Subject: Holding Trump Accountable on Tax Returns
From: DNC Press <[email-masked]>
To: DNC Press <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 12 May 2016 14:03:58 +0000

<http://factivists.democrats.org/holding-trump-accountable-on-tax-returns/>

"Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell probably won't hold Trump accountable today for all his empty promises, including his pledge to release his tax returns, but voters certainly will. The American people ought to know whether Trump has been paying his fair share and how much he would benefit from his own reckless tax plan." - DNC National Press Secretary Mark Paustenbach

Every major presidential candidate since 1976 has made their returns public and, until recently, Donald Trump agreed to continue that forty-year practice.  When he first considered running for President in 1999, he said he, "probably wouldn't have a problem with" releasing his tax returns if he ran. In 2012 he said if you're running for President, "at a minimum, probably, you're going to have to show your [tax] returns" and they should be released by April 1st of the election year.

But, now Trump won't hold himself to his own standards. His refusal to release his tax returns raises questions about what he's hiding. Below is an abridged timeline of Trump's shifting positions over the years.

When he first considered running for President...

1999<https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/during-1999-run-trump-vowed-to-release-his-tax-returns?utm_term=.muL9odKmN#.wmoEdDVGq>: "I probably wouldn't have a problem with" releasing my tax returns if I ran.

1999<https://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/during-1999-run-trump-vowed-to-release-his-tax-returns?utm_term=.flDJBKAd4#.oqrOJrdEb>: When asked about releasing his tax returns for a presidential bid, Trump said he had been an "open book."

During the last Presidential election in 2012...

2012<http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2012/01/19/trump-gop-stop-playing-president-obamas-hands/>: Trump claimed the historic precedent was that presidential candidates released their tax returns by April 1st.

2012<http://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2012/01/26/trump-close-to-endorsing-in-gop-presidential-race/>: "If you didn't see the tax returns, you would think there is almost like something wrong. What's wrong?"

2012<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zihdu8RFO5Y&feature=youtu.be>:  Trump said if you were running for president, "at a minimum, probably, you're going to have to show your returns."

2012<http://piersmorgan.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/24/donald-trump-on-his-big-announcement-its-not-a-publicity-stunt-its-a-serious-very-serious-offer/>: Trump said that Mitt Romney's returns were "very honorably done" and were "absolutely beautiful and perfect."

Over the past year while he ran for President...

2015<http://www.hughhewitt.com/donald-trump-on-2016-and-trolling-the-gop/>: "I have no objection to certainly showing tax returns."

2015<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwimsNT1p9PMAhUBw4MKHU-mDyQQFgg3MAc&url=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FPolitics%2FwireStory%2Ftrumps-returns-plays-tax-game-39049939&usg=AFQjCNHtB2aaNAX9BdEyErdwdS36c3zVpw&bvm=bv.121658157,d.amc>: "I want to tell you right now that I have no problem with giving my tax returns but I would tell you upfront a stupid person, a really stupid person is paying a lot of taxes."

2016:<http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-wont-release-tax-returns-before-november/> "Over the next three, four months. We're working on them very hard. And they will be very good."

2016<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/11/politics/donald-trump-tax-returns/>: Trump claimed he could not release his tax returns because he was being audited, despite it being<http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/27/politics/donald-trump-irs-audit/> very unfair."

View this post on our Factivists site here<http://factivists.democrats.org/holding-trump-accountable-on-tax-returns/>.

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