Needed: a Law That Requires Presidential Candidates to Release Their Tax Returns
“Until Donald Trump, every major-party presidential nominee since Richard Nixon has released his or her tax returns (except Gerald Ford, who released a summary in 1976). The simple reason is that, on at least one subject, Nixon got it right: The American people need to know if their president is a crook.”
—“Why We Ask to See Candidates’ Tax Returns”‘; The NYT (8/6/2016)
Right after Russian hackers recover Hillary Clinton’s 30,000 missing State Dept. emails, they can turn their attention to another project: hacking Donald Trump’s tax returns.
Are you watching, Edward Snowden?
Mandatory Disclosure
Clearly, there’s another party besides Donald Trump who knows what’s on Donald Trump’s tax returns: the IRS.
But for privacy laws — and secure computer systems — the information would doubtless already be public.
Which it should be.
And if that’s the case, instead of relying on custom and voluntary compliance, simply make it a law: if you run for President, you have to disclose your tax returns.
No different than candidates having to submit to a health check; divulging their net worth (at least according to them, and within a very broad range); and, at some point, divesting themselves of investments that pose conflicts of interest.
An honorable candidate — or at least a law-abiding one — should have nothing to hide in their tax returns.