Trump and His Tax Returns

 



Government bureaucracy only exists to make capitalism run smoother. To make capitalists act more ethically and mitigate their bad behaviour and outcomes , including  giving workers rights so they don’t carry out a revolution ,  while at the same time allowing workers to be exploitable for capitalist profit. 

Ironically Trump claims hes fighting the establishment and draining the swamp . The same swamp , and establishment that is there to make unethical capitalist like himself behave and to moderate their outcomes .

Trumps hotel workers were on strike for better pay while he was running his election campaign in 2016/17.

Thats why Trump is not going to win whatever crusade hes on. Hes part of the ruling class fighting the government that runs the system for them /him.


Trump after being elected said he would release his tax  returns to the public then said he wouldn’t  .

While there is no legislation that says he is required to , it is common practice by presidents and vice presidents. He is the only president or vice president not to do so since 1974. Except for Ford, who while released no complete returns, released 10 years of summary data including gross income, taxable income, major deductions, and taxes paid.

We don’t know what  president Trump is hiding if anything.

NY Times wrote Pulitzer prize winning article titled  “Trump Engaged in Suspect Tax schemes He Reaped Riches  From His Father” in 2018 from obtained financial data from anonymous sources, including niece Mary Trump. Article was about Donald , his father and family financial affairs.

It showed

 1) Trump lied –  Trump claimed to be a self made millionaire with small loan in 1975 – but he in fact got bigger loans than the  1 $m loan he claimed he had. In fact he got $60.7m ($140 today) plus $413 m in todays money from his fathers estate 

2) Donald and family engaged in tax schemes experts say are illegal.

Trumps sister Judge Barry resigned to stop a judicial ethics enquiry into her dealings while co owner of a shell company for such dodgy practice.

While trump has escaped scrutiny of his own taxes by stonewalling the House and District Attorneys asking to see that financial information.

2 supreme court cases have just been decided.

 Trump v Vance . Trumps lawyer Michael Cohen paid hush money payments to 2 prositutes, Mcdougal and Daniels to conceal sex acts. Cohen claimed acting on Presidents behalf.  NY DA Cyrus Vance subpoenaed Tumps accountant and bank for financial records for  potential campaign violations linked with Michael Cohen who is already in prison for tax evasion.

 Trump filed for injunction.  In the Supreme Court  Trump tried arguing higher standard applies to him and hes immune under article 2 of constitution. Court disagreed and remanded it back to lower court of appeal for additional argument. A defeat for Trump.

Trump v Mazars – In congress 3 oversight committees  of house of representatives –House Financial Services Committee, House Intelligence  Committee,  House Oversight Committee subpoenas Trumps financial records form Trumps accounting firms . House argued they wanted to exercise their basic oversight and legislative responsibilities, to inform congress on whether they need impose new international money laundering restrictions and other reason s eg determine whether ethics laws should be tightened and whether  future presidents should be required to disclose their tax returns. Which would effect any past and future impeachments. Trump challenged them all. Trump argued article 2 again. Supreme Court rejected Trumps argument was congress needs prove the are  records critical or to high standard and article 2 gives him immunity. The court ruled 7-2 House can subpoena personal information from the sitting President and outside an impeachment process . But limited that power, articulating a 4 part test including showing legislative  purpose for the information.

While none of these court cases will disclose the financial records to the public it is obvious Trump is hiding something and we will find out soon but not till after 2020 elections.


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Breaking news - I was wrong 


The New York  Times has obtained Donald Trump’s tax information extending over more than two decades, revealing struggling properties, vast write-offs, an audit battle and hundreds of millions in debt coming due.

Donald J Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes the year he won the presidency. In his first year in the White House, he paid another $750.

He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made.


Either hes lying and hiding income or hes a terrible businessman, either way his presidency has unveiled his rotten corrupt nature . 

Which begs the question why run ? Did he genuinely think he could fix the corruption within democracy and the government,  thats there to fix his and other ruling class capitalists bad and unethical behaviour or was he simply ignorant and naive ?


 “America will never be a socialist country,” President Trump said as he launched his bid for re-election last week. wrote Bernie Sanders in the Wall Street Journal in June 2019. Despite the irony that USA Government bailed out GM , Chrysler and many banks to the tune of $700 billion (including JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs 2 of the most predatory investment banks in USA)  with another $191 billion going to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac , all to avoid an economic meltdown in 2008 in a socialism for the corporations program while the working class lost jobs and homes.


Was it simply just a ploy by Trump cooked up with Clinton to make sure Bernie Sanders didnt get elected and become president fearing some of his democratic socialist policies and an attack on the status quo for both of those 2 corrupt politicians ?


Robert Reich said in his Sep 2020 blog post , 10 Things You Need to Know About Trump’s Tax Returns, 

 "that as his former fixer Michael Cohen said, eager to rebuild his brand  by running for president."  Read here


malcolm daniel :

16 Sep 2020

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