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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 9 July 2019

GOP scoffs at law allowing

release of Trump’s state taxes

By DAVID KLEPPER
Associated Press
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Presi-
dent Donald Trump’s New
York tax returns could be
given to Congress under a
new law in his home state
that was signed Monday
by the Democratic gov-
ernor and dismissed by
Republicans as a partisan In this June 22, 2019, file photo, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.,
game that wouldn’t stand speaks to the South Carolina Democratic Party convention
up in court. in Columbia, S.C.
The measure signed by Associated Press
Gov. Andrew Cuomo di- U.S. Rep. Swalwell
rects state tax officials to
share state returns of cer- ends presidential bid,
tain elected and appoint- In a Sunday, July 7, 2019 file photo, President Donald Trump
speaks at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, N.J.
ed officials upon written resident Donald Trump’s New York state tax returns could be
request from the chairper- given to Congress under a new law in his home state. will seek reelection
sons of one of three com- Associated Press
mittees: House Ways and he would release them if he lawmakers narrowed the By ELANA SCHOR
Means, Senate Finance or were not under audit. measure so it applies only Associated Press
Joint Committee on Taxa- The president has not to the state income tax re- WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Eric Swalwell on Monday
tion. weighed in on the new turns elected officials, party became the first candidate in the crowded 2020
Designed to give Congress law but has repeatedly leaders and top public of- Democratic presidential primary to exit the cam-
a way around the Repub- accused New York Demo- ficials, like judges — as well paign, saying he would run for reelection to his Cali-
lican president’s refusal to crats of using their positions as any businesses or legal fornia congressional seat next year.
release his returns, the new to harass him and his allies. entities they control. Swalwell, 38, announced his exit in his home district,
law is expected to face le- Republicans in New York In addition, state tax offi- describing his decision as “the beginning of an op-
gal challenges. And it’s un- say that while the law was cials would be required to portunity in Congress with a new perspective” influ-
clear whether Congress will written to target Trump, it redact personal informa- enced by his 3-month-long presidential bid.
request access to Trump’s could be used to go after tion, such as Social Secu- The four-term congressman’s White House effort nev-
state returns, which tax any other official who pays rity numbers or personal er progressed significantly with voters, a fact Swalwell
experts say would include taxes in the state. addresses, before handing acknowledged on Monday in saying that “polls have
many of the same details “This is purely political,” over the documents. had their way” in determining his viability. He had sig-
as his federal return. state Republican Party Top lawmakers in Wash- naled before departing the race that he would con-
“No one person — no mat- Chairman Nick Langworthy ington have differed on sider bowing out if he was in danger of missing the
ter what office they might told reporters Monday. “It is whether congressional cutoff for the next nationally televised Democratic
hold — is above the law,” an attempt to settle politi- committees should make debate, which is based on separate polling and do-
said Sen. Brad Hoylman, a cal scores.” use of the new law. nor qualifications.
Manhattan Democrat and Democrats are eager to U.S. House Judiciary Chair- Montana Gov. Steve Bullock missed the threshold for
the Senate sponsor of the get ahold of the returns, man Jerrold Nadler, a New last month’s debate but was ahead of Swalwell in the
legislation. which could reveal details York Democrat, has touted competition for this month’s televised Democratic fa-
All sides expect legal chal- about his business dealings, the bill as “a workaround to ceoff.
lenges and requests for in- his debts and international a White House that contin- Asked about whether other candidates with similarly
junctions, meaning it could financial ties. ues to obstruct and stone- lackluster success so far in the packed Democratic
be many months before If Congress does request wall the legitimate over- primary should also consider dropping out, Swalwell
any state tax returns are and obtain Trump’s state sight work of Congress.” demurred, describing the abandonment of a cam-
handed over. The White tax returns, that doesn’t Ways and Means Chair- paign as “really a personal decision.” He also de-
House did not return a mes- mean the public gets to man Richard Neal, D- clined to indicate which of his onetime presidential
sage seeking comment see them. Under federal Massachusetts, however, rivals he might endorse in the primary and said he
Monday on the law. law, the confidential infor- has signaled that he may had not planned to seek the presidency as “a vanity
Trump has long filed taxes mation in the returns is sup- not be interested. Neal is project” or “to write a book.”
in New York as a resident of posed to be for the com- already pursuing Trump’s As Swalwell prepares to seek another term in Con-
the state. He is the first pres- mittee’s eyes only. federal returns and has gress, he said that he would not “take anything for
ident since Watergate to To address concerns about threatened to go to court granted.” Indeed, he already has a challenger in his
decline to make his returns the tax privacy of every- in order to get the adminis- liberal-leaning district: Democrat Aisha Wahab, a city
public, often claiming that day New Yorkers, state tration to comply.q councilwoman in Hayward.q