Trump says he won’t turn over tax returns

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and newly empowered congressional Democrats appeared to be on a collision course over the release of the president’s tax returns, as a top Democrat signaled he would demand the information under federal law and Trump insisted he would attempt to block any release.

Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., slated to become the chairman of the taxwriting House Ways and Means Committee, said he plans to insist Trump voluntarily release his tax returns. If Trump doesn’t, then Neal will file a legal request with the Treasury Secretary that would require the returns be disclosed to a small group of people on Capitol Hill. He predicted the matter would end up in federal court.

At a news conference Wednesday, Trump said his tax returns were already under audit and therefore President Donald Trump continues to insist that his tax returns are under audit and thus shouldn’t be released.

he would not release them. He said he might consider releasing them at a later date, something he has said since 2016.

“Nobody turns over a [tax] return when it’s under audit,” Trump said during a news conference when asked

about the returns.

Later, though, he acknowledged the audit would not prevent the release of his tax returns.

Democrats have said they want to scrutinize Trump’s tax returns to see if he has any conflicts of

interest. The inquiry could potentially tie to a broader investigation into any connection between Trump’s presidential campaign and Russian involvement in the 2016 election — a charge the president has repeatedly and vehemently denied.

If Neal formally requests Trump’s tax returns, the request would go to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. A federal law enacted in 1924 stipulates that Mnuchin “shall” turn over the tax returns, and doesn’t appear to give him much flexibility. It also doesn’t appear to give the White House the power to intervene.

Neal said there is a longstanding precedent of presidents and presidential candidates releasing their tax returns.

He said he would defer to staff on the Joint Committee on Taxation in Congress to determine what information might be requested and who would have access to it.

Trump’s main reason for saying he wouldn’t allow the tax returns to be released is because “people don’t understand tax returns.”

Neal dismissed that justification.

“How do you do them if nobody understands them?” Neal said, adding, “tax staff over at Joint Tax [Committee], they’re pretty capable people.”