Trump tax returns released to end years-long legal battle

Washington, Dec 30 (EFE).- A US congressional committee released Donald Trump’s tax returns Friday, ending a protracted legal battle between Democrats and the Republican former president.

Last month, the Supreme Court rejected a request by Trump to keep his returns secret.

The returns cover the period between 2015 and 2020, including Trump’s time in the White House.

The Democrat-controlled House Ways and Means Committee, released the documents on Friday to bring the long-running litigation against Trump, who has announced his intention to run for the Republican nomination for 2024, to a close.

“A president is no ordinary taxpayer. They hold power and influence unlike any other American. And with great power comes even greater responsibility,” the committee’s chairman, Congressman Richard Neal, said in a statement.

The released documents reveal that the former president paid very little in income taxes during his years in office.

The battle over those returns dates back to 2019, when the Ways and Means Committee issued a legal subpoena to access the information as part of its investigation into potential tax violations by Trump.

Although not a legal requirement, US presidential candidates traditionally make their tax returns public, but Trump bucked that tradition in 2016 by refusing to release his financial details.

In a statement, Trump said the returns showed “how proudly successful” he has been.

“The Democrats should have never done it, the Supreme Court should have never approved it, and it’s going to lead to horrible things for so many people,” Trump said. EFE

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