House Democrats, soon to take the majority, are preparing to finally get their hands on Donald Trump's personal tax returns. Incoming House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, who will possess the sole power in Congress to get Trump's taxes, plans to formally request them from the Treasury Department, though Democrats have not decided how quickly to do it. Such a request will clearly meet with resistance from Trump and his legal team, writes CNN.
"They have to have a reason for wanting them and I fail to see a reason. They can't just look at them. It has to be linked to some wrongdoing," Giuliani told CNN on Tuesday.
"We will fight it in court and I think we would win unless they had some specific allegation."
Gee, what could possibly warrant a little look-see at Trump's tax returns?
Democrats reportedly believe they are on solid legal ground in making the request, but they are also factoring in public opinion. It's a balance they will likely be weighing a lot next year—what they can do versus how the American people might react to nasty political and even legal battles.
As part of their effort to prepare the public for such a likelihood, Democrats anticipate holding a January hearing for HR1, a measure that would require future presidential nominees to publicly disclose three years of their tax returns in order to run for office. Democrats hope the hearing will help educate the public on why a candidate's tax returns are essential to understanding what may or may not motivate certain policy positions.
Democrats weigh they don’t want to look like they’re making a “knee-jerk” request right out of the gate, however valid it might be. A hearing sure sounds like a reasonable start to what could turn into a lengthy court battle.