On Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law and authorizes the release of state tax returns to a handful of committees of congress, opening a new way for Democrats to get their hands on some of Donald Trump’s strongly guarded finances.
Cuomo said in a release that, ‘Tax secrecy is dominant – the exception being for bonafide investigative as well as law enforcement purposes’. ‘In New York State tax code by modifying the law enforcement exception ax code to include Congressional tax-related committees, this bill gives Congress the capability to accomplish its Constitutional responsibilities and reinforce our democratic system and make certain that no one is above the law.’
On Monday morning, Assemblyman David Buchwald (D-White Plains), a tax attorney who authored the legislation twitted that, ‘This is a significant step in upholding the principle that top elected officials have a liability to be more accountable and transparent’.
The Means Committee and House Ways, the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Senate Finance Committee can make requests for New York state tax returns. Whereas House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who is a very old Trump critic, has backed the plan, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) has therefore far focused on getting the Trump’s tax returns by other ways. It includes suing last week in federal court for enforcing a subpoena ignored by the Trump officials.
A bill passed by the Legislature that would decouple federal and state law in such a manner that would allow state prosecutors for bringing charges against persons who have received presidential pardons. Moreover, that bill, NY A6653 (19R), till now has not been sent to the governor for his signature.
