Donald Trump has spent years in court trying to hide his tax information from the public. Now, the New York Times has obtained two decades of information. They say it reveals “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.
The reporters behind this story say this is just the first article on Trump’s taxes, more reporting is on the way.
Dean Baquet, the executive editor of The New York Times, wrote a note about this extensive investigation saying this information was “legally obtained by reporters even when those in power fight to keep it hidden.”
The records show a significant gap between what Mr. Trump has said to the public and what he has disclosed to federal tax authorities over many years. They also underscore why citizens would want to know about their president’s finances: Mr. Trump’s businesses appear to have benefited from his position, and his far-flung holdings have created potential conflicts between his own financial interests and the nation’s diplomatic interests.
Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) wrote:
The #TrumpTaxReturns confirm @realDonaldTrump is a massive fraud. He grossly mismanaged his businesses & personal finances the same way he mismanaged our government: by repeatedly lying and conning those around him. The emperor has no clothes. And the ones he has are coming due.
Trump held a last-minute news conference Sunday evening where he was asked about this. His response was predictable.
Expect to hear this message a lot in the days leading to the election.