Public Comment

Donald Trump’s elusive tax returns might finally see the light of day if New York State Attorney General, Barbara Underwood has her way. On June 14 she filed a civil complaint against President Trump and his three oldest children accusing them of “persistently illegal conduct” using the Trump Foundation as their “checkbook for payments regardless of their purpose or legality.” 

She also believes there is abundant evidence to bring criminal charges. Accordingly, she sent letters to the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Election Commission in Washington recommending “further investigation and legal action.” If violations of charity laws can be proved this could finally trigger an examination of Trump’s allusive tax returns. Mr. Trump has reportedly dipped into his foundation funds to settle legal claims and purchase large portraits of himself to hang in his properties. If he failed to declare these foundation expenditures as income he could be charged with tax fraud. 

Mr. Trump has been remarkably successful in cheating governments. When challenged by the City of New York Mr. Trump’s lawyers claimed a leaky water pipe destroyed the records and the ledger copies were no longer available. How convenient! Perhaps he used a similar excuse when he failed to submit his homework as a young boy claiming the dog ate his homework! In his 1984 tax returns he reported zero income but claimed $600,000 in deductions offering no receipts to validate his claim. It is time to reign in this tax cheat before he pilfers the US Treasury.