Should executive privilege apply to Trump's tax returns?

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by Daggdag, May 22, 2019.

  1. Daggdag

    Daggdag Well-Known Member

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    For those of you who do not know, executive privilege is the right of the President to refuse to cooperate with either Congress, or federal courts. He is immune to being subpoenaed, with this include subpoenas for documentation.

    Now, typically, for executive privilege to apply to document, the documents have to deal with sensitive matters that would make it impossible for the President and the executive branch as a whole, to do their job effectively if he wasn't allowed to keep them secret.

    For example, say that the Department of Justice is performing a investigation into congressional corruption, which could lead to one or more senators being charged with felonies. Subpoenas for documents, and even for DOJ staffers or others to testify on matters involving the investigation would be blocked by executive privilege.

    However, releasing tax returns is something almost every president does. So it can't be claimed that keeping them secret is necessary for the effective operation of the white house or executive branch. So typically it wouldn't be covered by executive privilege.
     
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  2. Just A Man

    Just A Man Well-Known Member

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    The IRS hasn't gone after Trump and that is good enough for me. Those going after Trump's tax returns are indeed conducting a witch hunt. Anything to go against Trump and try to embarrass him. Nothing in the Constitution requires a president to turn over his tax returns. The democrats are acting very petty. For 2 years they have been trying to remove Trump from office. What a bunch of clowns. I would like to see the MSM start sticking up for the president's rights. But they are also acting like a bunch of clowns. Our population needs to be educated.
     
  3. Jestsayin

    Jestsayin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Stop worrying about the individual and start telling Congress to get moving on serious issues like a comprehensive immigration movement lest you wake up one morning as many cities are now doing, with busloads on immigrants on their doorstep.
     
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  4. Steady Pie

    Steady Pie Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I think what they'll reveal is that his wealth is not as large as he has made it out to be, or that he made losses in certain years. If there was something criminal presumably, the IRS would have got him on it before inaugration day.

    As to whether executive privledge covers them, I am not sure. I have no opinion.
     
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  5. garyd

    garyd Well-Known Member

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    Different arguments. The tax returns are a privacy issues not an executive privilege issue. The IRS was created specifically to investigate tax returns. It isn't congress' job.. Congress is a legislative body not an investigative body.
     
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  6. Yulee

    Yulee Well-Known Member

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    Nothing in the constitution created executive privilege either
     
  7. Just A Man

    Just A Man Well-Known Member

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    True but Trump has the right to challenge any request for information and take it to the Supreme Court where their ruling is the law and that law will apply to the president. It's our system and I say let it play out.
     
  8. TomFitz

    TomFitz Well-Known Member

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    You don’t give a crap about comprehensive immigration reform. Do that, and the meditate meme disappears. And since Trumpism is all about pandering the the sense of resentment of his angry white base, fixing immigration is the last thing any of them are actually interested in,

    Oh, and Trump has no claim of Executive Privilege when it comes to his financial records.

    He’s always been desperate to hide this information. Perhaps because he isn’t really the billionaire he fooled you into believing he is, but more likely because he doesn’t want people seeing how dependent he actually is on Deripashaka, Slater, and the rest of Putin’s friends.
     
  9. Lee Atwater

    Lee Atwater Well-Known Member Past Donor

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  10. Jestsayin

    Jestsayin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    WTF are you talking about?
    Fixing immigration, next to appointing judges (107 so far) is second on my list and following my posts will back that up.
    As far as Trump's financial records, I could care less. If the IRS is satisfied, so am I but I do delight that Trump hiding them from you for nearly three and a half years makes me smile although that is a tossup over your Russian collusion plot that was so dashed by Robert Mueller.
     
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  11. HTownMarine

    HTownMarine Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I've never seen a group of people so obsessed with something that doesnt concern them.
     
  12. struth

    struth Well-Known Member

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  13. Seth Bullock

    Seth Bullock Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Trump's tax returns are in the hands of the very people who investigate wrongdoing with regard to taxes. So the only reasons the Congress may have to pore through Trump's taxes are purely political.

    Everyone has a right to privacy with regard to their private financial affairs, unless they are committing crimes with money. I do not believe purely partisan political motive should be sufficient to violate that privacy of legal, lawful financial affairs.
     
  14. struth

    struth Well-Known Member

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    The House Dems just want them to leak parts of them. The desperation of these clowns is mindblowing.

    The Dems have accomplished zero since taking the House...zero.
     
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  15. Sirius Black

    Sirius Black Well-Known Member

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    Its almost as if they wanted a birth certificate.
     
  16. Seth Bullock

    Seth Bullock Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Correct. I haven't heard one of these Dems accuse Trump of some sort of wrongdoing with his taxes. Their motives is pure politics. I hope that at some point in the process, a high court decides that "pure politics" is not enough of a reason to make public that which should be kept private.
     
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  17. struth

    struth Well-Known Member

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    Which proves a requirement to be President...tax returns not so much. But I don't recall any Congressional Committees even having hearings over that issue
     
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  18. Jestsayin

    Jestsayin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    The tax returns are just more alt-leftie roiling over the fact Trump has beaten them at everything they have thrown at them. TDS is alive and real and watching the desperation posts and news from the lamestream media is comical. My favorite time of day is checking on the sheer number of angry posts put up by a couple of the usual suspects. I have at least two dozen others on my ignore list because too much laughing can lead to health problems. Every once in a while I will "release" one of them and refresh the page only to see they are alive and still suffering only to immediately be returned to their former state.
     
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  19. HTownMarine

    HTownMarine Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Well, proof of citizenship is a requirement for presidency.
     
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  20. Seth Bullock

    Seth Bullock Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Congress needs to have a legitimate legislative interest to see Trump's tax records. Voyeurism for purely political reasons is not a legitimate legislative interest.
     
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  21. Lee Atwater

    Lee Atwater Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Trump's handpicked IRS chief and IRS legal counsel both have ties to Trump businesses
    https://theweek.com/speedreads/8334...legal-counsel-both-have-ties-trump-businesses

    Trump Asked That Confirmation of I.R.S. Counsel Be a Priority

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/us/politics/trump-michael-desmond-irs.html

    President Flim Flam earlier this year asked Mitch McTurtle to prioritize a confirmation vote for his nominee to be the chief counsel of the IRS. Gee, I wonder why.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2019
  22. struth

    struth Well-Known Member

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    Because the IRS is important and tax season was just around the corner.
     
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  23. Guyzilla

    Guyzilla Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    So, it is RIGHT, that Trump denies ALL oversight?
     
  24. Seth Bullock

    Seth Bullock Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Those returns have been in the hands of the IRS for decades!!
     
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  25. Seth Bullock

    Seth Bullock Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    No, not ALL oversight.

    But there is no legislative purpose for looking through Trump's tax returns. Only a political purpose, and that should not be enough. Wanting to hurt or embarrass someone politically is not "oversight".
     
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