July, 08 2019, 12:00am EDT
With the TRUST Act Now Law, Chairman Neal Must Immediately Request Trump's State Tax Returns
Following New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signing the TRUST Act into law, giving House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal the authority to request Trump's state tax information, Stand Up America spokesperson Ryan Thomas released the following statement:
"We applaud Assemblyman Buchwald, Senator Hoylman, Governor Cuomo, and all the New York lawmakers who championed this legislation and thank the thousands of constituents who took action to ensure it became law.
WASHINGTON
Following New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signing the TRUST Act into law, giving House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal the authority to request Trump's state tax information, Stand Up America spokesperson Ryan Thomas released the following statement:
"We applaud Assemblyman Buchwald, Senator Hoylman, Governor Cuomo, and all the New York lawmakers who championed this legislation and thank the thousands of constituents who took action to ensure it became law.
"For far too long, the Trump administration has attempted to hide Donald Trump's deeply concerning conflicts of interest by illegally blocking the release of his tax returns. But now, New York has provided Congress a new route for getting answers on behalf of the American people--and all they have to do is ask.
"Chairman Richard Neal should immediately request Trump's state tax returns as he is now legally entitled to do. Any further delay is an injustice to the American people who deserve transparency about Trump's foreign entanglements and massive conflicts of interest."
In May 2019, Stand Up America launched a campaign alongside a coalition of local and national organizations to urge state lawmakers to swiftly pass the bill. The coalition's efforts included more than 3,300 constituent calls to lawmakers, digital ads, and lobbying efforts in Albany.
Additional Background: The TRUST Act requires the commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance to cooperate with investigations by certain committees of the United States Congress. The law requires the Department to provide state tax returns and other return information, of public officials and corporate entities controlled by public officials, upon written request from the chairs of the House Ways and Means Committee, Senate Finance Committee, or the Joint Committee on Taxation. The congressional request must be made for a legitimate task of Congress and the committee must have requested the related federal tax information from the Internal Revenue Service pursuant to 26 U.S.C. SS 6103(f)--the same law Chairman Neal used to request Trump's tax returns from the IRS. Once obtained, the congressional committee can review and release the tax returns to Congress consistent with federal law.
Stand Up America is a progressive advocacy organization with over two million community members across the country. Focused on grassroots advocacy to strengthen our democracy and oppose Trump's corrupt agenda, Stand Up America has driven over 600,000 phone calls to Congress and mobilized tens of thousands of protestors across the country.
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