Breach of Trust: Why Bernie's Foot-Dragging on Tax Returns Raises Serious Concerns

[George II]

(note: from the "about" page: "This blog is devoted to examining issues from a liberal perspective, on factual bases and on fair analysis. This site is also deeply zealous about liberal Democratic activism.&quot

http://www.thepeoplesview.net/main/2016/4/12/bernie-sanders-tax-return-foot-dragging

Breach of Trust: Why Bernie's Foot-Dragging on Tax Returns Raises Serious Concerns

There is only one candidate, Republican or Democrat, who has been more opaque when it comes to allowing the American people to see their tax returns than Bernie Sanders: Donald Trump.

Bernie Sanders, who has made it his business to police other people's transparency practices, has released full tax returns tax returns for... zero years, though he released the summary for a single year, 2014. Compared to Sanders, John Kasich is more transparent (having released seven years of partial returns). Even Ted Cruz (who released four years of partial returns) has shown more commitment to transparency than Bernie.

Hillary Clinton has walloped the entire field and is the only candidate to have released her full tax returns for every year since 2001.

For a while, Donald Trump held the record for the most ridiculous excuse ever not to release returns: that his returns are "under audit", which a publication no less conservative that Forbes points out is not an actual reason to hold back one's tax returns.

Move over, Donald. Bernie Sanders' wife and tax preparer Jane Sanders went on Bloomberg on Monday and came up with this excuse as to why Sen. and Mrs. Sanders have not yet released any of their full tax returns, which Mrs. Sanders said she filed using Intuit's tax preparation software Turbo Tax.

She then proceeded to ask for time because she needs to go home and find the returns, conveniently putting the timeline after the New York primary.

[Dem2]

1. I personally don't care about his tax returns

This is "gotcha" politics in an area that most of us would feel uncomfortable about. I cared a little about Romney's because he was a rich sleaze, but I don't care about Bernie's as he's hardly wealthy, it's just a chance to play "gotcha".

[NurseJackie]

5. A serious candidate would have been prepared. Bernie wasn't prepared.

[Dem2]

8. I still don't care

He can be criticized for holding off on them, and perhaps there's a little hypocrisy to be discovered there, but who doesn't try to keep the most money possible when it comes to taxes?

[NurseJackie]

20. You didn't need to clarify. I pretty much expected that you wouldn't care.

[ViseGrip]

34. There is no breach, this is a requirement he must fullfill. It's not up to you, it's the law.

And the senate has every record since he ever filed! Another requirement. They will come out, in the time frame he chooses that's also allowed.

Where are HIllary's transcripts?

[murielm99]

36. Transcripts are not tax returns.

Changing the subject will not get you anything.

Is Bernie prepared to release transcripts of every speech he has ever given? Is anyone else being asked for transcripts? No. No one else has ever been asked for transcripts. This is another whine and red herring by the bernie supporters and bernie's campaign.

[onehandle]

7. So IOKIBDI?

'It's Ok If Bernie Does It'

[Dem2]

9. I personally don't care

I didn't say others couldn't, it's just really low on my radar, it's more of a political forum type of issue to me, not one that really has much meaning to me as a voter.

[CalvinballPro]

13. Releasing tax returns is the standard for presidential candidates. To claim it doesn't matter only

looks like a self-serving argument intended to excuse your candidate from failing to meet this basic standard.

When Mitt Romney failed to meet the standard, he was derided for it. There is no "Bernie Sanders Exception Clause" that allows one single presidential candidate to avoid disclosing the same information every other candidate has disclosed.

Hillary Clinton has years of tax returns available on her website, and those are full returns. Not the 1040 summary sheet that Sanders posts on his website and pretends is a full return. (I have a degree in Accounting from the Rutgers School of Business, I know what a complete tax return looks like.) He is actively hiding his Schedule A detailing the breakdown of his itemized deductions, which somehow reduced his taxable income by more than 25%! Suspicious? Most definitely.

For a candidate who ran on transparency, this kind of obfuscation is extremely out-of-character.

[Dem2]

21. I understand the issue

He's relatively poor in candidate terms, I'm pretty sure nothing that interesting is contained within them. Since I support both candidates, I guess I'm just not as concerned about the double standard, though I do understand it is an issue.

[roguevalley]

39. Because tax forms = Iraq war vote

[Dem2]

41. I care far less about that one vote than tax returns

But just toss out that "Trump" card whenever someone defends your candidate, looking small is an attribute?

[NWCorona]

2. He's waiting for Hillary to say something at the debate.

[Skwmom]

3. Hillary can release her returns because she knows the contents won't be spoken about by the corp

media.

[LexVegas]

4. Never trusted him anyway. Every lie he tells just confirms that. nt

[George II]

11. Yes, reasonable for an average citizen, not the wife of a Presidential candidate.

Releasing one's tax returns is one of the routine things done by a candidate early in a campaign. We're now more than a year since he began his campaign, and she "can't find" his returns?

So, she said the other day that this year's returns will be released "when they're due". Well, they're due on Monday. Any bets on them NOT releasing them on Monday?

[Bobbie Jo]

12. Waiting for the *filed an extension* shoe to drop.

Sloppy...

[COLGATE4]

17. She filed using Turbo Tax. That means that she can retrieve

a copy of the last 7 years returns literally with the push of a button. No filing cabinets to go through, no muss, no fuss. No tax attorney involved (although you can be sure than any Tax Attorney's office will have copies of the returns immediately available).

[oasis]

33. Right TURBO TAX. Shouldn't be a problem for anyone.

What's up Jane?

[George II]

18. He's far above being an "average citizen", and has been for years. As a Senator...

...along with 99 others he's the third highest elected official in the United States.

If he didn't make the cornerstone of his campaign the "corrupt campaign finance system" and the "1%" and "Wall Street", this probably wouldn't be as important. But those three things brings his finances under scrutiny. If others can release their tax information in a timely manner, why shouldn't he?

[B Calm]

10. Trashing Thread

[oasis]

35. Try again, I can still see it.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

14. spamdan crap blog written by people banned from DU

[Betty Karlson]

15. hurling the same kitchen sink nine times in a row is not likely to make it stick

now is it?

[Gothmog]

19. Sanders clearly has a reason why he is hiding these returns

[morningfog]

22. People's view....lol.

[basselope]

23. SO much people don't understand on this issue...

From a post where I had to correct someone last night..


Here's the funniest thing. Most people look at the other candidates (who all have far more money and likely accountants who handle their taxes) and say "well.. they released theirs".. yeah, they called their accountant and asked for a copy and released it.

When you do your own taxes, as I used to do from 1995-2005.. I wouldn't have been able to find ANYTHING. I did them, mailed em in and stuck a copy somewhere. Where? I don't know.. in a box, in a drawer. They existed. When we recently moved, i came across some of them and laughed. They went into a bag to be shredded.

When I bought my condo in 2006, I HAD TO do a stated income loan mainly because I couldn't FIND my tax returns from 2004 and earlier and the amount of time it gets to get copies from the IRS would have surpassed my allotted time to get a loan.

Anyone who does their own taxes and doesn't have MUCH to declare knows this.. taxes only become something important to keep when they become complicated. Given what they showed in 2014, their taxes aren't complicated. Very simple actually.

Since they have submitted financial disclosures each year, they likely didn't see this issue coming at all. The 1040 they released for 2014 is very VERY clear.

The numbers all add up and it very hard to see where anything is "hidden."

Frankly, I think the Sanders' have been a little blindsided by this issue b/c unlike most of the other candidates, his taxes are VERY simple and done at home w/o an accountant.

[frylock]

24. The People Spew.

[lumberjack_jeff]

25. It is sad that Hillary secures her speeches better than classified documents entrusted to her.

Everything meaningful about Sanders finances is in the 1040 already provided.

[George II]

26. What were those $50,000 deductions?

[lumberjack_jeff]

37. His foundation hired Hillary to speak for 6 minutes. n/t

[George II]

38. What foundation? From what we've seen, for the most part Sanders doesn't do charities. He even....

....went on record decrying charity.

[Vinca]

42. You can't have it both ways.

You can't bitch about Bernie not releasing his taxes and then complain about what he does or does not do with charity. If you haven't seen the itemized deductions, you can't know.

[George II]

43. Who wants it both ways? I'm not "complaining" about what he does about charities, I pointed out....

....what HE said about charities.

But you confirmed my point, without the itemized deductions we don't know. He's conveniently dodged that so far.

[TheFarseer]

27. Serious question

What do people think is in there?

[whatchamacallit]

28. One Asshole's View

You guys sure love to spam DU with this moronic crap.

[LondonReign2]

30. One has to play to one's strengths

and moronic crap is his strength, like Superman strength. I also like when he runs away when proven wrong.

[LondonReign2]

29. Rovian. Well done, and par for the course

[closeupready]

31. lol

[ViseGrip]

32. Paying taxes doesn't form policy. Secret speeches do. Where's the transcripts?

Still waiting Hillary.

[beam me up scottie]

40. SpamDan? Wasn't this rat fucking troll banned from DU?

Why would you post his spewage here as if it has merit?