Rep. Kevin Brady is calling for an investigation into the source behind the New York Times’ access to President Trump’s tax documents.
Brady (R-TX) is the head Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee.
He states there is a possibility that “a felony crime was committed by releasing the private tax return information” of the President.
“To ensure every American is protected against the illegal release of their tax returns for political reasons, I am calling for an investigation of the source and to prosecute if the law was broken,” Brady announced.
The New York Times report, released on Monday, accuses President Trump of having “paid $750” in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017.
Their report does, however, note that Trump “made the required payment to the I.R.S. for income taxes he might owe — $1 million for 2016 and $4.2 million for 2017.”
Most of those payments were rolled forward for future tax payments.
WHO’S NEXT?
A felony crime was possibly committed by illegally releasing the private tax returns of #PresidentTrump.So every American remains protected against the illegal release of their tax returns for political reasons, I call for an investigation.https://t.co/3vvgJZaYj3
— Rep. Kevin Brady (@RepKevinBrady) September 29, 2020
Brady Wants New York Times Source For Trump’s Tax Documents Investigated
Brady’s focus, however, is on how the New York Times was able to obtain the President’s tax return information.
“While many critics question the article’s accuracy, equally troubling is the prospect that a felony crime was committed by releasing the private tax return information of an individual – in this case the President’s,” Brady said.
“To ensure every American is protected against the illegal release of their tax returns for political reasons, I am calling for an investigation of the source and to prosecute if the law was broken,” he continued.
Congressional Democrats’ have relentlessly pursued Trump’s tax records, while the President has kept them guarded, even fighting their release against Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.
.@RepKevinBrady is exactly right. Releasing any Americans’ private tax return information for political purposes isn’t just wrong — it’s a felony crime.
I encourage the @TheJusticeDept to open a criminal probe into the leak immediately.https://t.co/2TIb74Vvz2
— Rep. Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) September 29, 2020
Scalise: Somebody Broke the Law
House Reps. Doug Collins (R-GA) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) are in agreement with Brady, implying that the source may have committed a crime.
“I encourage the [Department of Justice] to open a criminal probe into the leak immediately,” Collins tweeted.
Scalise, GOP House Minority Whip, meanwhile, slammed Democrats for ignoring the potential criminality behind the leak of Trump’s tax information.
“The headlines are always the thing that are out there driving the story regardless of the truth and here somebody clearly must have broken the law, but they [Democrats] don’t care about that,” he charged.
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Scalise went on to note all of the other Democrat attempts to bring down President Trump.
The left, he contends, “has been the party of hoaxes, Russia collusion, impeachment, tax returns since 2016 … because they have no agenda.”
Read more at the Political Insider