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President Donald Trump speaks at a meeting with business leaders on tax reform at the White House in Washington, D.C on October 31, 2017. (Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)
To 'Circumvent' White House Obstruction, New York Passes Bill to Give Congress Access to Trump Tax Returns
"New York lawmakers are providing a new avenue for the House Ways and Means Committee to obtain these crucial financial documents."
May 22, 2019
As the White House continues to defy congressional Democrats' requests for President Donald Trump's federal tax returns, the New York state Assembly on Wednesday passed legislation that would make six years of Trump's state tax records available to the U.S. Congress.
The New York state Senate passed the legislation, titled the TRUST Act, earlier this month. The bill now heads to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's desk.
"We implore Governor Cuomo to immediately sign this bill into law."
--Stand Up America
In a statement, the advocacy group Stand Up America urged Cuomo to sign the TRUST Act as soon as possible.
" Donald Trump and his administration are doing everything they can to conceal the truth about his finances and massive conflicts of interest by illegally blocking Congress from obtaining his tax returns," said Stand Up America.
"In order to circumvent this stonewalling, New York lawmakers are providing a new avenue for the House Ways and Means Committee to obtain these crucial financial documents," the group said. "We implore Governor Cuomo to immediately sign this bill into law."
According to the New York Times, the TRUST Act would allow the commissioner of the New York Department of Taxation and Finance to release Trump's tax returns "to the chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Joint Committee on Taxation for any 'specified and legitimate legislative purpose.'"
Trump's tax returns in New York, the president's home state and the site of his business heaquarters, "would likely contain much of the same information as the contested federal returns," the Times reported.
The legislation passed New York's Assembly as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin--who last week refused to comply with a congressional subpoena for Trump's tax returns--testified on Capitol Hill.
As Common Dreams reported late Tuesday, a leaked IRS memo appeared to completely undermine Mnuchin's justifications for withholding the president's tax documents.
New York state Assemblyman David Buchwald, the sponsor of the tax return bill, said during a floor speech Wednesday that the legislation is designed to overcome White House obstruction.
"Transparency is essential," said Buchwald, "especially when it comes to the conflicts or potential conflicts of those who craft public policy."
Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, applauded New York state lawmakers for doing "the right thing by strengthening the oversight responsibilities of Congress and standing up for the public's right to know."
"The TRUST Act is aimed at a president who is not open or transparent with voters, who continues to flout the law, and broke 40 years of precedent by becoming the only president to keep his tax information secret," Clemente said in a statement. "Congress and the public deserve to know if their elected officials, including the president, have financial conflicts that that in any way affects their decisions and policies."
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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. |
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As the White House continues to defy congressional Democrats' requests for President Donald Trump's federal tax returns, the New York state Assembly on Wednesday passed legislation that would make six years of Trump's state tax records available to the U.S. Congress.
The New York state Senate passed the legislation, titled the TRUST Act, earlier this month. The bill now heads to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's desk.
"We implore Governor Cuomo to immediately sign this bill into law."
--Stand Up America
In a statement, the advocacy group Stand Up America urged Cuomo to sign the TRUST Act as soon as possible.
" Donald Trump and his administration are doing everything they can to conceal the truth about his finances and massive conflicts of interest by illegally blocking Congress from obtaining his tax returns," said Stand Up America.
"In order to circumvent this stonewalling, New York lawmakers are providing a new avenue for the House Ways and Means Committee to obtain these crucial financial documents," the group said. "We implore Governor Cuomo to immediately sign this bill into law."
According to the New York Times, the TRUST Act would allow the commissioner of the New York Department of Taxation and Finance to release Trump's tax returns "to the chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Joint Committee on Taxation for any 'specified and legitimate legislative purpose.'"
Trump's tax returns in New York, the president's home state and the site of his business heaquarters, "would likely contain much of the same information as the contested federal returns," the Times reported.
The legislation passed New York's Assembly as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin--who last week refused to comply with a congressional subpoena for Trump's tax returns--testified on Capitol Hill.
As Common Dreams reported late Tuesday, a leaked IRS memo appeared to completely undermine Mnuchin's justifications for withholding the president's tax documents.
New York state Assemblyman David Buchwald, the sponsor of the tax return bill, said during a floor speech Wednesday that the legislation is designed to overcome White House obstruction.
"Transparency is essential," said Buchwald, "especially when it comes to the conflicts or potential conflicts of those who craft public policy."
Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, applauded New York state lawmakers for doing "the right thing by strengthening the oversight responsibilities of Congress and standing up for the public's right to know."
"The TRUST Act is aimed at a president who is not open or transparent with voters, who continues to flout the law, and broke 40 years of precedent by becoming the only president to keep his tax information secret," Clemente said in a statement. "Congress and the public deserve to know if their elected officials, including the president, have financial conflicts that that in any way affects their decisions and policies."
As the White House continues to defy congressional Democrats' requests for President Donald Trump's federal tax returns, the New York state Assembly on Wednesday passed legislation that would make six years of Trump's state tax records available to the U.S. Congress.
The New York state Senate passed the legislation, titled the TRUST Act, earlier this month. The bill now heads to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo's desk.
"We implore Governor Cuomo to immediately sign this bill into law."
--Stand Up America
In a statement, the advocacy group Stand Up America urged Cuomo to sign the TRUST Act as soon as possible.
" Donald Trump and his administration are doing everything they can to conceal the truth about his finances and massive conflicts of interest by illegally blocking Congress from obtaining his tax returns," said Stand Up America.
"In order to circumvent this stonewalling, New York lawmakers are providing a new avenue for the House Ways and Means Committee to obtain these crucial financial documents," the group said. "We implore Governor Cuomo to immediately sign this bill into law."
According to the New York Times, the TRUST Act would allow the commissioner of the New York Department of Taxation and Finance to release Trump's tax returns "to the chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Joint Committee on Taxation for any 'specified and legitimate legislative purpose.'"
Trump's tax returns in New York, the president's home state and the site of his business heaquarters, "would likely contain much of the same information as the contested federal returns," the Times reported.
The legislation passed New York's Assembly as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin--who last week refused to comply with a congressional subpoena for Trump's tax returns--testified on Capitol Hill.
As Common Dreams reported late Tuesday, a leaked IRS memo appeared to completely undermine Mnuchin's justifications for withholding the president's tax documents.
New York state Assemblyman David Buchwald, the sponsor of the tax return bill, said during a floor speech Wednesday that the legislation is designed to overcome White House obstruction.
"Transparency is essential," said Buchwald, "especially when it comes to the conflicts or potential conflicts of those who craft public policy."
Frank Clemente, executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, applauded New York state lawmakers for doing "the right thing by strengthening the oversight responsibilities of Congress and standing up for the public's right to know."
"The TRUST Act is aimed at a president who is not open or transparent with voters, who continues to flout the law, and broke 40 years of precedent by becoming the only president to keep his tax information secret," Clemente said in a statement. "Congress and the public deserve to know if their elected officials, including the president, have financial conflicts that that in any way affects their decisions and policies."
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