Congress should pass a law releasing a major party nominee's tax returns

[The Second Stone]

right away. We the people already have Trump's tax returns. Someone should introduce emergency legislation to release the last 4 years of every major party nominee's tax returns to the public automatically.

How about it?

[glennward]

1. Yep!

[bluedye33139]

2. While I understand the sentiment, I think it goes against the idea of citizen-politicians

I just don't think that a citizen should not be required by law to provide their tax documents in order to run for public office. Two candidates in the primary balked at the tradition, and if the court of public opinion does not judge them for this, then I believe that public opinion is the right authority here.

I think that no wise voter will vote for someone who refuses to disclose their income and finances, and maybe I would support the political parties requiring their candidates to file a copy of the tax documents with the parties, but I would not support using a legal requirement for this.

In my humble opinion --

[The Second Stone]

3. That was my opinion about Romney

But Trump is so dangerous that I don't want to leave it to wise voters to know better. This would not be for a primary, but only for the general. The nominee of a major party.

[bluedye33139]

5. But I think even this is up to the electorate

If our fellow Americans actually vote Trump in, knowing he has ties to oligarchs in Russia and that he has concealed his ties with them, then America will be getting largely what it deserves.

This for me parallels the idea of "term limits," or "Stop me before I vote again!" statutes. If the voting public wants to elect someone to Congress for 50 years, let them. I really believe that the electorate is the highest authority, even (sadly) when it's wrong.

[greymattermom]

4. How about they undergo a security clearance

Wouldn't a big financial conflict of interest affect that?