British Expats - 2016 Election

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Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boiler (Post 12021663)

One of those cases where a financial forensic investigation report would be interesting.

No doubt very little has gone directly though her hands.

It's been done. That was where the whole brouhaha about whether she was giving special treatment to countries that were donating to the CGI while she was at State. The tax returns and financial statements don't come out and say anything remotely damning but investigators pull the threads and line up events and actions along the side of financial transactions. People can make up their own mind about whether the dealings are suspicious.

We need the opportunity to do the same with Trump. He's made a lot of public statements about his money, expenditures, net worth, and charitable donations. There is no reason that we should be expected to take his word for any of it, we've certainly held Hillary Clinton to a much higher level of scrutiny.

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by morpeth (Post 12021642)

I must have missed something, what is the objective evidence that Trump is heavily in debt to the Russians ?

Donald Trump Jr said so.

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leslie (Post 12021657)

Geraldine Ferraro's husband's tax returns were a huge issue and she was the VP pick, not running at the top of the ticket. He resisted but was eventually forced, under duress, to release his returns.

The Clinton's privately, as well as the Clinton Global Initiative, have released their tax returns. The timelines of the donations to CGI have been extensively examined and much scrutiny has been paid to what Hillary was doing at State during the time CGI was accepting funds from foreign powers. This is also how we know so much about how much the Clinton's get paid in speaking fees. This is financial information that, IMO, is our right to know and which has been used against the Clinton's relentlessly and publically.

So, based on the precedent set by the Republican party, not only should we see Donald Trump's tax returns, we should also see Mrs. Trump's tax returns. I actually would like very much to see Mrs.Trump's tax returns as well as his. It's a well known financial/tax scam to hide sketchy financial dealings by putting them in the name of the spouse. She claims to be a businesswoman in her own right so, just like John Zaccaro, we need to see her tax returns.

I realize there are people who don't care about Trump's tax returns. That's fine, they don't have to read them.

The reality of the situation is that we are considering hiring these people to run our country and we have a right to know every little thing about them. Trump chose to leave the private sector and yet he's getting away with deciding what we are permitted to "know" about his financial dealings.

Would you take Clinton's word for the financial dealings of the CGI or her's and Bill's private income?

My objections to the time spent on this tax return issue are it (a) detracts from focusing on the key policy issues (b) is an attempt to just to score talking points (c) most of the potential points people bring up about what the tax returns might show are incorrect due to their misunderstanding of what a tax return might show.(d) where does this supposed "right" end ? if one has as you write the right to know every "little thing" where does that end ? And many qualified potential candidates shy away from politics because of this type of thing.(e) just because Republican's made an issue of someone's tax returns in the past, doesn't mean it is right to ask for Trump's returns. Two wrongs don't make a right !

I went back and looked at Romney's tax return on a link to the politico website and it confirmed my prior post it answered none of the questions people have written that a tax return would show.

Clinton's Global initiative receiving foreign funds while she was secretary of state clearly troublesome.

A bigger issue in my mind, and one I am amazed media hasn't raised much, is what happens to Trump company if he is elected ? Certainly will not be put into a blind Trust, in fact I have heard Trump say once his children will run it. So it is wrong for Clinton to receive money into from foreign powers while Secretary of State, but ok for a President to have business around the world while President ?

Re: 2016 Election

I still have this hope that Trump will implode, I do not need to cover his issues, plenty of others here will do that.

Re: 2016 Election

Morpeth, if as you say so adamantly that his tax returns won't show any ties to Russia, won't show his real pitifulincome or his yuge charitable contributions, then why doesn't he release it like every other candidate has done so since Nixon? What is he hiding? He is standing as a businessman therefore we judge him as one on his income.

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boiler (Post 12021670)

I still have this hope that Trump will implode, I do not need to cover his issues, plenty of others here will do that.

I would like to see both Trump and Clinton implode. I want nominees that are worthy of being President of the US...not unhinged liars.

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by morpeth (Post 12021669)

This is not a convincing argument. You are basically saying that the American people are too stupid to do two things at once. You're saying that if Trump were to release his tax returns, the voters would somehow forget everything else in the election because their pea brains would only be able to focus on his tax returns from now until November 8th. This election has been going on for over a year. We have plenty of time look at the "issues" as well as learning if Trump conducts himself in a financially ethical manner.

Also, there was no "wrong" done by demanding the tax returns of Democrats in the past and there is no "wrong" in demanding to see Trump's returns. It is called transparency and it will help some voters decide if they want to hire him as POTUS.

Quote:

I went back and looked at Romney's tax return on a link to the politico website and it confirmed my prior post it answered none of the questions people have written that a tax return would show.

Clinton's Global initiative receiving foreign funds while she was secretary of state clearly troublesome.

Things that Trump's tax returns will give insight to:

CHARACTER:

Does he pay taxes?
Does he cheat on his taxes?
Does his income correspond with his deductions?
Has he lied about his wealth?

MATTERS OF NATIONAL SECURITY:

Where does his money come from?
Are there mob ties or ties to the Russians? Both have been alleged.
Who does he owe money to?

Quote:

A bigger issue in my mind, and one I am amazed media hasn't raised much, is what happens to Trump company if he is elected ? Certainly will not be put into a blind Trust, in fact I have heard Trump say once his children will run it. So it is wrong for Clinton to receive money into from foreign powers while Secretary of State, but ok for a President to have business around the world while President ?

He would have to put the businesses in the name of his children. Not a particularly big deal, lots of presidents have had this situation. The fact that Trump is a control freak and probably won't behave properly and ethically while in office ... that's the real problem.

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by morpeth (Post 12021669)

My objections to the time spent on this tax return issue are it (a) detracts from focusing on the key policy issues (b) is an attempt to just to score talking points

You mean exactly like Trump's relentless hot air about Obama's place of birth? Not withstanding the fact that the word "focus" is totally missing from Trump's vocabulary -- he will do anything to avoid any focus on his lack of policy.

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nutmegger (Post 12021683)

For somebody who doesn't want to show his financial bona fides, Trump loves to demand that other people to show their "papers" :

Muslims
Mexicans
Barack Obama

Who am I forgetting?

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leslie (Post 12021686)

For somebody who doesn't want to show his financial bona fides, Trump loves to demand that other people to show their "papers" :

Muslims
Mexicans
Barack Obama

Who am I forgetting?

His wife?

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leslie (Post 12021686)

For somebody who doesn't want to show his financial bona fides, Trump loves to demand that other people to show their "papers" :

Muslims
Mexicans
Barack Obama

Who am I forgetting?

He was insistent Romney should show his returns in 2012.

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by sir_eccles (Post 12021693)

He was insistent Romney should show his returns in 2012.

Yes he did that. He's also stated before that he would release his own if he ran for office.

Re: 2016 Election

All very consistent with Zakaria's bullshit theory.

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boiler (Post 12021691)

His wife?

She had to show quite a lot, but not her papers.

Re: 2016 Election

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 12021675)

I would like to see both Trump and Clinton implode. I want nominees that are worthy of being President of the US...not unhinged liars.

You'll enjoy today's Kristof op-ed in the NYT, "Clinton's Fibs vs. Trump's Huge Lies." My favorite paragraph:

If Clinton declares that she didnâ€™t chop down a cherry tree, that might mean that she actually used a chain saw to cut it down. Or that she ordered an aide to chop it down. As for Trump, he will insist, â€œI absolutely did not chop down that cherry tree,â€ even as he clutches the ax with which he chopped it down moments earlier on Facebook Live.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/07/op...lies.html?_r=0