,
10 tweets,
5 min read
Read on Twitter
Ominous news today on the Trump Administration's actions related to the request for the President's tax returns.
That request by @RepRichardNeal, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee (on which I serve), falls under a provision of US code that gives no grounds for refusal- 1/
That request by @RepRichardNeal, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee (on which I serve), falls under a provision of US code that gives no grounds for refusal- 1/
The provision was established by Congress after a huge corruption scandal called Teapot Dome. The intent of the law was to give Congress the clear ability to obtain individual tax returns *without* White House obstruction or political interference. 2/ vox.com/2019/4/9/18296…
But today Secretary Mnuchin testified that Treasury officials have been in direct communication ("our legal departments have had conversations") with the White House about the Chairman's request for the President's tax returns. 3/
Watch the clip and you'll see Secretary Mnuchin hesitating to admit this, and hedging his answers to @RepMikeQuigley.
This may be because, as @RepMaloney later observed, such communication "violates the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law." 4/ washingtonpost.com/business/econo…
This may be because, as @RepMaloney later observed, such communication "violates the spirit of the law, if not the letter of the law." 4/ washingtonpost.com/business/econo…
Much worse, a few hours after we learned that Treasury lawyers communicated with White House lawyers about the President's tax returns, IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig testified that Treasury lawyers have also been in touch IRS Counsel about them. 5/
Key point: Treasury Department policy delegates exclusive authority over "enforcement of the Internal Revenue laws" to the IRS Commissioner. treasury.gov/about/role-of-…
Mnuchin is required by law to give Congress 30 days' written notice before making any change to that policy. 6/
Mnuchin is required by law to give Congress 30 days' written notice before making any change to that policy. 6/
The law and departmental policy are clear that the next steps on the Chairman's request, which they cannot refuse, must be made by the IRS Commissioner, not Treasury or the White House. Yet Commissioner Rettig twice refused to say who had this authority 7/
Despite statements and testimony that this decision would be made by the IRS Commissioner, discussions about the request for the President's tax returns have taken place between the White House and Treasury officials, and between Treasury officials and IRS Counsel. Not good. 8/
We also just learned that behind the scenes Trump personally asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to make confirming his IRS Counsel nominee the Senate's top priority, even over Attorney General Barr.
This is all deeply suspicious. 9/ nytimes.com/2019/04/04/us/…
This is all deeply suspicious. 9/ nytimes.com/2019/04/04/us/…
Meanwhile the President's Chief of Staff is proclaiming that the Administration will refuse to obey the law.
The law clearly says that the IRS Commissioner MUST furnish the President's tax returns, and no one else should have any say in the matter. 10/10 washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-i…
The law clearly says that the IRS Commissioner MUST furnish the President's tax returns, and no one else should have any say in the matter. 10/10 washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-i…
