New Legislation Would Remove Trump From 2020 Ballot Unless He Releases His Tax Returns

In an effort likely to get under the thin skin of Donald Trump, a new piece of legislation in Rhode Island would prevent any candidate who doesn’t release his or her tax returns from appearing on the state’s presidential ballot in 2020.

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According to the Providence Journal, “Rhode Island is the latest state taking steps to require candidates for president and vice-president to make their tax returns public as a prerequisite” to being on the 2020 ballot.

The legislation passed the state Senate in Rhode Island by a 34 to 3 vote, and it’s headed to the House next.

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As noted by the lead sponsor, Sen. Gayle Goldin, every president since The Providence Journal exposed Richard Nixon’s tax returns has made them public voluntarily, until Donald Trump.

Republican Sen. Elaine Morgan of Hopkinton asked why the president should have to do that, if state lawmakers face no such requirement.

Goldin argued — and the majority in the Democrat-dominated Senate agreed — that “tax returns provide essential information about candidates’ conflicts of interest,″ and other vital information to a voter weighing a decision. But questions have been raised, as similar proposals bubbled to the surface elsewhere, about the constitutionality of states adopting their own requirements for candidates to get on the federal ballot.

Seeing Trump’s tax returns is more important than ever

As Rhode Island State Sen. Goldin said, it’s imperative that the public have access to the “essential information” that is provided in tax returns.

This becomes even more important given the possible crimes that Trump has committed, particularly with respect to Russia. Where has Trump’s money come from and, more importantly, who is he in debt to?

At the end of the day, the public has deserved to see what’s in Trump’s tax documents since well before he was elected.

And if the American people aren’t able to see Trump’s tax returns before the next election, we can only hope that Robert Mueller is.

Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.