IRS legal memo on Trump's taxes just got leaked to the Washington Post

[Vidal]

This could be big:

President Donald Trump’s efforts to conceal his tax returns from Congress are undermined by a legal memo from his own administration, The Washington Post reported Tuesday after they obtaining the document.

“A confidential Internal Revenue Service legal memo says tax returns must be given to Congress unless the president takes the rare step of asserting executive privilege,” the newspaper reported. “The memo contradicts the Trump administration’s justification for denying lawmakers’ request for President Trump’s tax returns, exposing fissures in the executive branch.”

Link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/confidential-draft-irs-memo-says-tax-returns-must-be-given-to-congress-unless-president-invokes-executive-privilege/2019/05/21/8ed41834-7b1c-11e9-8bb7-0fc796cf2ec0_story.html

[UniteFightBack]

1. Leaked to WAPO...excellent......I just saw this on Erin Burnett. Tsk tsk tsk. nt

[Vidal]

2. This is what weneed

More leaks!

[dflprincess]

3. How would executive privilege apply to his taxes?

I thought that was limited to interactions between Trump and members of the executive branch.

[Grasswire2]

7. it doesn't

Legal experts are laughing at this claim. nt

[SergeStorms]

19. It would work...

as another stall tactic, however brief. At this point Trump is looking for anything to slow down every part of the investigations, even if it's for only a few minutes. This will go nowhere, fast.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. Yeah, but the more they stall the bigger the fall. . . . nt

[Vidal]

4. Here are more quotes

The 10-page memo says turning over the documents “is mandatory, requiring the Secretary to disclose returns, and return information, requested by the tax-writing Chairs.”

“[T]he Secretary’s obligation to disclose return and return information would not be affected by the failure of a tax writing committee … to state a reason for the request,” it declares.

[triron]

5. Then that is what Trump will do -claim executive privilege. Hope courts don't buy that.

[Vidal]

6. That is a stretch

Given his history, he might. But it won't work in the long run.

The IRS memo will probably make sure he loses in court.

[FreepFryer]

8. Very interesting. Thanks Vidal! (nt)

[Vidal]

10. You are very welcom

Glad you enjoyed it.

[dawg day]

9. Executive privilege?

Of course. He claims that about everything. But it makes no sense with private tax returns.

[Vidal]

11. Right

It makes no sense.

[SergeStorms]

20. Especially tax returns...

from before he was selected pResident.

[emmaverybo]

29. Selected. So good, that.

[BigmanPigman]

12. Boo hoo... poor Munchkin will be so sad.

I bet Maxine Waters is smiling now.

[Vidal]

13. For sure

Maxine is happy!

[Fritz Walter]

22. I see what you did there!

And don’t try to blame Autocorrect.
He is a munchkin.
And that does a disservice to the people who were cast as such in the original “Wizard of Oz” movie.

[Vidal]

14. The law "does not allow the Secretary to exercise discretion in disclosing the information provided"

Which means the IRS has directly rejected the reason Mnuchin cited for withholding the information.

Which means both Trump and Mnuchin are screwed.

[Mr.Bill]

15. Rachel Maddow opened her show with this tonight. n/t

[Vidal]

17. What was her conclusion?

If possible, please let us know what she said.

I'm wondering if Rachel believes this will compel Mnuchin to change what he's doing, or make it more likely Trump will lose in court.

Thanks!

[Mr.Bill]

25. I don't know.

I had to leave the house to go to a high school scholarship awards ceremony. I left right after I posted this.

I recorded it, will probably watch it tomorrow.

[Thomas Hurt]

16. So does that mean Mnuchin can be charged with violating the statute on releasing returns?

[Vidal]

18. Probably

But everything will have to be decided by the courts, unless Pelosi decides she can arrest people like Mnuchin and Barr for ignoring Congress (and the law).

[watoos]

24. Yes there is more talk

Of doing a test case of detaining someone and then fining them until they comply. I’m not so sure about that route working.

[dlk]

23. Let the Leaks Begin!

[Gothmog]

26. This is a very big deal

This memo will be used in the upcoming litigation

[Dream Girl]

27. Is this a trick? WTF does unless he asserts executive privilege mean???

Seems to me this will be used as a smoke screen. Of course he will assert EP, then it will be “legal” to withhold his taxes...am I missing something? Don’t see the cause for jubilation. I think this was a phony leak. Hope I’m wrong about this?

[gratuitous]

28. Keep up the pressure

The administration's motto is "Never let them see you sweat." When the administration breaks, and it will, it will come suddenly. Leaks and betrayals that show up in the pages of the Washington Post are going to drive Needy Amin around the bend.

[Vidal]

30. Commentary this morning

What people are saying in the media this morning confirms our thoughts from yesterday.

The battle for Trump's taxes is currently tied up in court, so the IRS memo, which supports Richard Neal and House Democrats, will surely help the Democrats win the court case quickly. Things seem to be moving at a rapid pace.

Hopefully before too long we'll be able to find out what exactly Trump is hiding in his top-secret tax returns. Whatever he is hiding, it must be a big deal, the way he is fighting so hard to prevent disclosure.