Nancy Pelosi told reporters in a press conference on Thursday that Democrats will begin seeking President Trump’s tax returns when they take control of the House of Representatives in January.
No sitting president is required to release their personal tax returns, but that hasn’t ever stopped the Democratic party from doggedly pursuing the release of Trump’s returns with dozens of different attempts through forced votes, discharge petitions, amendments, and letters to various agencies and officials.
Pelosi’s comments reflected Democrats’ struggle to balance liberal voters’ antipathy and suspicions of Trump against the likelihood of a long legal struggle and uncertain political gains.
Trump, a wealthy real estate baron, shunned decades of tradition by presidential candidates and refused to release his tax returns during his 2016 campaign. He said he was being audited, even though IRS officials have said taxpayers under audit are free to release their returns.
The law says the chairs of three congressional committees can request tax returns and the Treasury secretary “shall furnish” them for panel members to review privately. Pelosi told reporters that the House Ways and Means Committee “will take the first steps” toward obtaining the documents.
Democrats would love to explore numerous questions about Trump’s personal financial webs. Those include whether there are conflicts of interest between his companies and his presidential actions, whether he’s properly paid taxes and whether he benefited from last year’s mammoth, Republican-written tax bill.
