The IRS chief must release Trump’s tax returns — and Mnuchin must not stop him

[Revoltingest]

I reject this nonsensical “legal relativism” that you and @Revoltingest are both trying to sell. The law says what the law says. It is now anything goes, whatever makes you happy. .

Geeze...don't get upset.
You foreigners with no experience in US courts might believe that the law is cut & dry.
One might say that is naive & "non-sensical". There are always complexities which
arise as each side invests great effort arguing against each other. And judges are
individuals, with variation between them. I don't buy the certainty you're selling.

 

[Watchmen]

It depends on whether or not you are following the law.

The lab you ask me about must follow the law.

I reject this nonsensical “legal relativism” that you and @Revoltingest are both trying to sell. The law says what the law says. It is now anything goes, whatever makes you happy.

The law says you must drive on the right side when on public roads, you must stop at stop signs and follow the rules of the road.

And the law says that when the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee asks to see a tax return the chief of the IRS must provide it.

Maybe they will not follow the law, maybe you don’t follow traffic laws. Maybe they will get away with not following the law, that happens all the time. But the law is still the law. And this law in particular is very clear. No one in this thread has shown otherwise.

Thanks for proving my point. The law does not say I can only drive on the right side of the road. There are always exceptions.

 

[Watchmen]

And let’s not forget the separation of powers issue specific to the instant issue.

 

[fantome profane]

Thanks for proving my point. The law does not say I can only drive on the right side of the road. There are always exceptions.

And can you suggest what would be a relevant exception in this specific case?
Has the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee ever not gotten a tax return that was requested?

 

[fantome profane]

Geeze...don't get upset.
You foreigners with no experience in US courts might believe that the law is cut & dry.
One might say that is naive & "non-sensical". There are always complexities which
arise as each side invests great effort arguing against each other. And judges are
individuals, with variation between them. I don't buy the certainty you're selling.

Do you stop at stop signs?

 

[Revoltingest]

Do you stop at stop signs?

Usually.

Do you obey speed limits?

 

[fantome profane]

Usually.

Do you obey speed limits?

Regardless of whether I do or not, they are the law. If I go over the speed limit I am in violation of the law. If you go through a stop light without stopping you are in violation of the law. And if the IRS chief does not provide the requested returns he is in violation of the law. And if the Treasury Secretary gets involved (he already did) he is in violation of the law.

 

[Revoltingest]

Regardless of whether I do or not, they are the law.

I thought you were changing the subject to traffic issues.
I answered your question.
You didn't answer mine.

If I go over the speed limit I am in violation of the law. If you go through a stop light without stopping you are in violation of the law. And if the IRS chief does not provide the requested returns he is in violation of the law. And if the Treasury Secretary gets involved (he already did) he is in violation of the law.

If your point is that constitutional law is as simple as traffic laws, I will disagree.

 

[fantome profane]

I thought you were changing the subject to traffic issues.
I answered your question.
You didn't answer mine.

Ain’t I a stinker

If your point is that constitutional law is as simple as traffic laws, I will disagree.

Then please, go ahead and explain to me what you think is the complication in this situation.

 

[Revoltingest]

Ain’t I a stinker
​

And possibly a wabbit.
​

Then please, go ahead and explain to me what you think is the complication in this situation.

One possible....
With the risk of Congress leaking the returns being
great, a court might limit viewing to a select few.

 

[We Never Know]

https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.was...d78930-5a20-11e9-842d-7d3ed7eb3957_story.html

Lawrence Summers, the author of this op-Ed, is a Harvard Professor and former Treasury Secretary.

So I am sure all the brilliant legal minds here can explain to me why he is wrong.

Why is everyone so interested in and pressing for Trump's tax returns?

Because he is president? If that's the case every house/senate/congress should have to release theirs as well.
Really how does one making $150,000 become worth over $20 million and more. It's time they all should be held accountable.

 

[fantome profane]

And possibly a wabbit.
​

One possible....
With the risk of Congress leaking the returns being
great, a court might limit viewing to a select few.

That is all we are talking about anyway.

 

[fantome profane]

Why is everyone so interested in and pressing for Trump's tax returns?

Because he is president? If that's the case every house/senate/congress should have to release theirs as well.
Really how does one making $150,000 become worth over $20 million and more. It's time they all should be held accountable.

I don’t see a problem with that. Certainly every President should, and has since Lyndon Johnson (Nixon did not do so voluntarily, but they came out). And it is very likely the next President after Trump will have released his or her returns before taking office.

 

[We Never Know]

I don’t see a problem with that. Certainly every President should, and has since Lyndon Johnson (Nixon did not do so voluntarily, but they came out). And it is very likely the next President after Trump will have released his or her returns before taking office.

It's not about if the other presidents did or didn't. My point is everyone in office should. After all they all are who run this country, set the laws and supposedly do what's best for us.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

He has failed to reach agreements to keep government open and thrown thousands of public servant's lives into financial turmoil, he has taken steps that caused children to be separated from their families. He has raised the level of fear and distrust between Americans by equivocating acts of evil from his position of power. He has worked to put the physical health and economic viability of millions of Americans on the line.

My fear now is that he is slowly finding cabinet members who will facilitate further powers that will cause suffering and division.

That's not playing hardball. He's not even informed enough to play hard ball, as evidenced by his reluctance to take in information (that's not as junk filled as his diet). The position bit in him the ***, he has no idea what he's doing, and he didn't even get a Presidential honeymoon. Playing hardball requires one to firmly have both hands on the reigns and be in control. I'm not sure if Trump even has one hand on the reigns.

 

[Watchmen]

And can you suggest what would be a relevant exception in this specific case?
Has the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee ever not gotten a tax return that was requested?

Great question! I don’t know the answer. My point was to the broader issue of whether privacy rights exist or not in information provided to the government. (They do.)