Well, this will totally help the nation come together and heal, right? Deciding to turn over the private tax records of someone who is now a private citizen
Biden administration weighs turning over Trump tax returns to House Democrats
House Democrats have renewed their long-stalled demand for Donald Trump’s federal tax records, but the Biden administration has not decided whether it will drop its predecessor’s objections and release the Treasury Department records to investigators, Justice Department attorneys told a federal judge Friday.
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden declined Friday to lift a stay on a pending House lawsuit. Instead, the judge agreed to give Treasury and Justice Department officials two weeks to report back to him, acknowledging that President Biden’s team was just settling in after the inauguration this week.
McFadden also kept in place an order requiring the government to give the former president’s lawyers 72 hours’ notice before releasing his tax return information to allow them to file a request to block the release.
Separation-of-powers issues that have slowed the case “may fall out†now that Trump is no longer in office, the judge noted.
“It would be a former president trying to stop a political branch, rather than one branch suing another. At least that’s my instinct,†said McFadden, a 2017 Trump appointee to the federal bench in Washington.
This really should be so simple: the law has massive restrictions on releasing the private tax records of any American without just cause, and it’s quite clear this is a partisan fishing expedition, looking for anything. If the GOP was trying to get Biden’s tax records, or those of any other Democrat, in such a way I would be 100% against it. For one thing, it is just improper. For another, it sets a precedent. A really bad one. What if the Dems get his tax records now, and then a Republican wins the White House in 2024 and the GOP controls the House, and want Joe’s tax records, a basic fishing expedition? Do you think Democrats would be OK with that? Do the want a tit for tat? We literally have a Right against this
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
At what point is this “reasonable” to do a fishing expedition on someone’s private documents?
Also, he said the Treasury Department and the House historically have always agreed that requests made under the 1924 law giving the tax-writing committee authority to seek tax returns and other records in overseeing the effectiveness of the Internal Revenue Service’s audit program survive the turnover of Congress.
The House has been stymied for months, “numerous investigations have been obstructed,†and “enough is enough,†Letter argued, saying, “The statute here is clear. ‘Shall’ means ‘shall,’ and therefore the Treasury Department should turn over these materials . . . and that should be the end of it.â€
That law requires there to be a serious reason, not just “we want them to attempt to get Trump, we’re just not sure how.” This is dangerous to the rule of law, and certainly won’t turn the political stove down.
President Biden released his tax records long ago (all records from 1998 on, LOL), so your threat is moot. In fact, Trump was the only major party candidate to refuse since Gerald Ford administration. Hillary Clinton released 8 years of tax returns in 2016.
Trump promised to release his once the “audit” was complete but he clearly was lying.
A US District judge requested the Biden administration’s (the respondent in the Congressional suit) Treasury and Justice Depts decide within two weeks whether they agreed to release the documents to the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees. Both committees are allowed by law to view private tax records.
Is it in the national interest to discover their past president was/is a crook? No doubt, the examination of Trump’s tax records by NY or the feds will reveal criminal activity (that’s why Trump hid his returns). What then? Is he above the law?
Is it in the national interest to discover the current President was/is a crook?
#Unity Motherf@ckers!
Bwaha! Lolgf
“Examination of Trump’s tax record..†Do really believe they weren’t already examined, especially by the Obama administration after Trump won the nomination? They got bogus FISA warrants to spy on him but somehow just forgot his taxes? Got it. Too bad you guys keep looking but can never find any evidence of wrongdoing
Another conspiracy? Ah yes!
Conservatives mistakenly believe that liberals are as dishonest and cynical as a conservative.
Why would the House of Representatives need Mr Trump’s tax records? He’s already out of office, so the House no longer has any reasonable need for them. If there are any criminal activities noted in them, that would be up to the Justice Department to prosecute.
Oh, wait, I know! The first impeachment failed, and the second one will, too. Maybe Speakess Pelosi wants to impeach President Trump a third time, over his taxes, hoping that one will take?
So it was OK for Trump to defy the law while he was President? Trump’s national campaign finance chairman, coincidentally made Trump’s Treasure Secretary Steve Mnuchin defied Congress’ legitimate request for Trump’s records. They kicked the can down the road! If Trump wins the election in 2024 would you agree that Congress should examine his financial records? We’re certain Trump will continue to fight it in court. Does he have something to hide?
“Determining where the president gets his income and who he does business with is an urgent national security priority. Obtaining a clear picture of the President’s personal financial interests is critical for a wide range of policy areas where his exercise of power could be conflicted, including sanctions against Russia, trade with foreign countries including China, and the tax code.
The Constitution empowers Congress to provide a check and balance on executive power. Congress cannot perform these fundamental roles without the ability to monitor and probe whether the President is acting exclusively in the national interest — and in fact, in the Foreign Emoluments Clause, the Constitution expressly requires Congress to police executive branch conflicts of interest.
And one issue at the core of the government’s very integrity is whether the president of the United States is getting special treatment from the Internal Revenue Service by virtue of his position — or whether the IRS is making sure he pays all of the taxes he owes like honest Americans. As of 2016, Trump’s tax returns from 2009 onward were still open for examination by the IRS — meaning that when he took office, he probably had a very large financial stake in whether the IRS audited him aggressively or looked the other way. That’s especially true if Trump, in recent years, has continued the pattern of apparent tax dodging that the Times has exposed.”
Judge McFadden (a trump appointee) has given Treasury and Justice two weeks to decide on whether to release the documents to Congress. In place is the requirement that the trump team be given 3 days to respond.
A 1924 law gives Congress oversight authority over the IRS.
Another copy&paste from Rimjob.
Ho-hum.
#Unity Motherf@cker!
Bwaha! Lolgf
The esteemed Mr Dowd quoted:
But, sadly, Donald Trump isn’t President anymore. If there’s any criminality involved, it would be up to the Infernal revenue Service and the Department of Justice to pursue such, not Congress.