Former President Donald Trump used a records release request in a bid to stall the IRS's release of his tax documents, a new report finds.
The report, from finance giant Bloomberg, indicates that Trump "demanded reams of information from the Internal Revenue Service as it was preparing to turn over his personal tax returns to a congressional committee, papering the agency with a deluge of Freedom of Information Act requests in search of a behind-the scenes look at its deliberations."
It is not surprising that Trump and his legal team attempted to stall the release of the records, as they had previously made clear they would try to block the IRS records from going public.
He became the first Presidential candidate in years to refuse to release his tax records during his candidacy. While this isn't required by law, it is common practice.
As Bloomberg noted, however, the way Trump and his team went about their attempt was unusual. As a former commander-in-chief and leader of the Executive Branch, the ex-POTUS still has numerous avenues by which he can obtain documents from federal agencies.
In this case, though, Trump used a "last-resort" option available to every American.
Furthermore, again per Bloomberg, Trump's lawyers said they were prepared to pay up to $30,000 in processing fees, a sum much higher than the standard $25 government agencies usually charge.
Trump filed two FOIAs in June 2019, a few months after Congressional Democrats first asked that the House Ways and Means Committee receive the documents.
The situation did not end until December 2022, when the Supreme Court became involved and the documents were eventually released to the House Committee, and to the general public.
Among Trump's numerous requests was a bid for the IRS to show him any documents related to the IRS’s “consideration of the potential disclosure of taxpayer’s tax returns” and records about “tax procedures specific to the president of the United States, including, but not limited, the application of 6103,” the section of the tax code that governs the release of taxpayer information.
David Shuster, the tax controversy leader at accounting firm Marcum, told Bloomberg, "This is a very unusual situation, no question about it."
Trump and his company have faced far-reaching legal issues of late. The Trump Organization criminal tax lawsuit recently wrapped up in Manhattan, with the company found guilty on all counts.
Former CFO Allen Weisselberg, who previously took a plea deal that includes prison time, provided key testimony in the trial.
Although Donald Trump was not himself named as a defendant in the criminal proceedings, he has been facing an onslaught of his own legal problems following the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Trump also recently came under fire for falsely accusing past Presidents George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama of keeping classified documents, as well.
In addition to the aforementioned situations, the Trump family faces several other legal woes. Letitia James and her office have officially filed a $250 million civil suit against Trump, and the former President is also the subject of an ongoing 2020 election fraud probe in Georgia.
What do you think about this new information regarding Trump's tax records?
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