is that if Congress begins to use its powers to rummage around in the tax returns of the president, what prevents Congress from doing the same to average Americans?” Brady said, telling reporters that Pascrell’s request “misrepresents the legislative intent of that provision, which in fact creates confidentiality and privacy for Americans in their tax returns.”

George K. Yin, a professor of law and taxation at the University of Virginia and former chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, told ThinkProgress that Brady was the one misrepresenting the law.

“That’s correct, except he’s confusing that there are two provisions,” Yin said. “The general rule is designed to protect confidentiality and tax privacy. The provision Mr. Pascrell is using is the exception of that provision.”

In Yin’s view — also laid out in a Washington Post op-ed — Pascrell’s use of the law is correct, especially as there are “clear parallels” between Congress and the public’s concerns over corruption and conflict of interest in 1924 and concerns about the Trump presidency today.

Pascrell wasn’t surprised by his Republican colleagues’ response. He told reporters after the vote that there were three reasons for his colleague’s silence and inaction.

“They’re intimidated, number one. They don’t know the law, number two. And what happens if Mr. Flynn is just the tip of the iceberg — number three” he said, citing Trump’s National Security Adviser, who resigned Monday night over controversies about a phone call he made to the Russian ambassador to the U.S. prior to Trump’s inauguration.

 

[Diprosalic]

but once the audit is over he'll release them.
he wouldn't just lie to us would he?

 

[Toki767]

Just claim that it's a matter of National Security.

And let's face it, with the way things are going, his tax returns probably involve Russia somehow.

 

[adj_noun]

But that petition we signed

 

[Poker Face]

but once the audit is over he'll release them.
he wouldn't just lie to us would he?

of course not! donald only tells the truth, and besides only journalists want to see his tax returns. no one else cares.

 

[Loudninja]

Of course

 

[EatinOlives]

Just claim that it's a matter of National Security.

And let's face it, with the way things are going, his tax returns probably involve Russia somehow.

I'm 100% certain of this.

 

[x24hrs2livex]

I'm surprised.

Not because they voted it down, but because they actually tried to get them at all.

 

[How About No]

Of course the fucking would.

 

[SerTapTap]

Collaborators and traitors the lot of 'em. No just person has anything to lose from this information.

 

[onadesertedisland]

If Democrats ever regain power, scorched earth. Prosecute every obstructing collaborator to the fullest extent.

 

[Tranqueris]

More motivation to take back the house in 2018.

 

[Knuckle Sandwich]

Party over country.

Fuck them all.

 

[Horns]

They're coming out one way or another. Maybe they'll be released right before the 2018 or 2020 elections.

 

[ElfArmy177]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

If nobody gave a shit, they would have been released already.

Clearly there must be something in there if Trump and the Republicans are blocking all attempts to review them.

 

[Mesoian]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

I mean it's too late now either way, but it would have been one of those serious blows against his credibility, especially with the folks who say "he's a good businessman and he'll change things" before the election.

But it's meaningless now unless there's real criminal activity there, which there likely isn't.

 

[Tranqueris]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

Probably for the same reason Trump and his people came up with all kinds of reasons to not release them. Because there's probably something incriminating in them.

 

[Kurtofan]

that makes them smart

 

[bangbang i'm a timpani]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

really?

 

[commedieu]

But that petition we signed

Just means we need MORE petitions!

I mean it's too late now either way, but it would have been one of those serious blows against his credibility, especially with the folks who say "he's a good businessman and he'll change things" before the election.

But it's meaningless now unless there's real criminal activity there, which there likely isn't.

What is important is that the people/government do not know his conflicts of interests, that Taxes would illustrate quite well. But, Republicans have already bought that hes a savvy businessman that wouldn't do anything bad. Despite the mountain of evidence proving hes a conman, they still believe it. Its more important for the justice system that his taxes are released.

 

[btrboyev]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

Because they would say a lot about his personal dealings with foreign governments. Russia in particular.

 

[Garlador]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

Because they reveal his business dealings, possible ties to Russia, expose many of his more grandiose lies (such as his claim to have given "millions" to charity, yet can't name any particular one), and, probably most damning, would reveal he had significantly less money than he claimed he had (for his ego, at least).

That and, you know, every president in modern history has revealed their tax returns to show they didn't have anything to hide, while there are serious questions and conflicts of interest with Trump's business dealings.

The American people currently don't know if our president has OUR best interests in mind, or his own. Tax returns are one way to get that info out in the open.

 

[Stinkles]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

Honestly if you are that ignorant of what possible reasons Americans might have to look at his tax returns then I'm actually embarrassed for you. Do you want me to name some?


1. His Russian ties
2. His Wall Street ties
3. The numbers of businesses he has caused to fail
4. Tradition
5. Disclosure
6. Potential evidence of crime
7. I mean we can do this all day.

 

[CHC]

There has to be a sizable group of accountants who have seen his returns. A leak seems... not impossible, at some point.

 

[Marvie_3]

Of course they did. Fuckin scumbags.

 

[Hazmat]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

Well, he claims to donate a lot to charity, but has been more or less caught not doing so, the returns would be concrete evidence of one or the other

He claims that he's a billionaire (and uses that as a qualification for being President), some doubt it.

There are serious concerns about how much of his personal money comes from foreign sources and where those foreign sources are.

Every Presidential candidate in modern history has put them out as a way to prove they don't have anything shady going on financially, raising questions that the one that refuses may have shady things going on.

Do you really not understand, or are you just being obtuse?

 

[Nafai1123]

GOP:

So fucking shameful it's infuriating.

 

[jelly]

Honestly if you are that ignorant of what possible reasons Americans might have to look at his tax returns then I'm actually embarrassed for you. Do you want me to name some?


1. His Russian ties
2. His Wall Street ties
3. The numbers of businesses he has caused to fail
4. Tradition
5. Disclosure
6. Potential evidence of crime
7. I mean we can do this all day.

Could probably add some Chinese ties too.

I remember in a documentary that he hardly owns any of these projects he has fingers in and his backers fund most of it, once it goes tits up, he bails and doesn't take a big hit because he never invested much in it anyway but the investors are likely a bit dodgy or just people being screwed over which means he has enemies and leverage that can be used against him. Yeah, it would probably show he isn't even close to being a billionaire.

 

[Lord Frieza]

There has to be a sizable group of accountants who have seen his returns. A leak seems... not impossible, at some point.

I kind of expected it after the original leak that showed he lost a billion in a year. He must really keep his accountants in line and/or insanely well paid.

 

[reKon]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

What a fucking embarrassing post

 

[Ithil]

I don't understand why anyone gives a shit about his tax returns...

Because they would show his many, many conflicts of interest, as well as expose his no doubt numerous tax evasions, business deals in Russia, and also likely reveal he is nowhere near as rich as he pretends.

 

[Nightbird]

Let this be his version of the bith certificate thing.

He thought it was fair to ask if Obama was really American?

So i say it's fair to make sure his hands are clean

 

[MrDaravon]

I'm still kind of surprised they haven't "somehow" gotten out there, you figure this would be the holy grail for some hackers or whatnot.

 

[Zolo]

I don't suppose there's a way for this to be done through the courts?

 

[ahoyhoy]

Really hope when the pendulum swings back it swings back HARD.

This is seriously the least populous populous movement ever.

 

[m_shortpants]

The GOP clownshow continues.

GOP voters, I have no idea

 

[Captain Tuttle]

Do it every day Dems, like the Republicans tried to do with repealing Obamacare

drip drip drip, keep it in the news

 

[wildfire]

Amazing. Congress declines even though a majority of their own base wants to see it too.

It's amazing because a leadership that screws over their base so much that they get attacked with purity tests still manages to fail upwards so many times unlike my parties' leadership.

 

[Surfinn]

"My belief is that if Congress begins to use its powers to rummage around in the tax returns of the president, what prevents Congress from doing the same to average Americans?" Brady said, telling reporters that Pascrell's request "misrepresents the legislative intent of that provision, which in fact creates confidentiality and privacy for Americans in their tax returns."

Lol, yeah because rummaging through a random ass person's tax returns compared to the the president's, who has proven to have strong ties with Russia, so much so that people are essentially getting FIRED over it, are even remotely the same thing.

But we can deny people basic rights like entering the country and privacy based on absolutely nothing, no problem.

 

[Pbae]

These fucks are all traitors.

The fact that they would play with national security like this knowing full well how tainted this administration is with Russia is baffling.

I hope the history books rip apart these fucks for being on the wrong side of history...consistently.

 

[Garlador]

The GOP clownshow continues.

GOP voters, I have no idea

GOP voters don't care. They're on the "winning" side.

 

[NullPointer]

Remember this.

Remember ALL of this.

 

[JimJamJones]

They know. They just don't want to lose power.

 

[RinsFury]

Of course they did, the pieces of shit. How can anyone with a clean conscience vote for these monsters?

 

[Shoeless]

GOP voters don't care. They're on the "winning" side.

Sounds about right. It doesn't matter how much it hurts them, the victory is more important than anything else.

 

[B33]

Scumbags

 

[- J - D -]

The slippery slope argument Brady is presenting isn't applicable since the average American likely doesn't hold financial ties to enemies of our national security. I mean, I'm pretty sure I don't, can't speak for you guys.

 

[Maxim726X]

Just claim that it's a matter of National Security.

And let's face it, with the way things are going, his tax returns probably involve Russia somehow.

While certainly possible, I think it has more to do the fact that he's not nearly as wealthy as he would like us to believe...

If he's actually not that rich, it would destroy his already weak psyche.

 

[yanipheonu]

To be fair, I doubt this is the last time we talk about his tax returns.

My bet would be on the legal system finally kicking in, probably from some guy suing the government, or filing some sort of order they just can't resist.

Or Trump makes the Big Mistake and it's finally time to break the facade and dig into him.