I am taking a brief break, literally breaking from writing a brief, to note a big development within the effort to get at Trump’s tax returns.
Earlier this week I read reports that professionals within the IRS had come forward to both the IRS Commissioner’s office, as well as his boss, the Secretary of the Treasury, to report on “irregularities” in the handling of Donald Trump’s tax returns. The story, as I recall right now, referenced the issue being assigned to the Inspector General of each department, both under their bosses thumb.
Not so much, now, according to a report from the Huffington Post. The report states that a “whistleblower” from within the IRS has gone to the Democrats in the House to report on “possible misconduct” with respect to the preparation or handling of the returns.
First, the whistleblower could boost their legal case. Democrats want to see the president’s tax returns partly because they don’t trust him not to improperly influence his audit. The IRS has said such concerns are “unfounded,” but if Democrats have evidence of possible interference, those concerns would be pretty well-founded.
Okay.
The Democrats have a right to see those returns on the basis of their oversight authority alone. They have the right to say to a judge “we want to confirm that the president isn’t under the undue influence of any third party” and that better be enough for a judge in our system.
But, this is stronger, that I do admit. A whistleblower going to the House Dems sends another message, unspoken: “I do not trust the Department to handle it correctly, and I fear retribution.” That is serious, it is always serious when two branches of government clash over accusations of illegality.
The committee’s lawyers revealed their whistleblower material this week in a motion that asked U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden to hurry up and order the administration to obey the law. The case, which is currently in the District of Columbia’s federal trial court, could run longer than a year due to appeals.
That is a development of massive importance. We can expect any “Trump sympathetic” judge to draw this out as long as possible, because that is what has always worked for Trump, delay, hem, haw, bullshit, bluster, we’re on to another issue.
Getting them out now is as important as getting them out at all.
Another reason the whistleblower is a big deal is that he or she might be able to give the committee information on Trump’s tax returns. The law empowers IRS whistleblowers to divulge material to Congress.
Boom.
They might not even need the tax returns. They may already have unofficial copies of critical things. Or, they have a person who could testify to the most problematic aspects of those returns, and also testify as to orders that may have come down to cover-up embarrassing or criminal actions taken.
It is hard to understate the importance of this development. We have long known that big trouble lay within those tax returns. Withholding the returns is just such an aberrant action in today’s society, where Hillary produced ten years worth, and even Mitt Romney produced the prior year’s returns, willingly.
You always knew that this is where the trouble began, or at least the information confirming trouble. Perhaps the dam withholding this stuff from you is breaking.
Watch this space, I am back to writing to help one person – okay, two – him and me.
I’ll see you this weekend.
****
Peace, y’all.
Jason
Thanks Jason. Might this be why trump has been freaking out, even more than usual?
I wonder. I think the idea that Trump’s absurd Greenland proposal was a “distraction” from his anti-Semitic remarks was wrong because Trump doesn’t “distract” from things he personally says and does — he sees nothing wrong with them. He tries to “distract” from things he fears being done to him.
Exactly.
It could well be. I think it is the economy more than anything that has him real nervous. I mean “ordering” US private companies to do anything? Kidding me? So, I think he’s mostly skittish about the economic news coming out. I have a feeling that he thinks he can escape all consequences if people are making money off his disinterest. I suspect he knows he cannot survive anything if the economy turns south. He has to know that Republicans will not tolerate him allowing them to lose money so willingly. That’s my guess, but it is just that, a guess. He is surely terrified of his taxes coming out, yep. But, again, he will have Repubs protecting him from that, so long as the economy is good. If bad? They’ll cut him loose.
I think the pressure is taking him out. Ordering businesses is part and parcel of saying he’s the second coming. Delusions of grandeur in an infantile mind that has never in its life had to face reality and is clueless if it cannot be a despotic dictator. He has no actual thought.
This is an empty vessel.
But REPUBLICANS know better. They are venal and perfidious and it is they, led by mitch, who have selfishly destroyed the Republic!
Small comfort that they will die too.
they don’t care what he doing they have a agenda and he’s a perfect cover for them. The Federalist society taking our power is more important and suppression of our freedom is more important then what’s he doing to us
That info was ALWAYS coming out somehow. Not only does the leaks within this maladministration been impressive (not helped by the head man’s pathological need to brag) but it’s matched by the betrayal rate among its members. And that’s before you get into the apolitical civil servants caught in the partisan vise as I imagine our whistleblower is.
To get to the bottom of *rump’s malfeasance one need do no more than take the advice of one of our bright and fearless new congresswomen:
“Follow the Benjamins baby!”
Looks like our judicial system from top to bottom is subject to the “McConnel” effect, emphasis on the “Con”. The law doesn’t count anymore it’s up to the “McConnel” judges, crooked judges.
That’s what I’m looking at the power that they want to stay in power for ever
When will this happen so tried of this broken congress
When? So tried of this broken congress