Getting Trump’s Tax Returns Is Key

Josh Marshall: “Assuming the Democrats wrest control of the House of Representatives, the first order of business needs to be subpoena and take possession of the President’s tax returns.”

“This may seem to sum like some sort of victorious gotcha, since the President’s refusal to turn over his tax returns has been such a point of controversy for more than two years. But it’s not. It’s actually the most important first order of business for the House. Assuming the Democrats do not control the Senate, and even if they did, the work of the House for the next two years will be oversight and reining in Trump’s lawless Presidency. There is no end of the list of things from the last two years that merit investigation – many of which do not directly touch on the President, or at least his personal actions or finances. But the most critical ones have to do with the President himself. That includes not only the broader Russia question but the equally critical question of whether and how the President is using the Presidency to stabilize and grow his private business.”

“None of these critical investigations are at all possible without having a clear understanding of the President’s personal finances and those of the Trump Organization. It’s not one among many to-dos. It’s the first order of business. Since it is the predicate for everything that has to come later.”