TRUMP TAXES: Dems can release them on Tuesday — and should
On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Committee will convene to decide whether or not to make public the tax returns of Donald Trump for the years 2015-2020.
If they do, it would serve as another heavy blow to a former president who’s already been weakened by the weight of several investigations and civil lawsuits.
It may very well be a tough week for Donald Trump overall.
On Monday the January 6 House Select Committee is expected to make criminal referrals to the Justice Department for the Capitol attack, likely recommending the charges of insurrection, obstructing an official proceeding, and conspiracy to defraud the government.
Federal investigators will also continue to probe emails between Trump co-conspirators attorney John Eastman and Representative Scott Perry (R-PA), as well as a manuscript from former Acting Assistant U.S. Attorney General Jeffrey Clark.
They’ve also subpoenaed Brad Raffensperger, who Trump pressured to “find” 10,000 more votes in Georgia to upend Joe Biden’s victory in 2020.
He’s also been widely criticized for his “major announcement,” which turned out to be a ludicrous pitch to buy Trump NFT cards of him posing in various ridiculous scenarios.
It was taken by many as a sign that Trump is desperate and that he’s back to his old conman self — as if he ever deviated from that persona.
Already trailing Ron DeSantis for the presidential nomination in one poll among Republicans by 23 points, revelations about Trump’s taxes that show him to be the bum that he is could put the final nail in his political coffin.
As Daniel Hemel of Lawfare has insightfully explained, there is no doubt that the law permits the Ways and Means Committee to make the taxes public, as stipulated by Section 6103(f) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Put simply, all the committee would need to do after approving the motion would be to present it to the full House for a vote.
Hemel makes a fair and reasoned argument that, though they have the power to do so, and though he himself wants to see Trump’s returns, they should refrain from making the taxes public at this moment and leave the matter to the Senate Finance Committee instead, which can request and immediately receive the same returns the moment it wishes.
Hemel concludes that making the taxes public now would undermine some of the stated reasons for receiving them that derived from Ways Chair Richard Neal and others and therefore give Trump political ammunition.
This is an understandable reluctance, but misguided.
The truth is, any Trumper still trumping isn’t going to be persuaded by how reasonable and deferent the Democrats are – we’ve seen plenty of evidence for that.
We all know that the Dems didn’t really just want to make sure the IRS was working right — that was just a side reason that made sense as a legal argument.
But so what? There’s nothing wrong with having a legitimate legal reason for doing something while simultaneously having a legitimate and important political one.
The House @WaysMeansCmte should MAKE PUBLIC six years of Trump’s tax records — BEFORE the Republicans take control of the House.
cc: @RepRichardNealRetweet if you agree!!
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) December 17, 2022
As we’ve seen with his NFT, Trump is currently still fleecing people.
And he’s still willing to engage in stochastic terrorism and is a clear and present danger.
It’s like a boxing match: when you have your opponent up against the ropes and he’s staggering, it’s not the time to slow down.
Right now is the time to keep punching, not pull punches back.
Trump’s staggering. Hit him again! And again! And again!
Hit him with everything you got and don’t stop hitting. Because my mama always taught me that you don’t start fights, but you sure as hell finish them.
If the Democrats don’t release Trump’s tax returns, they’ll have their own base to answer to, and they won’t like the response they’ll get.
The Republicans would’ve released Biden’s returns in about two seconds flat if the shoe was reversed.
Now, I’m not saying we should always do what the party of low or no morals does, but there are times when it’s time to stop fucking around and do what you have to do.
If the committee has any sense, they won’t waste time: they’ll go for the uppercut and take their chances with Trump getting back off the mat.
Dirty Donald certainly hates Ross, but you can help him fight the Orange Menace by joining him on Twitter! @RossRosenfeld
