Republicans are begging a top Democrat to drop the quest for Trump's tax returns

[pnwmom]

Source: Business Insider

WASHINGTON -- Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee asked the new Democratic chairman to drop the quest to obtain President Donald Trump's tax returns from the Treasury Department.

In a letter to Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal, who is the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, on Thursday, Republican Reps. Kevin Brady and Mike Kelly pleaded with the chairman to not pursue Trump's tax returns, citing privacy concerns and what they characterized as an abuse of authority.

"Some of the proposals our Committee is considering this week leave us deeply concerned. We believe all Americans have a fundamental right to the privacy of the personal information found in their tax returns," the letter read. "This isn't about the tax returns of the presidents and vice-presidents but about making sure Congress does not abuse its authority. This is about protecting the private tax returns of every American."

Brady, the House Ways and Means Committee's ranking Republican, and Kelly, the top Republican on the subcommittee on oversight, added that Democrats "appear willing to sacrifice this critical protection for political gain" and that revealing the president's tax returns would set a "dangerous precedent."

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/republicans-begging-top-democrat-drop-quest-trumps-tax-returns-2019-2

---

They must be feeling desperate. It's perfectly legal for and not particularly unusual for them to examine an individual's tax returns.

[Me.]

1. Why?

What's it to them anyway, it's not their tax returns being asked for.

[cstanleytech]

14. "Why?" Fear, fear either because they are afraid that it would prove Trumps lied to the American

people or fear because their Russian masters told them to oppose it or risk whatever the Russians have on them being released.

[Miigwech]

17. Exactly!

[forgotmylogin]

65. They are trying to argue some kind of slippery slope.

If they can request THE PRESIDENT'S tax returns, they can request ANYONE'S tax returns...

The President is a special case. When I applied to work for the IRS, they did a thorough background check and specified we could not work for the tax department if we had issues with our own tax returns because it would be hypocritical for someone with tax issues helping other people with tax issues. And also I'm sure they don't want employees with tax problems twiddling their own records. Just like when I worked for a casino: they fingerprinted and checked me to make sure I hadn't ever stolen money or was a high risk to be tempted to steal money to qualify to work in a location where I would have heightened access to large sums of money as part of the job.

The President makes decisions that affect EVERYONE's taxes. Similarly, we need to know if the President is in debt and where their financial obligations lie to make sure they will not use the presidency to benefit themselves.

THE GOVERNMENT ALREADY HAS ACCESS TO INDIVIDUAL TAX RETURNS. If law-enforcement wanted to look at mine or anyone's for suspicion of some kind of theft, they'd do it lickety-split.

President and VP candidates AT MINIMUM should need to share their tax returns. If not directly, Congress should have unfettered access. I don't mind if they don't want to publish copies of them verbatim in a newspaper, but if there are issues, Congress should have access and be able to make details that affect the governing of our nation public.

If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to worry about.

[jmowreader]

69. Self preservation

If you put Trump’s no-taxes-due returns in front of people Trump’s tax deform screwed over, they’re going to build a guillotine.

[Me.]

70. THey're Already Gathering Pitchforks

When they did the tax scheme, they had the IRS use a different table and take less from weekly paychecks, which turned out to be hardly noticeable. So noticeable most people didn't notice. But those same people were/always count on their refunds to buy big-ticket items they need for their homes. However those refunds have disappeared and they are getting less if they are lucky, none if they aren't. That is what they're noticing.

[DoctorJoJo]

2. Does This Mean The Orange Buffoon Was Lying When He Said He Would As Soon As the Audit Was Over???

[pnwmom]

3. Or it's the longest audit in history. n/t

[MontanaMama]

34. Were his lips moving when he said that?

If so, MF was lying.

[LiberalLovinLug]

50. Yes we're just fulfilling Trump's promises for him

Your welcome

[billh58]

4. What a load of crap!

If I apply for a loan, one of the first things the lender wants to see is my last two years' tax returns.

[Roadside Attraction]

10. Maybe you should . . .

Maybe you should do as Trump does -- borrow the money from Russian mobsters, or from Putin's friends, or launder some Russian money through your friend Wilbur Ross's bank, or borrow from DeutscheBank . . . .

[sakabatou]

5. They're shielding Trump from scrutiny!

[Evolve Dammit]

25. Exactly!

[japple]

28. They are shielding their party, themselves...

[ck4829]

75. Bingo

[tanyev]

6. Dear Sirs,

You are cordially invited to go fuck yourselves.

Sincerely,
etc, etc

[C_U_L8R]

7. Stop obstructing.

The stink of conspiracy is all over the GOP

[riversedge]

8. beg away boys!

[KayF]

9. why does he need more privacy

than EVERY other president?

Plus, he promised he would release them.

[Thekaspervote]

11. Oh but if it were a dem... it would so so different

[Honeycombe8]

12. They're not begging, IMO. They seem to be setting up a case for a lawsuit. nt

[DonViejo]

13. I live in the Congressional District next to Neal's...

The right wing is running ads against him on TV, radio and the net, urging constituents to write to Neal, "tell him the taxes are nobody's business."

[blm]

15. A presidential candidate REFUSING to share tax returns is a dangerous precedent. Pretty sure

you boys are aware of that by now, eh boys?

[mpcamb]

66. Dems should tell R's to defecate in their hat on this one. If he's a proven tax cheat, nail him!

...and I don't think there's any lingering question about if he is or not.

[Aussie105]

16. Note needed here.

Somebody needs to write a note:

'Dear Democrats.
Do not look in Donald's lunch box or school bag. You may not like what you see.

Signed:
Worried Republicans'

Didn't past presidents show their tax returns? Didn't Jimmy Carter sell his peanut farm to avoid being accused of possible future conflict of interest?

What make #45 so special?

But don't worry Republicans. We won't die of fright if we see fossilised half eaten apples in his lunchbox, or dead rats in his school bag. In fact we are half expecting that. More interested in the number of half eaten apples and dead rats, really.

[Freethinker65]

18. Answer: Devin Nunes and Jason Chaffetz. Plus Trump agreed to release his returns.

It is not Schiff's problem that Trump changed his mind. There was no reason to not release the returns during the campaign, audit or no audit.

There is most likely not much in the returns, except for debt and deductions and the fact that Trump uses every available loophole at his disposal to enrich himself.

Also, it might show Trump was far less wealthy than he claimed to be, but he always lies and makes shit up to boost his own ego. Trump is afraid of ridicule by his ignorant voting base...he needn't be, they will continue to believe every changeable thing he says.

[EveHammond13]

19. I would send back a one-word answer: No.

[SWBTATTReg]

20. Protecting privacy? What about protecting the country, and keeping all sorts of ...

problems and conflicts from occurring in revealing tax returns? Obviously there is some sort of fraud here since they are so strident in protesting this. What is the problem here in revealing the tax returns? Why are you so strident in protesting this/not revealing the returns? Would the US elected Al Capone as president

Obviously there's some sort of massive fraud going on here. Something that I, as an auditor would immediately suspect, not just on any numbers per say (since we haven't seen any), but from the continuous protests, the continuous denying of access to the returns, the extended use of 'the tax returns are all still in audit mode'. Audits don't take this long in anybody's world. If one made a natural mistake, then pay up the difference in tax and fines and move on. I don't see this here at all. It's a blatant, plain, flat out cover up of crime(s). Remember, Al Capone wasn't taken down via a criminal charge such as murder or the like. He was taken down by tax fraud.

Something stinks here, and stinks to high heaven.

[Firestorm49]

21. You can almost see the sweat dripping from their brows. GOOD. GOOD. GOOD

[titanicdave]

22. To Quote......

an old saying,......."WHAT....PART....OF....NO.....DON'T......YOU.....UNDERSTAND??".........

[Aussie105]

23. Gaps.

There is a big gap between actual reality and what Trump thinks is reality.

The Republicans are buying into that delusional distortion.

Democrats aren't.

Simple!

Tax returns will surface. By hook or by crook. I'm sure Mueller has them already. Arrived by private courier on his doorstep late one night.
Just a matter of time before they are made public.

[trueblue2007]

24. what is TRUMP and his Republic buddies aftaid of? STOP WHINING REPUBLICS !!!!

Won't call you Rfepublicans again. You make fun of us .... you get it back double.

We want the truth, show us his taxes. NOW.

[duforsure]

26. So they're saying

Corrupt criminal trump has corrupted them so much, they now want us the Democrats to be corrupt with them, and trump. They don't get it, but when the 2020 election comes, they'll only have thought that was bad for them. Donors are running away from them.

[Aussie105]

27. Can you handle the truth?

The Truth being that a bunch of delusional voters and a delusional Electoral College helped a delusional wannabe Big Shot get into the most important job in the country?

Because that is what the history books will write at some future time!

(Said History Books will come with those pages glued together with a warning not to look inside for fear of losing faith in the style of Democracy the US practises.)

[Tucker08087]

64. No, the history books will show

The Second Coming of Christ, riding in on a golden dinosaur, to save the Christians from Socialism while everyone else gets eaten by t-Rexes and a giant meteor that falls from the sky, hitting Wilma, Fred, Barnie, Betty, the Democrats, and probably Tiffani.

[Achilleaze]

29. For the sake of America, get the "facts"

Get Dirty Donny*s tax returns. They will be fake to some degree, because that's how republicans operate. He has a long history of lying and cheating in business. But there will be some shards of truth in the returns, and they can help form an accurate picture of his level of honesty and responsibility.

* The profoundly ignoble republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief

[bluestarone]

30. When your done begging

Give us the fucking taxes!!!!

[AncientGeezer]

31. I don't think we will get the Returns....

Not full Forms. Just saying.
Tax Return disclosure is very regulated.
The IRS knows that release could be a political weapon against both parties.

[slumcamper]

32. Don't you suppose Republicans had the Clinton's returns?

Of course.

The reason they are squealing is because the self-righteous, extralegal intransigence of Comrade Combover (aka Individual 1, aka "orange shitgibbon, aka Agent Orange...) created this issue himself by hiding the truth about himself and managed to con a lot of shallow minded, angry voters who were seduced by what they misinterpreted as bravado.

Expect this. These pawns are trying to protect their king. They've made some bad moves. The game is about to end.

[pnwmom]

39. The Clintons released more than 30 years of full returns. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

44. That's great to learn. It should be widely known right now.

30 years would indicate not a trace of the sacred privacy Republican clowns believe their guy deserves.

Thanks for the illumination.

[pnwmom]

46. I posted about it here.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211790272

[slumcamper]

54. Of course! Vulgar Yam is the only one to buck release precedent.

The GOP certainly had financial records far beyond mere tax returns.

WHAT is he hiding?

Simple: TRUTH.

A liar of such magnitude most certainly fears truth.

[Apollyonus]

33. It's a law that cannot be abused because all the candidates release their returns

except criminals like Trump and other hiders of info like ... never mind.

[MontanaMama]

35. I see what you did here...

[Apollyonus]

38. shhhhhh n/t

[2naSalit]

36. Hahahaha!

[MontanaMama]

40. Here.

Let me give you a tissue...

[2naSalit]

41. I know!

Geeze, it's like these guys have had their brainz sucked out of their head, bathed in 1984 rhetoric and doublespeak, reinserted and fed some kind of maintenance drug. How can they even present such a piece of crap with a straight face?



That is some kind of gall. That and Whitaker today. They are desperate an so scared they can't think straight. It's quite a sight when you see an entire political party get buggy.

[Cha]

37. That seems like a good way to make

sure the "quest" gets Top Priority!

[NCjack]

42. Rep. Neal should ask them to propose a deal. What are they offering?

Get the offer, and then tell them that the Boss Lady will have to decide. (If they propose that Cheat45 will drop the demand for his Wall, then we know just how important seeing his tax returns is.)

[RKP5637]

43. So much bullshit. They want them to white wash this ass we have in the White House. MF'er should

never have become president, but the system failed us with the inane electoral college. Votes don't count, money does.

[riversedge]

45. On your knees boys!!

[harumph]

47. "a dangerous precedent" for a dangerous president

[llmart]

48. They're characterizing it as "abuse of authority".

Now that's rich coming from them. Look up "abuse of authority" in the history books years from now and you'll see a picture of the orange turd.

[BumRushDaShow]

49. "We believe all Americans have a fundamental right to the privacy"

...unless that "American" is a woman and then YOU give yourself some fucking "fundamental right" to get all up in her uterus.

[paleotn]

51. Ummmm.....no.

[Squinch]

52. Heh heh. Yeah, they know he's screwed!

[ejbr]

53. They should seriously consider

this request as Republicans were very fair to Obama

[Mr. Ected]

55. The entire premise of his "appeal" was that he was a mega-successful businessman

Who would wield the power of government in a way befitting the most accomplished entrepreneur.

The proof of his commercial prowess is contained within the pages of those tax returns.

America deserves to know whether it elected a man based on a false premise. His base needs to know so they won't make the same mistake twice. We need to know so we can ram the fist of justice down his throat.

Let any future businessman lay it on the line with us when reporting for public service. Playing hide and seek defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

[kacekwl]

56. Can you imagine what is in

those returns. Must be really good to rattle so many cages.

[LakeSuperiorView]

57. Does this qualify them as accessory to anything that turns up?

Sucks to be them. This is one that we don't have to worry about blowback when (if) there is ever a Rethug house again. Trump didn't release his returns because he likely has stuff to hide. No reason not to if there aren't any skeletons.

[Generic Brad]

58. Kinda makes me think he maybe hasn't filed his taxes for a few years

How would that make his MAGA supporters who are getting squeezed feel? Yep.The worst case scenario is that he simply stopped filing them years ago.

[TexasBushwhacker]

71. Perhaps

My guess is that he hasn't paid any federal income taxes in decades because of losses, depreciation and cooking his books. He was almost a billion in the red in the 90s. He even had to borrow $20 Million from his siblings just to stay afloat. You can have cash flow and still be unprofitable.

[sinkingfeeling]

59. Are they also concerned that the administration waiving enviromental

reviews for the 'wall' and ethics requirements for their lawyers are setting dangerous precedents?

[TeamPooka]

60. The party that made the black President release his birth certificate is concerned about privacy.

[47of74]

61. I hope he told theem to go fuck themselves

[DallasNE]

62. Say What

The President's tax returns have been part of the public record for several decades (with SSN for all redacted out). Rather than setting a precedent it would follow the precedent. I guess being a Republican means they can't help but lie. Lie, lie, lie, lie.

[Kurt V.]

63. JHC. the *president* is not "every American "

[cstanleytech]

67. I recall some of our guys trying to get the Repugnants to stop the real witch hunt over Benghazi

and the Repugnants ignored them because they were the majority so I would tell them this now "Elections have consequences or in other words sit down and STFU!!".

[Demonaut]

68. yeah....Neal,.. about those TPS reports

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

72. Is there precedent for this request? Has Congress asked for tax returns before?

And have they gotten the tax returns of anyone who wanted them kept away from Congress?

Or is this new?

[pnwmom]

73. A provision in the tax code since 1924 allows both houses of Congress to see

a President's tax returns -- or anyone's -- in the course of an investigation.

But since Nixon, all Presidents have voluntarily made their tax returns public.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/05/politics/trump-tax-returns/index.html

And thanks to a 1924 provision in the Internal Revenue Code, the chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee are authorized to request the president's -- or indeed anyone's -- tax returns from the IRS to conduct an investigation.

How the provision works and why it was created

The chairmen of the tax-writing committees -- whether they act together or alone -- don't need to disclose that they've requested the president's returns. But they may choose to -- and likely would -- share the returns with their committee members in closed session.

If the committee thinks releasing the returns to the House or Senate would further a legitimate committee purpose, they're permitted to do so, according to George Yin, a former chief of staff at the Joint Committee on Taxation and a professor of law at the University of Virginia.

At that point it's up to the full chamber to decide whether to make the returns public. "Of course, as a practical matter, it's a little hard to imagine information going to the full House or Senate and not becoming public," Yin said.

[ck4829]

74. Sucks to suck