Donald Trump would have no choice but to have his tax filings released under a bill introduced Wednesday by a top Senate Democrat.
Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, submitted legislation Wednesday that would require presidential candidates to release three years of tax returns to the Federal Elections Commission within 15 days of becoming the nominee at a party convention. If the candidate failed to do so, the Treasury Secretary would simply provide the documents without the candidate’s help.
Although the Oregon Democrat did not mention Trump by name, Wyden’s move would target the presumptive Republican nominee, who has not released tax returns.
“Since the days of Watergate, the American people have had an expectation that nominees to be the leader of the free world not hide their finances and personal tax returns,” Wyden said.
Trump has cited IRS audits as the reason he has not made his taxes public. Critics, however, such as former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, have alleged that Trump is avoiding releasing his past years’ returns because they contain “bombshells” reflectively negatively on Trump.
“Tax returns deliver honest answers to key questions from the American public,” said Wyden. “Do you even pay taxes? Do you give to charity? Are you abusing tax loopholes at the expense of middle-class families? Are you keeping your money offshore?”
Wyden’s introduction of the legislation does not guarantee that it would receive consideration from the GOP-led Senate.
