NJ Assemblyman Introduces Bill Requiring Tax Returns For Presidential Candidates
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - New Jersey Assemblyman John McKeon has introduced a bill requiring that presidential candidates who want to appear on the ballot in the Garden State to release their tax returns publicly.
McKeon told Dom Giordano on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that if Donald Trump had been required to release his taxes prior to winning the 2016 election, there might not be a constant cloud hanging over his administration.
"Depending on what was released, there certainly would've been a more educated and informed public as it related to business interests, what foreign business interests there might've been involved with, the level of charitable giving. Most importantly, the press and others, who really would use that information for a vetting a process. Quite frankly, things may have been brought forward that would've affected the election and we would've been better in the long run, as opposed to now, with the country not knowing a lot of these various investigations that are ongoing."
McKeon said the bill really isn't aimed at Trump, but is designed to prevent future presidential candidates from following his example.
"With our tax returns, unless anybody's listening to us that voted in the Goldwater-Johnson election, none of us has voted for either major candidate that didn't release their tax returns. Donald Trump is the first not to do that. This isn't about him when it comes to it. Maybe, I guess, it would impact him in 2020, if he's running for re-election, because, obviously, he's our President now. Further, he's promised when he's out of audit, he's going to release these returns anyway. So, it's of no consequence to him, but it's because of him because he's the first candidate in 40 years not to do so."