As he prepared to run for president, Donald Trump promised the country that he would release his tax returns. Since then, he has refused to do so. At first he claimed that he was prohibited from releasing his returns because he was under audit. When it was pointed out that he could still release them, he changed the subject, saying “only the media cares about them.” This is similarly untrue -polls indicate the American people want to see the sources of Trump’s alleged wealth and possible conflicts of interest.
The issue is doubly important because Trump has refused to put his businesses in a blind trust - yet another broken promise. Instead, his family members are running his businesses. Trump can access these “managers” and the money at any time.
The American people deserve to know the facts. Who does Trump do business with and who does he owe money to? Are any of these parties engaging in business or politics with the United States? What are Donald Trump’s conflicts of interest?
The tax documents, identifying the sources of Trump’s income and debt, will also shed light on his links to business people, banks and governments in Russia, the Middle East and elsewhere. There is ample circumstantial evidence of potential conflicts of interest. Put simply, “what does he have to hide?”
The Constitution prohibits the President from taking anything of value from foreign governments or people aligned with a foreign government. Unfortunately, the Congressional committees which are charged with preventing corruption are run by Republican partisans who refuse to provide meaningful oversight. The only way for the American people to know the score is for us to see the actual tax returns.
We insist that Mr. Trump release his own taxes for public scrutiny. Anything less is an insult to every taxpayer and citizen.
Call to Action
Get Walking!!
No need to make a call this week! Instead, go here and see if there is a Tax Day March near you. Join thousands of fellow citizens in calling for President Trump to release his tax returns.