It’s imperative that Donald Trump release his tax returns — and soon
Donald Trump’s refusal to release his income tax returns is a serious matter and prima facie evidence that he has something serious to hide.
The speculation about how rich he is or isn’t, what he gives to charity, how much he pays in taxes, etc., really doesn’t matter much. What does matter is the existence of any personal and/or business entanglements that would materially effect his ability to function impartially as president of the United States of America.
Bottom line: We run the very real risk that conflicts of interest exist between Donald Trump’s foreign and domestic business involvements and the duties of president. For example, does he owe money to Russian banks or oligarchs?
How can it possibly be that we are being forced to speculate about a significant portion of a presidential candidate’s background and therefore his fitness for office?
Donald Trump must release his tax returns, the sooner the better.
Lee Van Leeuwen, San Luis Obispo
This story was originally published October 16, 2016 at 1:58 PM with the headline "It’s imperative that Donald Trump release his tax returns — and soon."