State Sen. Felder: Make Donald Trump Release His Taxes

Dear State Sen. Felder,

We, your constituents in New York State’s 17th Senate District, request that you co-sponsor the TRUMP Act, S5572A, which was introduced to the State Senate last month. The legislation would require the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance to publish the last five years of state income tax returns filed by the President and Vice President, as well as New York’s senators, governor, lieutenant governor, comptroller and attorney general.

(Not sure which State Senator is yours? Find out here: https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator)

The text of the bill can be read in full here: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2017/s5572/amendment/a

SS572A was authored by State Senator Brad Hoylman. As he wrote in the legislation to explain why it's necessary:

“New York State income tax returns contain a wealth of information about elected officials' financial standing, including salary, dividends, capital gains, rental estate income, and income from other sources. New Yorkers deserve to know whether elected officials representing the state are paying their fair share of taxes or hold potential financial conflicts of interest.”

We agree. We believe that the refusal by President Donald Trump - a New York resident - to release his tax returns does more than simply violate a long-standing norm in national politics. It also represents an ongoing challenge to the integrity of the White House, since Mr. Trump’s decision makes it more difficult for the public to know what, if any, conflicts of interest he has related to his administration’s national and international policies, including tax policy and his dealings with foreign leaders.

Since Mr. Trump is a New York resident, state legislators here have a unique ability to shed valuable light on this issue by passing S5572A. Additionally, analysts believe the legislation would hold up to any court challenges. Perhaps most importantly, this law extends beyond partisan politics. It would apply to Republicans and Democrats alike. And the issue of tax disclosure has nothing to do with parties, and everything to do with ensuring that elected officials are not using their positions of power to benefit themselves financially.

Finally, if you choose not to co-sponsor this legislation, we request you to publicly explain why you have chosen not to do so.