What Is Trump Hiding By Not Releasing His Tax Returns?

Other than Kool-Aid drinking Trump supporters, I suspect most Americans have caught on to the fact that Donald Trump has something to hide and the disingenuous IRS audit excuse aside, he is refusing to release his tax returns because there is something damning in them.  Or at least damning in The Donald's mind, if for example, the returns show his income/wealth to be far less than he likes to boast.  Another hypothetical is that the returns would confirm that Trump gives little or nothing to charities despite his claims to the contrary.  Then, of course, there is the renewed speculation over possible ties to Russian money.  A piece in Salon takes a look at what Trump may be hiding from voters.  Here are excerpts:

First things first, Donald Trump: Release. Your. Tax. Returns. No excuses.

Second, if we have to have a cartoon character running for president, I would prefer Bart Simpson. He has better writers and a healthier sense of self-awareness.  Like Donald Trump, Bart clings to a life’s philosophy best summed up as, “Whatever it is, I didn’t do it, unless it’s something good, in which case I did do it, even if I didn’t do it.”

But back to those tax returns. According to experts, the old “I’m being audited and can’t release them” argument does not hold water. For the umpteenth time, what is Trump hiding?

Of course, many have speculated for months that his obfuscating is because he has much less money than he claims; some have suggested that the returns would reveal that Trump is a complete chiseler when it comes to contributing to charity.

No, what’s truly disturbing is the prospect of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, each an exemplar of thuggish ultra-nationalism, joining hands and merrily dragging the rest of us down the lane to a kleptocratic, even fascist hell. And in the end, it’s all about the money.

Like others, I believe that what’s in those documents would reveal how deeply in hock Trump is to overseas investors, especially the Russian oligarchs. How could we have a president with hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign debt? How effectively could Trump engage as a leader of the United States when he personally owes other countries’ financiers a fortune? This is almost as frightening as the prospect of Trump waking up in a cranky pants mood and eighty-sixing the planet. Almost.

The relationship among Trump, his advisors and Russia is deeply troubling and not because of Cold War-era paranoia about the Communist threat (although it is fascinating to see how the possible involvement of Russia in this election is both stirring up that nostalgic paranoia while at the same time opening old fissures on the left, as if we were back debating Khrushchev’s 1956 denunciation of Stalin and the cult of personality).

You don’t have to be a hawk on these issues or an hysteric on the dangers of Russia — and I’m neither — to be deeply concerned that outside influences could so easily manipulate a potential president. Worrying, too, to see the recent interference, reportedly by Trump staffers, with the Republican Party platform plank calling for the protection of Ukraine’s security against Russia, as well as Trump’s own comments praising Putin and Russia while questioning America’s continuing role as the linchpin member of NATO. Not to mention a campaign manager, Paul Manafort, whose work as a political consultant to former Ukrainian president and Putin pal Viktor Yanukovych is deeply suspect and an advisor, Carter Page, who has ties to Gazprom, the Russian, state-controlled energy giant. In July, Page spoke at Moscow’s New Economic School and said that the chance for better relations with Russia has been diminished because, “Washington and other Western capitals have impeded potential progress through their often hypocritical focus on ideas such as democratization, inequality, corruption and regime change.”

As Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo wrote a couple of weeks ago, “Those associations might simply be unsavory if the candidate were an experienced political figure or surrounded by knowledgeable advisers. Neither is the case…My own concern is mainly that this kind of mix of ignorance, grifters and disorganization is the kind of seed bed where influence operations and malign influence tend to thrive and take root. We’ve seen more than enough to know this knot of connections requires deep scrutiny, extreme vetting as Trump might say. This is no joke.”

But most important, follow the money. Trump denies that he has any investments in Russia, which as many have pointed out is not for lack of trying, and which essentially raises the question, what have the Russians invested in Trump? “There is a lot of Russian money flowing into Trump’s coffers,” Marshall wrote late last month, “and he is conspicuously solicitous of Russian foreign policy priorities.”

We know that Trump’s son, Donald Jr., told a real estate conference in 2008 that “Russians make up a pretty disproportionate cross-section of a lot of our assets…We see a lot of money pouring in from Russia.” The Guardian reports there are “several Russian billionaires tied to Trump” and notes Trump’s sale of a Palm Beach mansion for $95 million to Russian fertilizer billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, “who was reported in the Panama Papers leaks to have used offshore law firms to hid more than $2 billion worth of artworks, including pieces by Picasso, Van Gogh and Leonardo, from his wife in advance of their divorce.”

Perhaps most damning is The New York Times’s April account of accusations that arose from the building of Trump SoHo, a hotel and condo tower in downtown Manhattan, “one of several instances in which Mr. Trump’s boastfulness — a hallmark of his career and his campaign — has been accused of crossing the line into fraud.”

Times reporter Mike McIntire wrote that one of the associates at Bayrock, the development company behind the Trump project, “brokered a $50 million investment in Trump SoHo and three other Bayrock projects by an Icelandic firm preferred by wealthy Russians ‘in favor with’ President Vladimir V. Putin, according to a lawsuit against Bayrock by one of its former executives.” Another lawsuit “was filled with unflattering details of how Bayrock operated, including allegations that it had occasionally received unexplained infusions of cash from accounts in Kazakhstan and Russia.”

The aforementioned Josh Marshall has been taking all of this in and covering Trump’s Russia ties with the persistence and eagle eye of a superb investigative reporter. He writes:

“Trump has been blackballed by all major U.S. banks with the exception of Deutschebank, which is of course a foreign bank with a major U.S. presence. He has steadied and rebuilt his financial empire with a heavy reliance on capital from Russia. At a minimum the Trump organization is receiving lots of investment capital from people close to Vladimir Putin.

“…Even if you draw no adverse conclusions, Trump’s financial empire is heavily leveraged and has a deep reliance on capital infusions from oligarchs and other sources of wealth aligned with Putin. That’s simply not something that can be waved off or ignored.”

Yes, the body of evidence, while large, is circumstantial. But where there’s smoke, which makes it all the more imperative that Trump let the press and public see his tax returns so we have a chance at piecing together the truth.

There is no sense in allowing a man with this potentially monstrous amount of foreign debt to be our president, especially when he is someone monumentally indifferent to understanding America’s place in the world, a fool whose entire worldview seems equivalent to that of the blowhard at the local tavern whose total knowledge comes from something he heard from a guy once. 

The Chef Who Could Cook Bob McDonnell and Ken Cuccinelli

The greed and influence peddling that seem to be the hallmarks of Virginia Governor Bob "Taliban Bob" McDonnell and Attorney General Ken "Kookinelli" Cuccinelli terms in office to date will be aired further in the coming trial of former executive chef to the Governor's mansion, Todd Schneider.  Schneider is accused of taking state property from the Governor's mansion, but increasingly, it looks like his real crime was to pay too much attention to the misdeeds of the McDonald family members and the avalanche of money and gifts entering the Governor's mansion.  Talking Points Memo looks at the situation.  Here are highlights:

Accused of taking property from the governor’s mansion kitchen, Schneider is facing several charges of embezzlement in Virginia court. At the same time, he has become a key player in the scandal swirling around the McDonnells and Virginia’s Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli.

Revelations about the relationship between the McDonnell family, Cuccinelli, and a prominent political donor and businessman, Jonnie Williams Sr., have been trickling out for weeks. Williams, the CEO of a struggling dietary supplement company called Star Scientific, has given McDonnell tens of thousands of dollars in campaign funds over the years, as well as reportedly tens of thousands of dollars in undisclosed money and other gifts. The undisclosed funds are now at the center of federal and state investigations, according to The Washington Post.

According to a court motion filed at the end of April by his attorney, Schneider began providing state and federal authorities with information about Williams’ relationship to the McDonnells over a year ago. On Feb. 10, 2012, Schneider met with agents from the Virginia State Police and the FBI. A month later, on March 8, 2012, Schneider and his attorney again met with the agents, along with Patrick Dorgan, a senior assistant state attorney general.

Schneider’s lawyer, has argued that the very food and supplies his client is now accused of embezzling from the state was given to Schneider as work-around payment for catering personal and political events McDonnell held at the mansion. Furthermore, Benjamin believes Schneider should be treated as a whistleblower. He has also argued that Cuccinelli’s conflict of interest in the case — Schneider did not know Cuccinelli held Star Scientific stock when he began speaking with investigators — should get the case dismissed. (Cuccinelli recused himself from the case in late April, citing the fact that a former governor’s mansion employee now works for his gubernatorial campaign.)

Earlier this week, a court hearing was held on Benjamin’s motion to dismiss the case. Afterward, Tony Troy, a private attorney representing McDonnell, disputed the idea that Schneider had been forced to cook for non-state or McDonnell family events. According to The Washington Post, Troy said that the executive chef was supposed to be a “at-will, 24-7 employee.”

It will be interesting to watch to see if Schneider manages to cook McDonnell's and Cuccinelli's goose.

The Fall Out from Walker's Recall Win in Wisconsin

Yesterday's disastrous victory by Scott Walker in the Wisconsin recall election holds many bad omens for Democrats and average Americans who don't drink heavily from the GOP's Kool-Aid cauldron.  The first omen is that money can buy elections via a constant media barrage (some estimates are that Walker out spent Democrats 7 to 1).  Another is that many voters remain with their heads in the sand until the last moment and can be easily duped to vote against their own long term best interests.   The third is that much more effort needs to be focused on winning the votes of moderates and independents.  No doubt Walker's survival will embolden the extremists in the GOP to take the Wisconsin game plan national - something that doesn't bode well for the country in the long term.  Here in Virginia one can only cringe at what the Virginia GOP will try to do during the 2013 legislative session. When will all of this end?  Only when (i) more of the elderly voter portion of the population that voes for the GOP dies off and (ii) younger voters wake up to the poisonous consequences of the GOP economic agenda and vote in full strength.  A column in the Washington Post looks at how Walker pulled out victory yesterday.  Here are highlights:

Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s victory in the Wisconsin recall offers a number of lessons for American politics more broadly.

First, the gender gap can work both ways. Women voted for Democrat Tom Barrett while men voted for Walker. Indeed, Walker’s share of the vote among women was 12 points lower than his share among men. But he carried males by a landslide: 59 percent to 40 percent. Walker lost women much more narrowly, 52 percent to 47 percent. The lesson is that Republicans can survive a rather big gender gap as long as they win men overwhelmingly.

Second, Walker’s heavy early spending clearly helped him. The pre-election polls suggested that Barrett was closing in on Walker in the final days, and he clearly was. The exit poll found that eight percent of the voters said they decided how to vote in the last few days, and they went overwhelmingly for Barrett, 69 percent to 27 percent. The rest of the electorate that decided earlier went for Walker . . . . Money matters.

Third, to win, Democrats need to overwhelm Republicans among moderates. Looking at the vote by ideology, you might imagine Barrett won: he carried liberals by 86 percent to 13 percent, and moderates by 54 percent to 46 percent. Walker carried only conservatives, by 86 percent to 14 percent. But the math added up for Walker

Democrats don’t just need to win moderates; they need to win them by very large margins. Victorious Democratic coalitions are inevitably an alliance of the center with the left. . . . . . Turning out your own supporters is essential. But so is fighting for the pure swing voters.

As a gay American, I continue to wonder at times if simply leaving the USA isn't perhaps the best strategy.   I find the GOP down right frightening and a threat to my well being.

Chamber of Commerce Groups Leaving the U. S. Chamber of Commerce

Given the U. S. Chamber of Commerce's activism in opposing progressive legislation and support for far right politicians (not to mention its apparent illegal use of foreign funds in U.S. campaigns), a growing number of local and regional chambers are dropping the affiliations with the national group. Think Progress has a story on this growing trend which includes the coverage of the Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce's unhappiness with the national organization. Locally, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce leaves much to be desired - it seems to be over populated with the old guard and backed Taliban Bob McDonnell for governor last year. And in terms of diversity, based on its leadership it apparently doesn't grasp that LGBT businesses exist and/or ought to be promoted. Here are highlights from Think Progress an the growing defections from the national organization:
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The Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce in southern Connecticut is currently in discussions about whether to break from the ‘U.S.’ Chamber over disagreements about the national Chamber’s involvement in politics. Chamber Executive Director Tricia Cunningham said her organization, which currently pays dues to the national Chamber, has disagreements over the U.S. Chamber’s use of millions of corporate dollars this election season to lobby and advertise on national issues.
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Tony Sheridan, president and chief executive officer of the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, said his organization broke off its relationship with the U.S. Chamber last year. Sheridan said plainly, “My issue with the national chamber is their willingness to take a very narrow slice of a piece of complicated legislation – and it’s generally the most negative spin they’re taking, like health care, when we all know that the health-care system is broken – and claim that the sky is falling, instead of using the money to educate people.
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Last week, the Greater Hudson Chamber of Commerce in New Hampshire announced it is leaving the U.S. Chamber because it does not want to be associated with the national Chamber’s political ads in favor of Republican candidates. And in Virginia, the local Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce has refused to endorse the political attack ads that the national Chamber is running in its area to defeat Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA).
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The U.S. Chamber also attempts to present itself as an organization the represents mom and pop local businesses. In reality, as the New York Times noted this week, it is funded mostly by a small number of large multi-national corporations. . . . in 2008, the Chamber received the bulk of its donations from only 45 companies, including firms like Goldman Sachs, Edward Jones, Alpha Technologies, Chevron Texaco and Aegon.
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According to the New York Times, other big donors include Dow Chemical ($1.7 million), Prudential Financial ($2 million), News Corporation ($1 million).

C Street and the Fellowship Foundation - Face of the Christian Mafia

Many liberal and progressive news sources and blogs have gone after the sex scandal plagued C Street fellowship house owned by the secretive, Fellowship Foundation. Now, the Christian magazine World Magazine is on the attack as well, citing huge sums of money, luxury and questionable theology. Admittedly, nothing is more fun than to watch a Christianist cat fight - especially when sex, large quantities of shadowy money, the peddling of undue influence and corruption all are part of the story line. Personally, it is worrisome when alleged "church" organizations are giving out discount lodging, lunches and dinners, and other perks to elected officials since only a fool would believe that no quid pro quo isn't expected in return. Stated differently, it looks a lot like bribery and unethical influence peddling to me. Here are some highlights from World Magazine (make sure to read the whole article or at least scroll down and check out the high end properties the organization owns):

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WASHINGTON, D.C.—The national press for the past two months has roasted "hypocritical" Christians who live in or meet in a ministry-owned house on C Street two blocks from the U.S. Capitol. Nevada Sen. John Ensign and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, both talked about this spring as potential GOP presidential candidates in 2012, have acknowledged adulterous relationships. Last month a lawsuit in Jackson, Miss., served notice that former Rep. Chip Pickering, also a Republican, may have carried on in the C Street house an illicit affair with a former college love interest. . .

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Sustained media attention has focused on whether the C Street house conclaves had contributed to or condoned the breaking of marital vows: Just what was in the water at C Street to prompt the three—all GOP political and social conservatives who a decade ago called for former President Bill Clinton's resignation—to fall into similar scandals of their own?

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[A] larger story emerged of the group behind the C Street row house: a 60-year-old, globally reaching organization that has muddy theology and a disdain for the established church. The C Street house is one of many properties in the greater Washington area owned by the Fellowship Foundation, which sponsors the annual National Prayer Breakfast, Bible studies, social gatherings, and private retreats, and funds international development.

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"Associates" (employees) of the Fellowship say its mission is to show the love of Jesus to the world's leaders. But it has no website to publicize that work, and those affiliated are extremely reluctant—if not prohibited, say some—to talk about it.

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House members Zach Wamp, R-Tenn.; Bart Stupak, D-Mich.; Mike Doyle, D-Pa.; and Heath Shuler, D-N.C., are reportedly current C Street residents. Senators Tom Coburn, R-Okla.; Jim DeMint, R-S.C.; and John Ensign, R-Nev. reportedly also live there. All have been repeatedly contacted by WORLD in the wake of the scandals and have declined personally or through spokespersons to be interviewed on the record about the group. Others who regularly attend C Street house gatherings or other Fellowship studies reportedly include Reps. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; and Joe Pitts, R-Pa.; along with Sens. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.; Bill Nelson, D-Fla.; and Mark Pryor, D-Ark.

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In fact, said Halverson, "they used to call themselves the Christian mafia—and they would laugh. Meaning one family is in strong power and then other families around that family have some power. . . . I would have been considered one of the families that have power."

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Silver tea sets, pink Italian marble, and overstuffed divans set the scene for elite gatherings. A banquet table serves weekly ambassadorial lunches, and another smaller sitting room allows for private, intimate meetings. Outside are tennis courts under tall oaks and a swimming pool that blends smoothly into the landscape.

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I think readers will get the drift. If this out fit is purportedly a "church" or some other tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity, it should not be giving out favors to elected legislators. The whole arrangement fails to pass the smell test at the very least.