If Trump did indeed leak the return to Rachel via Johnston....

[kstewart33]

Why Rachel? Why leak it to the most effective anti-Trump broadcaster on TV via Johnston, a Trump biographer, who has been
on Rachel many times as an expert on Trump and his businesses? Johnston and Rachel are tight and Trump's people know it. After all she, more than any other cable broadcaster, gets the leaks.

Why not leak the return to Hannity, for a one-hour love fest? After all, he did make a lot of $$$ that year, bolstering his argument that he is indeed a billionaire. And he did pay taxes, about 20% tax rate, I think.

That's plenty for Hannity to crow about.

[Pisces]

1. To play victim, his favorite pastime

[KittyWampus]

2. FFS, nobody leaked it to Rachel. It was in David Kay Johnson's mailbox.

[rainbow4321]

24. Exactly what I posted below...

Doubt there was a damn sticky note on it saying "please give to...." Unless it gets reported otherwise in the days to come, for all the "leaker" knew the info was gonna be reported on Johnston's website with no TV media involvement.


And people are forgetting/ignoring that we DID learn stuff tonight. Like why drumf is pushing for getting rid of the AMT (he would have only paid 4% on his 150mil income) and that with all of his/their damn loopholes/loss claims he was placed in the same tax bracket as a couple making 400k/year? That's the MOST info we have had about him tax wise ever...and seeing as how he wanted us to know NOTHING AT ALL, you know he is pissed about what we do know now.

[underthematrix]

3. No. It was leaked to David JOhnson an investigative reporter. You should delete this

fact free post.

[kstewart33]

9. Respectfully, you are missing my entire point.

My point is that Trump did not leak the return. It makes no sense that he would release it to Johnston who can't stand Trump.

Johnston has been on Rachel's show countless times talking about the Trump-Russian connection and his returns.

Trump's people would NEVER leak it to someone who would commonsensibly contact Rachel.

Rachel's ratings are soaring. Of course, Trump's people know this and have been watching her show. Precisely because she, more than any other cable news show, gets the most leaks.

[underthematrix]

10. Sorry but Rachel and David

both stated that the tax returns were emailed to David. Those are the facts.

[kstewart33]

11. Please see my edited post. nt

[underthematrix]

12. Thank you

[kstewart33]

15. You're welcome.

[doc03]

20. I think he did leak the forms and Rachel over-billed it making the

news media look foolish and Trump the victim of the fake news media.

[global1]

23. Watch His Tweets In The Morning.....

I think they'll be a clue as to whether he leaked his own tax returns or someone else leaked them.

Check out Don Jr. tweets tonight. There might be a clue in them as well.

I don't know how to access them or how to post tweets here on DU. So it would be appreciated if someone else would look into that.

[MFM008]

4. he released them to D C Johnston

and he went to the media.

cause = effect.

[brooklynite]

5. Whomever leaked the tax returns DIDN'T leak them to Rachel Maddow

They were leaked to David Cay Johnston, a Pulitzer Prize awarded journalist.

[kstewart33]

13. See my edited post.

[brooklynite]

16. ...and they didn't leak them TO MADDOW...

How do you know something sent to Johnston would automatically be sent to Maddow? What about Chris Hayes? Chris Cuomo? The Washington Post?

[kstewart33]

19. Makes sense to me.

I've watched every Maddow broadcast since Trump was inaugurated (obsessive, I know). Johnston has been on Rachel's show many times, one of her favorite guests.

If you were Johnston, why would you give the story to Chris Cuomo or Hayes? He's much closer to Rachel. Indeed, right now, Rachel's ratings are huge. She's getting the leaks. She's beating every cable show in her time slot, especially CNN. She's the best concerning the Russkies/Trump connection.

Certainly the Washington Post would not give Johnston much publicity, not compared to his one-hour stint on Rachel. The WPost would rely more on their own and other tax return analysts.

But it's a moot point really. My point is that Trump isn't the leaker because he certainly would not have leaked to one of his enemies as Johnston most assuredly is. J can't stand the guy.

[Chasstev365]

6. She is connecting the dots on Russia

[democratisphere]

7. Diversion Tactics.

Look here, bbbbbbut don't look over there.

[global1]

8. Hannity Will Still Crow About This And .....

he might be more effective now that the liberal media made it public. He can still say Trump is being persecuted with this tax thing and make him look good to the Deplorables.

[BannonsLiver]

18. Oh. My. God. (In the voice of Charleton Heston from Planet of the Apes)

Are you saying that the Deplorables won't be moved by Trump's corruption and what's worse, they...will...continue to blame liberals for...everything?!?

And they might even...make fun of us?!?

[underthematrix]

14. Welp one of the most important findings is that he is unlikely a billionaire

And second, we need to see the details to determine how he came up with over a 100 million dollars in construction losses.

[wiggs]

17. Good point. Either it's fake...or....it was leaked to Rachel to maximize the play in

left leaning media to distract from ACA and Comey news.

Or...it was not deliberately leaked by the Trump team but by a whistleblower and there's a lot more coming.

[JI7]

21. if he admits to releasing it people will ask why not release the rest of it. especially more recent

and additional info rather than just the 2 pages.

[rainbow4321]

22. But could the leaker KNOW Johnston would give it to her?

I doubt the person who put it in is mailbox attached a sticky note saying "Please give this to Rachael Maddow..."

It was not the "leaker" who decided what media outlet/TV journalist the pages would be given to...the so called leaker gave it the tax info to David Cay Johnston who has a website news outlet.