Trump tax returns can be released to Congress, DOJ says

[Dr. Jack]

Source: CNBC

The income tax returns of former President Donald Trump can be released by the IRS to Congress, the Department of Justice said Friday.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/30/trump-tax-returns-can-be-released-to-congress-doj-says.html

[hlthe2b]

1. "Can" or "Must"...? Two competing wordings in reports on this and it makes a big difference.

[yaesu]

2. it must be can. nt

[IronLionZion]

11. Must. Congress requested it officially. nt

[Champp]

3. k and r

[former9thward]

4. They were already released to the New York Times almost a year ago.

Eighteen years worth. The DOJ could just tell Congress to pick up a paper.

I post a link to the AP because the NYT has a paywall for me.

https://apnews.com/article/ruth-bader-ginsburg-courts-donald-trump-7e1d23d1e381ae3e0be6cb293338c05e

[PSPS]

9. I think that was just the state tax returns and didn't include the most recent years.

[former9thward]

17. They were federal returns and went through his return of 2017.

So 1999 to 2017 which would include his first year of his term.

[maxsolomon]

21. IIRC, those were summaries.

Not the detailed returns.

I could be wrong.

[UnderThisLaw]

22. Are you sure?

I was told here that leaking tax returns was a violation of federal law. We all hope the times got these legally, right? I can’t handle all this contradictory info

I also hope your statement about Congress picking up a papEr was kidding

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215680769

[former9thward]

23. No I was not kidding.

And yes the Times got them because someone broke the law. That has never stopped a paper from running a story.

[UnderThisLaw]

24. You must be some lawyer

Read a paper when you can access the source documents?

PS

I presume there’s an investigation into this illegal release of info

[former9thward]

29. Yes, my clients think I am.

You would wait a year or more to get the "source" document when you can pick up a paper and get 99% of the relevant information for an investigation? Bizarre to say the least.

[UnderThisLaw]

30. Don't you lawyers have a saying

“Assumes facts not in evidence”? Who says 99% of the relevant info is in the paper?

[summer_in_TX]

31. I would think there could be doubt as to authenticity when a newspaper publishes

leaked documents.

Wouldn't documents from the Treasury Department have a higher presumed level of credibility whether or not the NYT's documents were identical?

Only by seeing the Treasury Department's documents would the NYT's be authoritatively verified, even though I'm quite sure they went through a process to verify them.

Are those NYT's docs part of what Mary Trump gave them?

[pnwmom]

5. The article AND the actual document says "must."

https://www.justice.gov/olc/file/1419111/download

IV.
For the foregoing reasons, we conclude that the Secretary must comply with the Ways and Means Committee’s June 16, 2021 request pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 6103(f)(1) to furnish the Committee with the specified tax returns and related tax information.
DAWN JOHNSEN
Acting Assistant Attorney General Office of Legal Counsel

[Pinback]

8. Excellent. Thanks for the clarification. (nt)

[ancianita]

12. Thanks. Wow. 39 pages of "foregoing reasons."

[dalton99a]

6. Kick

[SergeStorms]

10. So the "audit" must finally be over?

That will go down in history as the loooooooooongest tax audit in IRS history.

If course MF45 didn't do anything wrong, so he has nothing to worry about.

[ancianita]

13. Now the real audit begins.

[OMGWTF]

15. THIS!!!!

[calimary]

14. Well, donald? If you've done nothing wrong, what are you afraid of?

If you’ve done nothing wrong, why are you hiding them and fighting so hard to keep them secret?

I remember seeing that somewhere else, not long ago, asked of him by somebody else: “what are you afraid of?”

Maybe that’s the question he needs to be asked again and again and again and again, by voice, I print, on the air, on cable, online. “What are you afraid of?”

Ask it enough, make sure it comes up a LOT, and pretty soon the subliminal messaging is - “he’s afraid! AFRAID!” And it can more easily sink into the public mindset: “donald is afraid…” And how does THAT work for your “Mr. Invincible” image, donald? The last thing he wants is for a mantle of fearfulness settling in a n his shoulders and taking up permanent residence. Oooooh, look! He’s afraid! He’s scared! He’s knocked off his game. That image he’s so carefully cultivated over the years, all-powerful, owns this/owns that/owns everything, master of his domain (so to speak- I was discussing “Seinfeld” in another thread just now…). And there goes his “image.” Fittingly enough, with bright yellow hair. To match the yellow going all the way down his back.


Cough ‘em up, donald. Let’s see what you’re hiding. We already have our suspicions, as it as.

[Justice matters.]

16. Lock MF45 terrorist up.

[riversedge]

18. way past time.

[Picaro]

19. One post uses the word "must" and this post uses the word "can"

Which is it? The distinction is very important to the meaning and impact of the story.

“Must” means that this is a court order that must be complied with.

“Can” means that the DOJ has waived off the assertion off the spurious claims of executive privilege, but has not ordered the release.

Would love a clarification.

[PSPS]

20. Never should have been an issue. The statute cleraly states that the returns "shall" be provided.

Trump's hand-picked toady Rettig is still heading the IRS. He'll probably try to ignore/fight this too.

[twodogsbarking]

25. Prepared in crayon and sharpie.

[keithbvadu2]

26. No whining, Donald. After all, you did promise to release them.

No whining, Donald.

After all, you did promise to release them.

.
As if your word means anything.

.
(He will whine.)

[GB_RN]

27. The Law Under Which The Request For His Taxes...

Was made was not in any way ambiguous, and said that the Secretary of the Treasury “shall comply”, so I don’t know why this is even controversial. Nor do I (yes I do 🙄 ) understand why it’s taken so long, nor had to go through all of this BS.

[gab13by13]

28. Barbara McQuade

was just on Ari Melber and stated that MF45 can't delay turning over the taxes. She stated that the executive branch has control of the taxes and must turn them over to Congress.

I assume she is correct because I expected a drawn out fight but she said the taxes could be delivered tonight.