(The cartoon image above is by Kim Warp in The New Yorker.)There has to be something in Donald Trump's tax returns that he thinks will embarrass him, and probably cost him a lot of votes. There's no other reason why he would refuse to release them, since every other candidate this year (and in recent past years) has done so. The question now is -- What is Trum[p trying to hide from the American people?
MoveOn.org has started a petition demanding that Trump release his returns. I encourage you to sign it. Here is what they have to say:
Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine released their tax returns today. (8/12/16)
However, Donald Trump is refusing to release his tax returns, claiming that “there’s nothing to learn from them.”
We think that there are at least a few questions that would be answered if Trump released his returns.
1) Has Trump paid any income taxes? In the years that investigators has uncovered he paid exactly zero dollars.
2) How much money is he really worth? Lots of people think he has inflated his worth and that he isn’t really a billionaire.
3) Has he really given money to charity? He makes lots of claims, but there is scant evidence of him actually making the donations.
4) What are his ties to Russia?
5) What is the extent of his business with other foreign entities?
We think the electorate should have this information from every presidential candidate in order to make an informed decision. Every Democratic and Republican presidential nominee since 1976 has agreed.
Even 2012 GOP Mitt Romney thinks that Trump should release his taxes, saying “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.”
