No prosecution for Comey?

[lyman]

My understanding is that tax record access is logged, that if Obama had access, there would be a trail. You have only self serving speculation.

So let's flip it. Is Trump spying on his enemies via his access to their tax records? He has a lot of enemies. I think in Obama's case he knew better, and in Trump's case the lawyers tell him it could bite him bad.

I like it better when you think stuff through.

logged, in what chalk on a board or pencil in a binder?

you know that stuff can be altered, changed, deleted, etc etc


obama already had a record of using taxes\finances to go against groups he did not like,

[togor]

Database queries are going to be logged. And the thing you vaguely allude to was an enforcement action not tied to Obama. Anyways the burden of proof is on Red to demonstrate that the Obama admin looked at Trump's taxes and made any conclusions about them.

[RED]

logged, in what chalk on a board or pencil in a binder?

you know that stuff can be altered, changed, deleted, etc etc


obama already had a record of using taxes\finances to go against groups he did not like,

Tax returns are handled by dozens of fairly low level bureaucrats and accountants. Big returns are handled by even more CPA’s, tax lawyers, etc. if Lois Lerner were to verbally ask somebody she had hired, “Whatcha, working on? any interesting stuff?” What answer do you think she would get?

[lyman]

Database queries are going to be logged. And the thing you vaguely allude to was an enforcement action not tied to Obama. Anyways the burden of proof is on Red to demonstrate that the Obama admin looked at Trump's taxes and made any conclusions about them.

but it was his administration that was in charge of those enforcement actions,, correct,

[togor]

Tax returns are handled by dozens of fairly low level bureaucrats and accountants. Big returns are handled by even more CPA’s, tax lawyers, etc. if Lois Lerner were to verbally ask somebody she had hired, “Whatcha, working on? any interesting stuff?” What answer do you think she would get?

Something like "hey you know the regs, if I talk about this I could get fired and maybe lose my pension."

[lyman]

Something like "hey you know the regs, if I talk about this I could get fired and maybe lose my pension."

maybe,

or maybe if you let me see these records, I won't prosecute you for shopping amazon on the clock

or a 100 other different things that slide in a lot of corporations and Gov't offices

[togor]

Nonetheless, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and that cuts both ways, to those who would read all manner of things into Trump's taxes, as well as those like Red who imagine those tax returns are as pure as the undriven snow. Trump of course could release his tax returns and bring an end to the speculation, but he doesn't. So how about we ask the question: why doesn't he release them?

[JohnPeeff]

Maybe there is something embarrassing, so what? Why didn't Clinton release his health records? probably something embarrassing. Why didn't Obama release his college records? probably something embarrassing. Red is right, if there was anything illegal about Trump's taxes it would definitely be out by now. I'm sure they have been audited with a fine toothed comb by people like Lois Lerner.

[S.A. Boggs]

Gent's the fat lady hasn't started to sing yet. I have watched prosecutors let my clients "hang" in the wind as the prosecutor was finishing before going to trial. For my clients the wait was pure hell in not knowing what was going to happen.
Sam

[togor]

Maybe there is something embarrassing, so what? Why didn't Clinton release his health records? probably something embarrassing. Why didn't Obama release his college records? probably something embarrassing. Red is right, if there was anything illegal about Trump's taxes it would definitely be out by now. I'm sure they have been audited with a fine toothed comb by people like Lois Lerner.

Embarrasssing as in....might expose some of his campaign arguments as bullcrap? Might show conflict of interest? To Trump's credit, he has not been shy about his conflicts of interest, nor has the base, as you correctly point out, shown any difficulty with them. G-7 2020 at one of my resorts? Sure, why not? Yes there are plenty of other tax paying businesses in the US that could host such a gathering, and could use the business, but what's a government job good for if one can't use it to feather one's own nest, right?

In any case, the speculation that Trump's taxes probably have some embarrassing stuff in them, plus Red's attempt to argue that Obama must have seen them and given them a pass, both put to rest the notion that overall, the tax returns don't matter. They may not matter to the base, or to those dead-set against 4 more years of this crap, but to some narrow slice in-between, yes, they matter. So Hallelujah, we found something on which we can all agree.

[lyman]

Nonetheless, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and that cuts both ways, to those who would read all manner of things into Trump's taxes, as well as those like Red who imagine those tax returns are as pure as the undriven snow. Trump of course could release his tax returns and bring an end to the speculation, but he doesn't. So how about we ask the question: why doesn't he release them?

I would bet Trump has a floor or 2 of accountants/CPA's in one of his towers that does he multiple business/corporate taxes as well as his, and his wife's personal taxes,

surely they used every deduction possible

[RED]

I would bet Trump has a floor or 2 of accountants/CPA's in one of his towers that does he multiple business/corporate taxes as well as his, and his wife's personal taxes,

surely they used every deduction possible

Right on, plus some of the best the best tax lawyers in the country. Trump doesn't do his own taxes. His returns are likely hundreds of pages of documents, and required forms that 99% of Americans have never heard of. Yet there are untold numbers of people out there that think if they could peruse these documents for thirty seconds, they could find evidence that would put Trump in jail.

Why doesn't the IRS make everybody's taxes public? What is everybody trying to hide? Even if you only submit a 1040 EZ return, there is enough information in there that scammers, con artists, thieves, and other bad people could use to make your life a nightmare. How would Trump or other celebrities benefit from publishing their taxes???? No matter what is in there it would be twisted, turned, and misinterpreted.

[togor]

I would bet Trump has a floor or 2 of accountants/CPA's in one of his towers that does he multiple business/corporate taxes as well as his, and his wife's personal taxes,

surely they used every deduction possible

So for example one might see that the recent tax law change that limits the SALT deduction for Joe Homeowner, may in fact not put a cramp in Trump's own style, given that he is in the commercial real estate business. And that could look kinda bad, politically. See? You like Rich Guys Who Exploit Loopholes now. Patriotic Americans! But that in itself puts the lie to any call coming out of the Trump White House that America is more than just a way of cashing in. Putting the country first while paying your accountants $2 to get the last $1 of deductions. Sorry, not buying the idea that Loophole Guys are the New Heroes.

[Allen]

I consider hidden college transcripts to be much more important especially when no one remembers you attending and foreign exchange students are revealed.

As far as Trump goes, the IRS, a division of the U.S. government, has everything. Dead issue. As mentioned, with 500 companies employing 34,000 employee's (who pay taxes) the stack of forms would probably fill filing cabinets. Other than the IRS or accountants who wants to read through that mess?

As far as Comey goes, Linsay Graham stated this morning that if Comey isn't punished in some way that it will surely happen again and be a learning lesson for just how much more a person can get away with.

I personally think all the upper end of the FBI should have been fired since they all had a hand in politics in some way. Who, if any, could be trusted?

[togor]

I consider hidden college transcripts to be much more important especially when no one remembers you attending and foreign exchange students are revealed.

Allen-y, considering the situation with respect to Trump transcripts.