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L. Coyote

(51,129 posts)
Wed May 25, 2016, 04:11 PM May 2016

Senator Trolls Trump With Bill Requiring Presidential Nominees To Release Tax Returns

Source: Igor Bobic, Huffington Post

WASHINGTON — Though every major party nominee since 1976 has released his tax returns while running for president, the practice has never been required by law. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wants to change that.

The senior Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, which handles tax issues, introduced a bill on Wednesday that would force presidential candidates to release their most recent tax returns. The Presidential Tax Transparency Act, as the bill is called, would require candidates to make their latest three years of tax returns public no later than 15 days after becoming the nominee. If they do not comply, the treasury secretary would be directed to do so for them ....

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ron-wyden-donald-trump-tax-returns_us_5745af8ee4b055bb1170be9c



One of my great Senators, Ron Wyden. Thank you for this.

32 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Senator Trolls Trump With Bill Requiring Presidential Nominees To Release Tax Returns (Original Post) L. Coyote May 2016 OP
Now, see, that's how it's done. TwilightZone May 2016 #1
Trolls Bernie too! CrowCityDem May 2016 #2
Trolls Bernie 15 days after becoming the nominee ToxMarz May 2016 #12
Bernie is the nominee? Earth Bound Misfit May 2016 #19
I'm not so sure this tactic will be effective. It will lead the other side to dig in their heels pnwmom May 2016 #3
Great idea. I wish the GOP would act like patriots instead of non patriots and do their job Jackie Wilson Said May 2016 #4
I'll strike for that ffr May 2016 #5
Maybe the human being isnt evolved enough yet to know what is good for itself. Jackie Wilson Said May 2016 #7
So muffin tops are like greiner3 May 2016 #27
Pretty sure an act like that would be unconstitutional. RiverNoord May 2016 #6
What about bringing it to a requirement to be a nominee for a party, rather than President or VP ? OnDoutside May 2016 #8
That would be a party decision itsrobert May 2016 #9
Um.. I think it's still a problem. RiverNoord May 2016 #11
It is not a requirement of office, it is a directive to the government to make information public. L. Coyote May 2016 #18
sounds unconstitutional. that document lists specific requirements to be pres and releasing returns msongs May 2016 #10
Thank you. riversedge May 2016 #13
I agree with Senator Wyden DesertRat May 2016 #14
it is obvious why they won't release them Skittles May 2016 #15
That has to be the reason DesertRat May 2016 #16
Did Mittens Rmoney ever release his?? I didn't think he did... lastlib May 2016 #24
Sanders is our nominee? Lordquinton May 2016 #29
Senator TPP is great? Pastiche423 May 2016 #17
Since the government has a copy, "The dog ate them" just doesn't hold water. L. Coyote May 2016 #20
Would never be implemented. Would be found unconstitutional. bluestateguy May 2016 #21
On what basis would it be unconstitutional? n/t L. Coyote May 2016 #22
For starters, the qualifications as set out in Article II bluestateguy May 2016 #23
Except, as noted above, this does not alter qualifications, it instructs the IRS to release info L. Coyote May 2016 #25
very well said sweetapogee May 2016 #28
Yeah, it's pretty straightforward. RiverNoord May 2016 #30
I love the idea of my tax dollars paying for congresspeople to "troll" political rivals. MadDAsHell May 2016 #26
You seem upset someone is being mean to Donald Trump. nt geek tragedy May 2016 #31
Screw his tax returns . . . pistegypsy May 2016 #32

pnwmom

(108,925 posts)
3. I'm not so sure this tactic will be effective. It will lead the other side to dig in their heels
Wed May 25, 2016, 04:21 PM
May 2016

on the fact that there is no legal requirement.

And they won't make one. Not if they think it would hurt their nominee.

Jackie Wilson Said

(4,176 posts)
4. Great idea. I wish the GOP would act like patriots instead of non patriots and do their job
Wed May 25, 2016, 04:33 PM
May 2016

and allow our president to appoint a SC justice.

I think the country should go on a national strike until they do.

ffr

(22,644 posts)
5. I'll strike for that
Wed May 25, 2016, 05:16 PM
May 2016

If only we had some media outlet like Fox Entertainment who would take it upon themselves to coordinate speakers and timing.



Except in our case, what we need from our government is necessary.

Jackie Wilson Said

(4,176 posts)
7. Maybe the human being isnt evolved enough yet to know what is good for itself.
Wed May 25, 2016, 05:19 PM
May 2016

I mean it wasnt that long ago, in real terms, that we looked like this





 

RiverNoord

(1,150 posts)
6. Pretty sure an act like that would be unconstitutional.
Wed May 25, 2016, 05:19 PM
May 2016

The requirements for the office of the President and Vice President are explicitly delineated in the Constitution.

There isn't any provision that would permit Congress to add additional qualifications.

Might be a decent idea but it would require a constitutional Amendment.

 

RiverNoord

(1,150 posts)
11. Um.. I think it's still a problem.
Wed May 25, 2016, 06:00 PM
May 2016

Most states have substantial legislation on conduct of party primaries and caucuses. That means that political parties are, in part, structured by those states.

If a political party had a candidate selection process that was in part regulated by a state, or the federal government, then additional qualifications beyond claiming membership in the party would probably be proscribed by the Constitution as well.

Probably.

L. Coyote

(51,129 posts)
18. It is not a requirement of office, it is a directive to the government to make information public.
Wed May 25, 2016, 08:35 PM
May 2016

Apparently, Wyden has thought this through a bit further and found a way to mandate and force the transparency without a legal challenge beyond a possible right of privacy argument that is difficult to make when seeking the presidency. After passage, the candidate would be in a poor position, having to sue the government to stop an action mandated by law.

Maybe I've spent too much time in my life in law libraries, or not enough, but this seems to be quite clever and I say kudos to whoever came up with this proposal.

msongs

(67,193 posts)
10. sounds unconstitutional. that document lists specific requirements to be pres and releasing returns
Wed May 25, 2016, 05:58 PM
May 2016

is NOT on the list

DesertRat

(27,995 posts)
14. I agree with Senator Wyden
Wed May 25, 2016, 06:50 PM
May 2016

May 25, 2016

?@RonWyden
If you’re a nominee to be President, Americans have said ever since Watergate that you don’t get to hide your tax returns #ReleaseTheReturns


This holds true for Trump and Sanders.

Skittles

(152,963 posts)
15. it is obvious why they won't release them
Wed May 25, 2016, 07:15 PM
May 2016

what is in the returns does not reflect the image they are projecting

lastlib

(22,978 posts)
24. Did Mittens Rmoney ever release his?? I didn't think he did...
Thu May 26, 2016, 10:56 PM
May 2016

(O'course, I could be wrongg........)

L. Coyote

(51,129 posts)
20. Since the government has a copy, "The dog ate them" just doesn't hold water.
Thu May 26, 2016, 10:26 AM
May 2016

Sorry Donald, no excuses here.[center]

bluestateguy

(44,173 posts)
21. Would never be implemented. Would be found unconstitutional.
Thu May 26, 2016, 06:41 PM
May 2016

And probably for the best.

What would be next? Legislation mandating the candidates release their birth certificate? Their college grades? Their stock portfolio? Their job performance reviews in the military or private sector? Where would it end?

No. You should just release your tax returns because it's just the right thing to do.

bluestateguy

(44,173 posts)
23. For starters, the qualifications as set out in Article II
Thu May 26, 2016, 10:49 PM
May 2016

Only the Constitution can explicate the qualifications for serving as president. They are laid out in Article II:

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been fourteen Years a resident within the United States.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articleii

Those are the qualifications. Congress can't just pass a law deeming someone ineligible because he/she didn't release tax documents. (which raises another random question: how many years of returns would have to be made public? And which years? Could the candidate pick and choose which years are released?).

In U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton (1995) there was a similar issue with states trying to limit the terms of their U.S. congressional delegations. The Supreme Court said No, that only the Constitution, as spelled out in Article I, can lay out qualifications for serving in Congress. States or the Congress cannot just pass laws limiting terms. You would have to change the Constitution to do that.

I think the Court would find a similar reasoning with regard to such a law about making a presidential candidate release tax returns (or whatever other documents were demanded).

L. Coyote

(51,129 posts)
25. Except, as noted above, this does not alter qualifications, it instructs the IRS to release info
Thu May 26, 2016, 11:13 PM
May 2016

that a person reported to the government. There already are stipulations the President must adhere regarding assets, income, who controls them, etc. Lots of precedent.

sweetapogee

(1,168 posts)
28. very well said
Sat May 28, 2016, 01:01 AM
May 2016

While this might be helpful in some folks opinion to discredit a certain candidate, the question to ask is why stop at those seeking the office of the president? Why not congress and the senate? Why just tax returns, make it all business relationships, banking records, and so forth. Then add to it spouses and parents and adult children. Then add health records, college transcripts, on and on.

But as bluestateguy has pointed out, the constitution gives the qualifications for the office so all this is just a moot point.

 

RiverNoord

(1,150 posts)
30. Yeah, it's pretty straightforward.
Mon May 30, 2016, 08:20 PM
May 2016

I like Wyden, but this is a bit like a state enacting a 'nullification' bill. There may be too many vague descriptions in the Constitution, but the qualifications for the President and Vice President are very plain. No way to add to them except by way of a constitutional amendment.

 

MadDAsHell

(2,067 posts)
26. I love the idea of my tax dollars paying for congresspeople to "troll" political rivals.
Thu May 26, 2016, 11:18 PM
May 2016

This is something we should be happy about?

All these assholes need to get back to work:; worst Congress ever!

pistegypsy

(7 posts)
32. Screw his tax returns . . .
Tue May 31, 2016, 11:33 AM
May 2016

I want to see and read his college papers and transcripts . . . How does a person with the outward vocabulary and persona of a 5th. grader gain a degree any degree ? . . How does Penn/Wharton feel about being represented by this apparent lack of intellect?. . . hell, this barely rises to a sulky teenager's rhetoric, just before they dissolve into angry silence! Or is this orange 'skidmark' we see on TV just an act to join the dots of all our gloriously ill informed idiots (the the original form of the word, you know, the part of English that's Greek) to draw all the festering, self perceived, wounded folk into one large bucket of 'Vote for the Orange King - He'll fix EVERYTHING you think that your shitty life has thrown at you . . . Not realising that he is one of the shit throwers.

There are three options:
1: This apparent ignoramus is either so full of dumb luck that we're going to have a ginger toddler in the White House spitting his dummy whenever a general or a lawyer tells him he can't crap on either the Constitution nor International Law.

2: This demagogue of self-entitlement, fills his staff with acolytes then purges our political system . . . Déjà vu . . . or the Night of the Short Finger . . .

3: This tanned twаt is a true Manchurian Candidate . . . for whom?

(apologies for using English rather than Amerish and assuming that most of you have a smattering of our bastard language's roots)

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