Patton: Public Pressure Challenges Trump To Release His Income Tax Returns

The public has spoken. Based on the Quinnipiac poll, a clear majority of likely voters want Donald Trump to release his returns. Among all voters surveyed, 74 percent favor the release of information about his taxes., while 21 percent do not. Surprisingly, even a majority of Republicans favor by a two-to-one margin (62 percent to 31 percent) seeing Trump's income tax returns.

The survey was conducted recently (Aug. 18-24) and used a large sample of respondents (1,498 likely voters) from across the nation.

A statement by Jason Chaffetz, the Republican Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, matched the GOP sentiments expressed in the survey. Said Chaffetz, "You're just going to have to do that (release your tax returns); it's too important. If you're going to run and try to become the president of the United States, you're going to have to open up your kimono and show everything, your tax returns, your medical records." (CNN, 8/24/2016).

Chaffetz's opinion was seconded by Fred Goldberg, who was chosen to be IRS chief counsel by Republican President Ronald Reagan and as IRS commissioner and as Assistant Treasury Secretary for tax policy by Republican President George H.W. Bush. (CNBC, 8/23/2016)

Goldberg noted, "But nothing prevents us as taxpayers from choosing to release our tax returns - those who aspire for the highest public office have done so for decades. And they do so precisely because their returns provide a window (for better and worse) into who they are. Those who say Trump should release his tax returns claim we are entitled to view this portrait of the man who aspires to lead our country . . .

"As a citizen and voter, I want to take a look because I will learn something important about this man who would be president. Inevitably. his refusal to release his returns raises a question: What is Trump hiding? The additional audit hassle is nothing compared to the extraordinary burdens he would carry as president. It's a small price of admission to the Oval Office. The sooner he releases his entire returns, the better."

Is this much ado about nothing? Is there anything really important we can learn from Trump's returns? Beyond question, tax returns are important." They allow us to gain factual evidence about a person, permitting us to draw, as Goldberg says, "a portrait of the man who aspires to lead our country."

The following questions will be answered: (a) does Trump have any conflicts of interest which might influence his decisions as president? (b) does Trump pay any taxes at all?, (c) is he as rich as he claims to be, (d) is he keeping money off-shore, (e) does he abuse tax loopholes, and (f) does Trump give as much to charity as he claims?

We deserve to know these things, and Trump's failure to provide this information inevitably leads, as Goldberg says, to the question, "What is Trump hiding?"

Gary Patton is the author of two books, Selling Mt. Washington, a political satire, and Outtastatahs: Newcomers' Adventures in New Hampshire, a work of regional humor.