Can someone explain why this is a "massive, massive red flag?"

[justiceischeap]

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's attorneys originally wanted him to submit an updated financial disclosure without certifying the information as true, according to correspondence with the Office of Government Ethics.

Attorney Sheri Dillon said she saw no need for Trump to sign his 2016 personal financial disclosure because he is filing voluntarily this year. But OGE director Walter Shaub said his office would only work with Dillon if she agreed to follow the typical process of having Trump make the certification. That is standard practice for the thousands of financial disclosure forms OGE processes each year.

The Associated Press obtained the letters under a Freedom of Information Act request."

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. Schmergury of Law, I schmuppose. nt

[Wounded Bear]

2. Signing a false financial statement as "accurate"...

adds perjury to the charges.

[unblock]

3. pretty much admitting his financial disclosure forms are knowingly inaccurate

[Egnever]

4. Pretty clear the attorneys did not want him to be responsible for the contents.

now he is on record saying it is true and accurate and if it turns out it is not he has again put himself into a compromised position he did not need to.

[Eliot Rosewater]

5. uhh

good find

[underpants]

6. A. Makes him look guilty if something B. Having worked in auditing

if an audit client tells you these aren't the "real books" clearly something is wrong.

It's like these supposedly well healed super educated in what is the WH staff never heard two very common sayings.

If you've got nothing to hide you've got nothing to worry about.
and
That's my story and I'm sticking with it - get one message regardless of how little sense it makes and stay on it. Hammer it home.

[NCTraveler]

7. Two ways to look at it.

1) It was an unnecessary risk in the eyes of his attorney. Risk mitigation even when nothing wrong is seen.
2) It's know that doing so is an act of perjury.

[geek tragedy]

8. As an attorney, this is a nothingburger to me.

A lawyers' job is to eliminate/minimize sources of legal exposure to the client. If a client doesn't have to do something that involves potential legal exposure, the lawyer will try to get them out of it.

[justiceischeap]

11. Thanks! nt

[haele]

9. If he signs, it's an official document subjecting him to the legal punishment if it's false.

If he doesn't sign it, it's as legally binding as a broach, or a hat, or an origami pterodactyl.

On edit - it's a red flag because he's acknowledging he's supposed to sign it as a true representation of his financial state, but because there's all sorts of incriminating and disqualifying crap in his background, he'd be setting himself up for RICO charges and prison if he did sign it.

Haele

[justiceischeap]

10. Thanks! nt