This isn’t just about an unhinged response from Democrats: it’s about The Hill and reporter Tobias Burns failing to do proper journalism 101 and challenging this narrative, failing to ask hard questions
Why Democrats released Trump’s tax returns
After years of fighting for Donald Trump’s tax returns, Democrats finally got a hold of them and released them to the public through two congressional reports published this week. But Democrats stress their decision was not about Trump himself but rather about oversight of the IRS and about the U.S. tax system more broadly — even though Trump was the first president since Watergate not to release his returns before assuming the presidency.
The report from the Democratic-led Ways and Means Committee found Trump wasn’t audited during his first two years in office. His first audit as president came only right when the IRS was asked directly by Congress to produce Trump’s tax returns.
That could be a violation of IRS policy, which states that “individual income tax returns for the President and Vice President will be subject to mandatory audit examination” and that they’ll receive “normal pipeline processing” and be subject to “regular filing and retention procedures.”
“The IRS has failed to administer its own mandatory audit program policies,” Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said Thursday in the House, introducing legislation that bumps the presidential audit program up from the level of IRS policy to the level of federal law.
So, because the IRS failed, they’re going to release the private, personal tax records of a person who is, at this time, a private citizen? Who just happens to be a thorn in their sides? I can think of many questions, starting with “are you Democrats putting us on? Are we supposed to believe this rationale?”
While Democrats have couched the release of the returns in a broader policy discussion, it’s just as much about politics and defeating a political rival.
Trump incensed Democrats during his presidency for the ways he broke presidential norms that extended beyond his refusal to release his tax returns. His prolific use of social media and his public castigation of judges and other public officials whom presidents usually don’t criticize changed the tone of political discourse in the country, much to the anger of the opposition party.
Good on Burns to write this, because, come on, that’s the entire reason. There is no other. But, he fails to ask Democrats questions, such as “well, will you release your tax records?” How about “how did Pelosi made over $100 million while serving in Congress?”
Anyhow
I hate to say it, but, Salon is sorta correct. But, his show is more like the one that just becomes cringy. The first few episodes of the final season of Haven, for instance. I've never finished it https://t.co/Wfo2BenWI7
— William Teach2 ??????? #refuseresist (@WTeach2) December 23, 2022
Fine. Now let’s release tax returns from the Clintons, Obamas, and the Biden Crime Syndicate.
Wiley,
Since Bill and Hillary Clinton both ran for President, as did Mr Obama and Mr Biden, their tax returns were released, as has been customary for decades! In addition, Presidents Clinton, Obama and Biden were audited by the IRS! Mr Biden was audited as VP as well.
Mr tRump did NOT release his tax returns nor was he audited as President, as required.
Are you requesting that private citizens, the Clintons, Obamas and Mr Biden’s relatives have THEIR returns released? That would be a new precedent.
Congress WILL be able to request and receive Hunter Biden’s tax returns if Treasury and the Courts agree. Recall Treasury Sec Mnuchin refused to turn over tRump’s information as legally requested by Congress. Current Treasury Secretary Yellen may tell likely new Ways and Means Committee chair, the Missouri Moron Jason Smith (aka MOron), to pound sand as Mnuchin did.