Not only that.
It could also prove disruptive at a time when Biden is trying to advance his legislative agenda through a jointly divided Congress.
Still, if Democrats were suddenly saying “don’t mind,” it wouldn’t be just a shame about the face, it’s the head of House Ways and Means, Rep. It will also excite people like Bill Pascal (DNJ). Oversight subcommittee.
“In the whole world, we can be kind – but this is not a perfect world,” said Pascal, who has helped push for Trump’s return. “Even if he’s no longer president, he needs to take some responsibility.”
“We have to follow up on this.”
In addition to raising the voice of Trump running again in 2024, Democrats may be condemned for abandoning the option.
Biden did not say how they would approach the issue, and the spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Democrats have been in court for more than a year, claiming that under the 1924 law, the heads of congressional tax committees are allowed to see someone’s compensation and apply the subpena to Trump’s documents.
The Trump administration has refused, arguing that Democrats have no legal reason to demand filing. The case also does not address the issue of House Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal’s complaints, although with both parties Fighting over whether he has the right to bring the White House to court in the first place.
In addition, several House Committees and Manhattan District Attorney Science Vance Jr. are also bound in court to obtain Trump’s tax returns and other financial records from his bank and an accounting firm for various investigations.
But Biden’s treasury secretary could return Neil without informing anyone outside the government. In August, when Neil was fighting a primary challenge, House Speaker Nancy Nello Pelosi said Democrats would release the president’s record if Biden won.
“Then the world will see what the president is hiding at the moment.”
In an email, a Neil spokesman said he was focused on his court case.
Some aren’t sure if Democrats will continue to press on the issue next year because, by then, the politics of announcing Trump’s return could be very different.
He will again become a private citizen, already facing a major investigation by the New York State Government. Not only does it look like Democrats will forcibly release Trump’s tax records – it will also be very unusual.
Even though he has rejected the decades-old tradition of releasing his record by presidents, Trump is not required to legally produce them, and Congress has on rare occasions issued private tax information about just about anyone.
That could mean a lot of work for Democrats.
They have a long list of questions about Trump’s money and have requested big information about his taxes. But scrutinizing them will be a major undertaking, and it’s not clear if Democrats want to spend a good portion of Biden’s first year in office fees.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide not to pursue the Biden administration’s goals,” said Jim Weitzler, a former congressional tax aide and one-time New York State tax commissioner.
But many Democrats have long complained that Neil is not so aggressive in his quest for the presidency. They say they still want to know a lot Recent reports by the New York Times revealed more about Trump’s finances than disclosures, based on leaked tax return information.
And they argue that they still don’t understand how rigorously the IRSA examined Trump’s compensation as part of the president’s annual, legally required ditches.
“Americans need to know that all taxpayers audited by the IRS receive the same partial review – no one is above the law,” Pascal said.
Moreover, House Democrats want to pass legislation that would require presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns, and it would seem strange to push if they do not disclose Trump’s information.
There is another possibility: Once he is out of office, Trump could potentially file a new lawsuit to prevent Democrats in Congress from receiving his compensation. He successfully sued to stop them, at least temporarily, taking advantage of New York State law to give officials there the right to share Trump’s New York return with Neil.
Although Neil showed little interest in using that law, Trump’s lawyers argued that the Massachusetts Democrat could change his mind without warning and get the president’s compensation before the president gets a chance. Function.
A federal court upheld last year Trump said officials would have to give him a chance to go to court if Neil demanded compensation. Trump could potentially return to that playbook with the Treasury Department in an attempt to prevent Congress from acting on the request.
“Based on his past behavior, I guess, yes, he’ll probably sue,” said Carrie Kircher, a former general counsel for the House of Representatives.
“He does it.”
