Donald Trump on Mitt Romney’s Tax Returns in 2012: ‘Better off Just to Release Them Now’

[Her Sister]

Donald Trump is being criticized by 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney because the New Yorker hasn’t released his personal tax returns. Four years ago, though, it was Trump who was suggesting Romney may have to release his.

“In Jan. 2012, speaking to Fox’s Greta Van Susteren, the real estate mogul discussed Mitt Romney, who was then a candidate seeking the Republican nomination,” Mediaite reports. “Romney had endured similar calls to disclose his tax returns.”

Van Susteren asked Trump in 2012 about Romney, saying, “If he called you in light of the situation he [is] in now from clamoring from opponents, would it political be shrewd he would release them now?”

“I think he may have to,” Trump responded.

I think he a step went too far. I think that April 1st or April 2nd was okay. But now I think in light of the fact that he started discussing some of the things, namely the rate or approximately the rate, I think it probably be better off just to release them now

http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/05/13/donald-trump-mitt-romneys-tax-returns-2012-better-off-just-release-now/

[Her Sister]

1. Romney to Trump: Not releasing tax returns is 'disqualifying'

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/279584-romney-to-trump-not-releasing-tax-returns-is

Mitt Romney on Wednesday said Donald Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns should make him ineligible for the presidency.

“It is disqualifying for a modern-day presidential nominee to refuse to release tax returns to the voters, especially one who has not been subject to public scrutiny in either military or public service,” the 2012 Republican presidential nominee wrote on Facebook.

“There is only one logical explanation for Mr. Trump's refusal to release his returns: there is a bombshell in them. Given Mr. Trump's equanimity with other flaws in his history, we can only assume it's a bombshell of unusual size,” Romney said.
Romney, who has feuded publicly with Trump, made this claim before as he tried earlier this year to prevent Trump from winning the Republican nomination. He experienced similar attacks during his presidential run in 2012 when Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) charged that Romney had not paid taxes for 10 years.

Romney released his tax returns for two years and a summary of returns dating back to 1990 but drew criticism from Reid and others for not releasing a more thorough accounting.

Trump told The Associated Press he doesn’t plan to release his returns before the November election, saying “there’s nothing to learn from them.”

The Internal Revenue Service issued a statement in February saying nothing prevents Trump from releasing his tax returns after he blamed an audit for his initial refusal to do so.

[Her Sister]

2. Trump Says that His Tax Returns Are "None of Your Business"

The saga of Donald Trump's tax returns continues and will linger until the election (unless he changes course and decides to release them). Trump's excuse for not releasing any of them is that the last three years are being audited. The IRS has said that there is no law or regulation preventing people from publishing their tax returns at any time, including when they are under audit. For 40 years, candidates of both parties have released their tax returns. Hillary Clinton has released all of hers going back to 1977.

It has now just come out that in 2000, Donald Trump released some of his tax returns in return for a casino deal, even though he was under audit then as well.

Timothy O'Brien, who Trump sued for libel a decade ago, saw Trump's tax returns. He is under court order not to reveal their contents, but he nevertheless lists some areas where Trump might not be so comfortable if they were released:

Income: Maybe he doesn't have as many billions as he claims?
Business activities: What kinds of business does he do overseas and has he outsourced jobs there?
Charitable giving: Trump claims to have given generously to charities. Is it true?
Tax planning: Does he have shell companies and shelters in tax havens?
Accountability: Does he have conflicts of interest that could affect his decisions as President?


Meanwhile, TPM's Josh Marshall wonders if there isn't an even more troublesome secret hiding within the returns: Maybe Trump isn't a billionaire at all. It's not a secret that much of The Donald's supposed net worth is based on the value of the Trump brand, as estimated by Trump himself. It's well within the realm of possibility that his actual assets, once his liabilities are taken into account, check in at something less than $1 billion.

In any event, assuming Trump holds steady and does not release any tax returns, the Democrats are going to constantly bring up the story of "What's he hiding?" (V & Z)

http://www.electoral-vote.com/

[LuvLoogie]

3. Somehow, I don't think this hurts Donald Trump. I mean HE's the nominee,

after all his shit spewing.

[SharonClark]

4. Agree