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Funtatlaguy

(10,870 posts)
2. Yay, that gives me hope that the truth may eventually out,
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 08:31 AM
Feb 2018

Do you know what gives him that authority?
Is it thru the Justice Department or FBI?
Could Congress also access returns in their investigative committees?

hlthe2b

(102,225 posts)
5. He can and has teamed with IRS elite investigators since August and THEY have the returns
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 08:38 AM
Feb 2018
https://www.thedailybeast.com/exclusive-mueller-enlists-the-irs-for-his-trump-russia-investigation


Further from September:
"A federal prosecutor obtains tax returns by seeking an ex parte order from a federal judge. That means that the person who is being investigated doesn't know that the tax returns are being sought or if the judge issues the order," he said. "Basically, it's done in secret."
https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-09-18/robert-mueller-likely-has-donald-trumps-tax-returns

SWBTATTReg

(22,112 posts)
3. I would assume so, that's often how criminals are taken down, by failing to report ...
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 08:32 AM
Feb 2018

all income on their tax returns.

I suspect tRUMP is guilty of this also. He's a tax cheat, who cheats significantly on his taxes, based upon my brief analysis of his income on that one released tax return that was discovered (based upon my experience as an degreed auditor, economist (minor and macro), and data processing degrees), it is my opinion that tRUMP has understated his income for years to avoid paying taxes and overstated his deductions big time.

I think that this is going to bring him down, the fraud on his tax returns, not collusion, not obstruction, but tax evasion.

Funtatlaguy

(10,870 posts)
6. Is Manafort the key to all of this
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 08:41 AM
Feb 2018

Remember the change made in the platform at the GOP Convention.
I thought that stunk to high heaven, at the time.
With Manaforts ties to Ukraine and possibly Russian mobsters and oligarchs, you have to wonder if he was involved in any money laundering.
Maybe Kushner or even his Dad too?

I think, as in Watergate, it will all come down to the simple question of what did the President know and when did he know it.
Was Russian meddling in the election anyway connected to any of Trumps business dealings?

Funtatlaguy

(10,870 posts)
9. If so, musnt Trumos attorneys know this.
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 08:46 AM
Feb 2018

If his attorneys are in any way competent, they know this is key.
Wouldn’t they go to Trump and tell him this and ask Trump for them to see his returns to know what Mueller has?

SWBTATTReg

(22,112 posts)
15. Really, and what part of these massive returns would they key in on, that Mueller would ...
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 01:13 PM
Feb 2018

pick as fraud (w/ his evidence)?

The returns are too large in scope and the number of infinite combinations that one could pick apart to search for evidence of fraud are too numerous, and would probably span multiple years worth of tax returns.

No, the fraud is too large to hide, otherwise, what's the purpose? This is why I suspect that tRUMP doesn't anyone want to see his returns. Mueller's auditor hounds would spot glaring discrepancies right away too, once you had some spot checks to verify against the tax return in particular, e.g., if electric bills were actually ABC dollars paid, vs. DEF electric bills written off in the tax return, etc.

Can be a rather lengthy process which is why companies usually have more than just 1 auditor (and several kinds too, tax auditing, forensics auditing, etc.), as well as internal and external auditors (most companies have external auditors come in and verify that books say what they actually say, as part of SEC and other compliance rituals, FASB compliance (financial accounting standards board), etc.). This could explain why the process that Mueller is going through (and this is just an intelligent guess here on my part), is so lengthy.

Remember, if you hear via Wall Street jargon, a company is undergoing an audit, most of the time we hear of it as being a lengthy process (BUT no where as long as tRUMP claims it to be...I never believed this for one moment, and this is one thing that rangs alarm bells in my auditor's head when I heard this from tRUMP himself, that the 'audits' are still being undertaken). Companies still file their reports, etc. and then go back later to footnote changes coming about as a result of the audit(s). Everything that tRUMP is doing is totally backwards or not what a normal entity would do.

Vinca

(50,261 posts)
7. I think Mueller can access anything.
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 08:44 AM
Feb 2018

That's why Manafort is in such deep shit and much of it isn't necessarily related to the original investigation. I'd love to know what Mueller knows about Don's Florida mansion flip to the Russian billionaire. Don made tens of millions and the mansion was never occupied.

genxlib

(5,524 posts)
8. I've always thought we put to much faith in seeing the tax returns
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 08:44 AM
Feb 2018

I have little faith that the taxes represent reality. Any one willing to participate in financial crimes will be perfectly comfortable falsifying a tax return.

The key is really all the other documentation they have access to.

Funtatlaguy

(10,870 posts)
10. But isnt falsifying tax returns a felony
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 08:48 AM
Feb 2018

I’d think that would be helpful in framing Trump as a liar too on other possible issues.

genxlib

(5,524 posts)
12. That is what makes all the other information important
Sat Feb 17, 2018, 08:56 AM
Feb 2018

That is the only way to show the tax return is false.

Just seeing the tax return won't do it.

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