OAN Roy Francis
UPDATED 12:51 AM PT – Friday, December 30, 2022
Democrats released former President Donald Trump’s tax returns on Friday.
The release of several years’ worth of Trump’s tax returns by House Democrats is launching what is expected to be another round of intense scrutiny of his finances.
The release marks a major step by the Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass), who had been locked in a three-and-a-half-year legal battle over the release of Trump’s taxes. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Neal in November.
The release of his taxes adds to a list of political and legal challenges that Trump is facing as he prepares for his 2024 presidential campaign.
The release includes six years of joint tax returns by Trump and his wife Melania from 2015 through 2020. It includes 2,700 pages and report income from his different businesses such as golf, restaurant, and ice-skating businesses.
The forms include income that was generated by Trump in foreign countries such as Canada, China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. As well as gross amounts reported from Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Republicans denounced the move labelling it a political hit job which will “open Pandora’s box.” The former president also released a statement that “the Democrats should have never done it, the Supreme Court should have never approved it, and it’s going to lead to horrible things for so many people.”
Republicans who will take over the House next week, say that by releasing Trump’s tax returns, the Democrats are setting a dangerous precedent where in the future no one will be safe from having their returns disclosed to the public.