Does congress have the right to Trump's tax records?

Nothing you’ve said is correct.

Obtaining tax returns from the IRS is oversight. Investigation conflicts of interest is oversight.

For all we know, since we haven’t actually seen it, the Mueller report may make Donald Trump look like a saint.

I think Trump voters are more scared of Trump’s taxes and finances and being indebted to people in other countries more so than the report.

I’d say adding them together is not gonna be a very good look though.

Obtaining tax returns for the purpose of oversight is fine. Never said it wasn’t. Targeting an individual does nothing for “oversight”. The congress does not oversee whether or not any particular individual is paying his taxes, they oversee whether or not the executive is applying the law to all tax payers as they intended. Getting one person’s tax return will not accomplish that. They’ll need thousands of similar returns.

Investigating conflicts of interest is oversight. They don’t need his tax returns to do that. You won’t find his tax returns of much relevance to government awarded contracts. Other than contracts, what possible conflict could exist? Does any policy decision the President make effect only Trump?

Your idea of oversight is incorrect.

They don’t need “thousands” of returns to see if a particular government official has a conflict of interest. You need to know what their financial interests lie. Tax returns have a mountain of information about financial interests.

You don’t get to determine what does and doesn’t constitute oversight. The letter of the law is clear.

My idea is spot on absolutely correct. Oversight is not intended to ensure investigation of any one individual. It is intended to determine if the executive at large is applying the laws as the Congress intended them to be applied.

And you don’t need Trump’s Tax returns to investigate conflicts of interest. His holdings are declared, the government knows what his interests (in the form of properties) is. Determining if he has any conflict is a simple matter of following the governments money. You won’t find that on his 1040’s.

Please enlighten us. Other than awarded contracts, what possible conflict could exist? Which policies can the President enact that will serve only “Trump” entities.

Nothing you’ve said is correct.

Congress has oversight into employees of the government. They can obtain government records as a means of investigating those individuals.

It’s not for you to decide how to investigate conflicts of interest and your idea of how to do so is simplistic and cartoonish.

Say Trump does business with a particular individual and then gives favorable treatment via government policies. The business relationship and revenues from that relationship would be apparent on his taxes. His taxes are a roadmap for his financial interests.

Physical property is only one form of financial interest and there are many others. This should be obvious, but hey, it’s easy to forget the obvious sometimes.

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Your understanding of “properties” is simplistic and cartoonish.

What would his 2016 and prior returns have to do with any government employee? As far as I know he was not one of them.

How does a government policy advantage one particular business without giving every other similar business the same advantage (other than congressional earmarks and no bid contracts)? Which of course means once enacted its not so much an “advantage” as it is the same playing field all of them operate on. How would someone elses’ favorable treatment show up on Trump’s tax return? If you want to know where the government’s money is going, you don’t need Trump’s 1040 to find out. As far as contracts go, every contractor who does business with the government is required to identify subcontractors and vendors. You don’t need trump’s 1040 for that either.

No, it’s only oversight if it serves a legitimate legislative purpose, not if it’s opposition research for an upcoming election.

The President is not an employee of the government, try again.

Anybody with a brain knows the difference between oversight and digging for what ever you can find. Seriously, we have nit wits such a Shifty Schiff providing “oversight?” Oversight of what?

He most certainly is.

Where does the law say that?

Business relationships in the past can be used to exert pressure in the future.

Trump’s businesses are a complex web of LLCs. It’s done that way for a reason and that reason is not transparency.

There’s tremendous room for abuse in permitting, approvals and access. These are not policies that affect “everyone”.

Tax returns are a big part of this.

I can’t believe I have to explain this to you.

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No, he most certainly isn’t. He is the chief executive officer, not a federal employee. Employee’s can be fired, his position was created by the constitution, not statute, which makes him a constitutional office holder, not a mere employee.

Here

Whatever. Is there a point here?

And here.

Unlike Watkins, Trump is not a private individual.

pretty thin straw you’re grasping.

Every President has former relationships business and otherwise, by that standard any relationship at all would constitute a conflict. Any policy proposal made by the President in regards to any federally required permits would effect all developers equally, where would the conflict be in that? What evidence is there to suggest that Trump has asserted himself in any way in the approvals process; and, if so how would that constitute a conflict in his interest? Access? please, access is a commodity in every WH and showing any sort of conflict due to it is an impossibility.

he was in 2016 and before