General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDoes Mueller have the authority to access tax returns?
If so, I would think he knows a whole lot more than we think.
Id love to see Trump, Kushner, and Manaforts returns.
hlthe2b
(102,225 posts)Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)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)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
Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)Very interesting.
SWBTATTReg
(22,112 posts)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)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?
Gothmog
(145,129 posts)Mueller probably has the trump returns alreadt
Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)If his attorneys are in any way competent, they know this is key.
Wouldnt 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)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)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)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)Id think that would be helpful in framing Trump as a liar too on other possible issues.
genxlib
(5,524 posts)That is the only way to show the tax return is false.
Just seeing the tax return won't do it.
Funtatlaguy
(10,870 posts)Nt
safeinOhio
(32,673 posts)Russian dark money in the election.