Another blow for former US President Donald Trump: On Tuesday evening (local time), a congressional committee voted to make at least parts of Trump’s tax documents publicly accessible. For years, Trump had refused to use legal means to release the documents to the Treasury Committee – and ultimately failed in the Supreme Court. The publication is now a sensitive defeat for the 76-year-old and could provide new insights into the ex-president’s finances.
Contrary to customary practice in the United States, the real estate entrepreneur had not made his tax returns public either as a presidential candidate or after moving into the White House. Critics therefore suspect that he has something to hide. Among other things, the Democrats wanted to check whether the real estate entrepreneur’s documents revealed conflicts of interest and whether he had used questionable methods to save taxes. Trump’s tax records were reportedly handed over to the board in early December.
All tax documents that were requested in court would be published, Republican committee member Lloyd Doggett told CNN after the vote. The publication could take a few more days, since sensitive data such as social security numbers would have to be blacked out. These are Trump’s tax records from 2015 to 2020.
A first report from the committee was published late Tuesday evening (local time). It states, among other things, that Trump was not properly checked by the tax authority IRS. It has been noted that in Trump’s four years in office, only one mandatory review has been initiated and not a single one has been completed. In addition, the committee notes, “Numerous reports have uncovered the former President’s aggressive tax strategies and decades-long tax avoidance strategies through the complexities of managing his personal and business finances.”
All Republicans on the Finance Committee voted against publication – all Democrats voted in favour. Republican committee member Kevin Brady slammed Democrats ahead of Tuesday’s session. They would unleash a “dangerous new political weapon,” which could have serious consequences, he said. The broadcaster CNN quoted a spokesman for Trump, who also sharply criticized the publication. “If this injustice can happen to President Trump, it can happen to all Americans for no reason,” he said, according to the broadcaster.
Trump announced in November that he intends to run again as a Republican presidential candidate in the 2024 election. The 76-year-old had already railed against a possible publication on the Truth Social network, which he co-founded. The tax records would say nothing about his “amazing company” with “some of the largest assets in the world and very little debt.” “You can’t learn much from tax returns, but it’s illegal to publish them if they’re not yours.”
The Finance Committee in the House of Representatives had been trying for years to get hold of the tax documents. During Trump’s administration, the Treasury Department initially stood in the way. It was only in the administration of successor Joe Biden last year that the Treasury Department finally instructed the IRS to hand over the documents to the committee. Trump defended himself in court and tried various instances until his only option was to go to the US Supreme Court, where he ultimately failed in November.
This was a last-minute success for the committee: Since the Republicans won the majority in the US midterm elections and will be in charge there from the beginning of January, the Democratic-led body had little time to do anything about the matter .
For Trump this is the second blow this week. At its most recent public hearing on Monday, the Capitol Attack Committee of Inquiry recommended that the Justice Department take criminal action against Trump and others involved. This means that Trump is threatened with criminal consequences for his role in the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump also has other legal issues, including a dispute over classified documents found at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida estate.
