Seething Rage.
(image courtesy Scissorhead MonkeyFister)
NBC NEWS: Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal has asked the committee’s attorneys to prepare a request for President Trump’s tax returns https://t.co/ECZchGKj8a
— Michael Del Moro (@MikeDelMoro) March 1, 2019
And as that is a long-standing, on-the-books law that Ways and Means can request any American’s taxes, it will be hard to find a reason to not comply. Of course, living typo Steve Mnunchin will slow walk compliance as best he can, but… I think this is bulletproof.
Thoughts?
Well such a request sure as hell should be a slam-dunk, and under anything like normal circumstances it would be, but if we’ve learned anything over the last 3 years, surely it’s that nothing previously considered bulletproof should continue to be regarded as such.
There is no tradition these whackos won’t violate, no institutions they won’t try to destroy and no law they won’t break while they continue to work feverishly toward ensuring there is no supreme court precedent aimed at mandating accountability for power and privilege that can relied upon as secure.
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TRump & Co., know about “fixing” things. There has been a long time (yrs) for his “people” (CPA’s) to “Fix” his returns. We’ll see what develops.
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Broke ass broke as a joke says my shiny wager nickel. Debt, cash flow problems, brand tarnished…..
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But he is under audit!
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Can you say RICO Act?
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Suave’
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Mnuchin can try to delay it but Congress will then bring it straight to a judge to force a speedy reveal (possibly on national security grounds). This is a 1924 law because of the blatant corruption of yet another corrupt Republican president (Harding). There are so many. Trump can’t stop it.
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Do they also have the authority to get the tax returns of the Trump Organization and Trump Foundation? Every time I read someone mention that W&M can get anyone’s tax returns, I haven’t seen them say they can also get the Org returns. In order to get the full picture, you have to see the Org’s returns too.
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Yes, they can REQUEST anyone’s returns. But see my reply below, because there’s a catch. Isn’t there always?
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Karla –
I believe the law that allows the Chairman of Ways and Means to request anyone’s taxes is pretty broadly written, but that is a good question about getting returns of organizations. I don’t know if it covers legal entities.
Buellher? Anyone?
The problem with The Trump Companies, is that everything is set up as a compartmentalized business. So even if W&M can request it, he has something like 500+ shell companies. If one folds, well, it doesn’t impact 499 others. It’s almost certainly audit-proof to see the entire thing in its entirety.
Rgds,
TG
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TG – here’s what I’ve come up with so far:
“The law that permits Neal, as head of Ways and Means, to receive Trump’s returns is simple and clear: 26 U.S.C. §6103(f) specifies that “upon written request from the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives … the Secretary [of the Treasury] shall furnish such committee with any return or return information specified in such request.” The return is furnished in closed executive session.”
“The straightforwardness of the command in §6103(f) is clear from the neighboring section, §6103(i), employed by prosecutors to inspect tax records, which “shall be open” to inspection or disclosure based on an ex parte order from the court. The practice is entirely routine and swift, usually taking less than a week. I know of no attempt by the secretary of treasury ever even to argue discretion not to comply.”
By Harry Litman, contributing columnist for the WaPo
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/02/20/get-trumps-tax-returns-democrats-just-need-send-letter/?utm_term=.5104c55581c2
And then there’s this:
“President Trump has chosen to keep an ownership stake in his businesses, the scope of which we have no knowledge of as he has refused to disclose his tax returns. We believe that it is imperative for the public to know and understand his 564 financial positions in domestic and foreign companies,[2] and his self-reported net worth of more than $10 billion.[3] We know that state-owned enterprises in China[4] and the United Arab Emirates[5] are involved in his businesses, and that his business ties stretch to India, Turkey, the Philippines, and beyond. Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan may also have ties to his businesses.[6] These foreign entities are paying rents, licensing agreement payments,[7] and issuing permits[8] for developments — effectively giving them a tool to influence our new President.”
From Bill Prascell, (R) 9th District NJ
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So it seems to me that if wrongdoing is proven by examining his personal returns, and that information leads or somehow points to a need for further examination of company returns, then a request can be made for those also.
And I can certainly see Evans requesting Jr. Mints’s returns, along with the First Shady’s, and Eric’s, since Hari Furor was idiotic enough to nepotize (iz a werd?) them into their gov’t. positions along with their inclusion in the family bidness.
Now, all this info has to held in the STRICTEST confidence, perhaps to be only reviewed by Evans himself, but such a massive undertaking will likely cause a demand for him to have some assistance, from others on the committee who have the proper clearance.
I hope this helps.
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W & M has to show that this request is in “the Public’s Interest,” and not being done as a political stunt, or for retribution, so I’m sure that at least a few of those 35 recently hired attorneys* will issue a challenge on those very grounds, in which case it goes before a federal judge, I believe. And then there will be the obligatory appeals, until it gets to the Supremes, where Ta-Da! it’s “So sorry, but we must side with the Defendant (tRump et. al.) so as not to cause a constitutional crisis,” or some BS.
*Doesn’t EVERYONE who’s innocent need at least a coupla dozen, just in case?
And my apologies for chiming in so late, but I’m playing catch-up with my emails. Friday was a bit busy.
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