SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
People gathered for the Tax March rally on the west lawn of the Capitol to call on President Trump to release his tax returns, April 15, 2017. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
'Why Is He So Afraid?': Congress Urged to Fight Back Against Trump Lawsuit to Keep Tax Returns Hidden
"Trump is taking extraordinary legal measures to block Congress and the public from seeing his tax returns. Why?"
Jul 23, 2019
Progressive groups called on Democrats in Congress to fight back on Tuesday after President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit to thwart release of his long-concealed federal and state tax returns.
"Chairman Neal should use every tool at his disposal to get answers on behalf of the public and hold Trump accountable.... Trump's brazen attempt to bury the truth should not stop Chairman Neal from doing his job."
--Ryan Thomas, Stand Up America
As The Hill reports:
The president filed the lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., alleging that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) is considering using a recently passed New York state law to try to get Trump's state tax returns.
"Because the Committee's jurisdiction is limited to federal taxes, no legislation could possibly result from a request for the President's state tax returns. The Committee thus lacks a legitimate legislative purpose for using the TRUST Act," the lawsuit states.
This lawsuit comes on the heels of a separate complaint filed by the Ways and Means Committee seeking Trump's federal tax returns.
Progressive groups, including Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) and Stand Up America, were quick to both condemn the lawsuit and demand Democrats intensify their efforts to obtain the documents Trump has continued to conceal from the American people throughout his tenure in office.
"This lawsuit once again raises the question: what is Donald Trump so determined to hide?" said Stand Up America spokesperson Ryan Thomas, in a statement. "This is yet another desperate attempt by Donald Trump to block congressional oversight and obscure the truth from the American people about his foreign entanglements and conflicts of interest."
ATF's executive director Frank Clemente issued a similar call and also accused the president of deceiving the public.
"President Trump is taking extraordinary legal measures to block Congress and the public from seeing his tax returns. Why?" asked Clemente. "Why is he so afraid of the public learning the truth about his wealth and his finances? Every president for the past 40 years has voluntarily released their tax and financial information because they believed in honesty, transparency, and accountability. This president does not."
Clemente said that the full disclosure of Trump's financial dealings would clear up very serious and ongoing questions about the president that deserve to be answered, including "whether the president has business interests or entanglements with foreign countries that conflict with his duties as president, or whether he has used questionable and potentially illegal maneuvers to dodge paying his fair share of taxes."
The "unprecedented lawsuit" filed Tuesday "makes those questions even more curious," said Clemente, who also called on Congress to "resist this lawsuit and do everything it can to convince the court for a swift decision."
Thomas singled out Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.)--chair of the Ways and Means Committee named in Trump's lawsuit and who critics have rebuked for not doing more to get his hands on the returns--to take a more aggressive approach.
"Chairman Neal should use every tool at his disposal to get answers on behalf of the public and hold Trump accountable--and that includes the TRUST Act," Thomas said. "Trump's brazen attempt to bury the truth should not stop Chairman Neal from doing his job."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Progressive groups called on Democrats in Congress to fight back on Tuesday after President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit to thwart release of his long-concealed federal and state tax returns.
"Chairman Neal should use every tool at his disposal to get answers on behalf of the public and hold Trump accountable.... Trump's brazen attempt to bury the truth should not stop Chairman Neal from doing his job."
--Ryan Thomas, Stand Up America
As The Hill reports:
The president filed the lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., alleging that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) is considering using a recently passed New York state law to try to get Trump's state tax returns.
"Because the Committee's jurisdiction is limited to federal taxes, no legislation could possibly result from a request for the President's state tax returns. The Committee thus lacks a legitimate legislative purpose for using the TRUST Act," the lawsuit states.
This lawsuit comes on the heels of a separate complaint filed by the Ways and Means Committee seeking Trump's federal tax returns.
Progressive groups, including Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) and Stand Up America, were quick to both condemn the lawsuit and demand Democrats intensify their efforts to obtain the documents Trump has continued to conceal from the American people throughout his tenure in office.
"This lawsuit once again raises the question: what is Donald Trump so determined to hide?" said Stand Up America spokesperson Ryan Thomas, in a statement. "This is yet another desperate attempt by Donald Trump to block congressional oversight and obscure the truth from the American people about his foreign entanglements and conflicts of interest."
ATF's executive director Frank Clemente issued a similar call and also accused the president of deceiving the public.
"President Trump is taking extraordinary legal measures to block Congress and the public from seeing his tax returns. Why?" asked Clemente. "Why is he so afraid of the public learning the truth about his wealth and his finances? Every president for the past 40 years has voluntarily released their tax and financial information because they believed in honesty, transparency, and accountability. This president does not."
Clemente said that the full disclosure of Trump's financial dealings would clear up very serious and ongoing questions about the president that deserve to be answered, including "whether the president has business interests or entanglements with foreign countries that conflict with his duties as president, or whether he has used questionable and potentially illegal maneuvers to dodge paying his fair share of taxes."
The "unprecedented lawsuit" filed Tuesday "makes those questions even more curious," said Clemente, who also called on Congress to "resist this lawsuit and do everything it can to convince the court for a swift decision."
Thomas singled out Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.)--chair of the Ways and Means Committee named in Trump's lawsuit and who critics have rebuked for not doing more to get his hands on the returns--to take a more aggressive approach.
"Chairman Neal should use every tool at his disposal to get answers on behalf of the public and hold Trump accountable--and that includes the TRUST Act," Thomas said. "Trump's brazen attempt to bury the truth should not stop Chairman Neal from doing his job."
Progressive groups called on Democrats in Congress to fight back on Tuesday after President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit to thwart release of his long-concealed federal and state tax returns.
"Chairman Neal should use every tool at his disposal to get answers on behalf of the public and hold Trump accountable.... Trump's brazen attempt to bury the truth should not stop Chairman Neal from doing his job."
--Ryan Thomas, Stand Up America
As The Hill reports:
The president filed the lawsuit in federal court in Washington, D.C., alleging that House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) is considering using a recently passed New York state law to try to get Trump's state tax returns.
"Because the Committee's jurisdiction is limited to federal taxes, no legislation could possibly result from a request for the President's state tax returns. The Committee thus lacks a legitimate legislative purpose for using the TRUST Act," the lawsuit states.
This lawsuit comes on the heels of a separate complaint filed by the Ways and Means Committee seeking Trump's federal tax returns.
Progressive groups, including Americans for Tax Fairness (ATF) and Stand Up America, were quick to both condemn the lawsuit and demand Democrats intensify their efforts to obtain the documents Trump has continued to conceal from the American people throughout his tenure in office.
"This lawsuit once again raises the question: what is Donald Trump so determined to hide?" said Stand Up America spokesperson Ryan Thomas, in a statement. "This is yet another desperate attempt by Donald Trump to block congressional oversight and obscure the truth from the American people about his foreign entanglements and conflicts of interest."
ATF's executive director Frank Clemente issued a similar call and also accused the president of deceiving the public.
"President Trump is taking extraordinary legal measures to block Congress and the public from seeing his tax returns. Why?" asked Clemente. "Why is he so afraid of the public learning the truth about his wealth and his finances? Every president for the past 40 years has voluntarily released their tax and financial information because they believed in honesty, transparency, and accountability. This president does not."
Clemente said that the full disclosure of Trump's financial dealings would clear up very serious and ongoing questions about the president that deserve to be answered, including "whether the president has business interests or entanglements with foreign countries that conflict with his duties as president, or whether he has used questionable and potentially illegal maneuvers to dodge paying his fair share of taxes."
The "unprecedented lawsuit" filed Tuesday "makes those questions even more curious," said Clemente, who also called on Congress to "resist this lawsuit and do everything it can to convince the court for a swift decision."
Thomas singled out Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.)--chair of the Ways and Means Committee named in Trump's lawsuit and who critics have rebuked for not doing more to get his hands on the returns--to take a more aggressive approach.
"Chairman Neal should use every tool at his disposal to get answers on behalf of the public and hold Trump accountable--and that includes the TRUST Act," Thomas said. "Trump's brazen attempt to bury the truth should not stop Chairman Neal from doing his job."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy