Clinton Campaign Calls for Trump’s Tax Returns

On Thursday, Hillary for America released information and a new television ad calling the lack of tax returns from Donald Trump into question. While Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine have made their tax returns public, Trump has yet to do so. View the ad and read the HFA’s release below.

Donald Trump’s Tax Returns: What’s He Hiding?

For 40 years, major party nominees have publicly released their tax returns – a simple and basic disclosure, made to the American people as they determine which candidate is best fit for the presidency. In accordance with this decades-old tradition, Hillary Clinton has made nearly 40 years of tax returns available to the public over the course of her career, dating back to 1977. You can find the past 9 years of her returns here.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump refuses to release his tax returns, despite his promise in 2014 that he “absolutely” would release them if he ran for president. Watch Trump promise to release his returns here.

TRUMP: “If I decide to run for office, I’ll produce my tax returns, absolutely, and I would love to do that.” 

Of course, Trump changed his mind when he actually became a candidate for president.

TRUMP: “I want to release my tax returns but I can’t release it while I’m under an audit.”

TRUMP: “There’s nothing to learn from them.”

TRUMP: “It’s none of your business.”

Contradicting his own logic, Trump has released his tax returns while under audit in the past – when the disclosure of his tax returns would benefit his business interests – such as his application for a license to open a casino.

CNN: “Donald Trump insists he won’t release his tax returns during his 2016 presidential run because those returns are the subject of ongoing Internal Revenue Service audits.  When he’s had casinos on the line, it’s been a different story.”

Further, Trump has the ability to slow down the audit of his tax returns depending on his rate of response to the IRS – meaning he may be able to make his poor excuse, that his audit prevents his tax return disclosure, last as long as he wants.

WSJ: “Donald Trump says he will release his tax returns when an IRS audit concludes… the Republican presidential nominee omits one major point: He and his attorneys have substantial knowledge about when the audit will end and some ability to slow the process.”

Considering Trump has released his taxes under audit before, and his actions determine the speed at which the IRS can complete the audit, why won’t Trump release his tax returns and what is he hiding? Here’s a few theories:

1. Trump may not be worth the $10 billion that he claims
2. Trump may pay little to no income tax
3. Trump is deeply in debt and owes a hundred million to a foreign bank
4. Trump wrongly under values his properties to local tax men
5. Trump is making a “flood of cash” from running for president
6. Trump is taking tax breaks he shouldn’t
7. Trump is hiding his lack of charitable donations

Here’s 5 FACTS we know about Trump’s tax returns:

1. In multiple years in which we know Trump’s tax rate, he paid a rate of 0%
2. Trump promised millions in charity, but reportedly gave less than $10,000 over a period of 7 years
3. Trump has accepted a grant intended for small businesses affected by 9/11
4. Trump has repeated accepted a tax break intended for middle-class people
5. Trump might not even be undergoing an audit in the first place – and he refuses to present a letter from the IRS, sent to every individual who is audited, to prove it

Prominent Republicans question what Trump is hiding in his tax returns:

George Will: “Perhaps one more reason why we’re not seeing his tax returns is because he is deeply involved in dealing with Russian oligarchs.”

Mitt Romney: “Either he’s not anywhere near as wealthy as he says he is” or “There’s a bombshell in Donald Trump’s taxes.”

Mark Sanford: “I Support You, Donald Trump. Now Release Your Tax Returns.”

Is there ANY way to make Trump release his tax returns?  Yesterday, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Member Chris Murphy are calling for the Senate to vote on their bill, the Presidential Tax Transparency Act, to require presidential nominees to release their tax returns after their conventions.

In the meantime, media, pundits, and Americans across the country continue to challenge Trump to release his tax returns.

New York Times: Letters to the Editor: “Why Won’t Trump Release His Taxes?”

Washington Post Editorial: “Even Mike Pence appears to disagree with Trump on releasing tax returns”

Huffington Post: “Even Donald Trump’s Supporters Are Telling Him To Release His Tax Returns”

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Also, be sure to subscribe to the campaign’s official Podcast, With Her.

Hillary Clinton Statement on End Citizens United PAC Endorsement

On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of the End Citizens United PAC. In a release the group praised Clinton’s proposed plans for changing the current election cycle and her pledge to propose a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court’s ruling. Clinton released a statement echoing the group’s commitment to overturning Citizens United and ensuring that all voters have a say in our democracy. A copy of Clinton’s statement is below.

“I am honored to have earned the endorsement of the End Citizens United PAC, an organization working tirelessly to fix our broken campaign finance system and restore control of our elections to the American people.

I have said from the beginning of my campaign that we need to be protecting people’s right to vote, not corporations’ right to buy elections. That means restoring the full power and protections of the Voting Rights Act and fighting back against Republican efforts to make it harder for women, young people, and people of color to vote by imposing onerous voting restrictions.

And it means overturning the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and putting our democracy back in the hands of the voters. In my first 30 days as President, I will propose a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. I will appoint Supreme Court justices who understand that this decision deeply hurt our democracy, and I will fight for other progressive reforms to our campaign finance system, including more robust disclosure requirements, and measures that will make it easier for people who aren’t rich or well-connected to run for office, like small-donor matching.

But we can’t stop there. We should make it easier for people to vote–including through automatic voter registration and a minimum of 20 days of early, in-person voting. Together, we can restore people’s voices and people’s votes to their rightful place–at the center of American democracy.”

For all the latest, follow our Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: End Citizens United

Read: Hillary Clinton’s Broad Presidential Platform

Since launching her campaign last April, Hillary Clinton has outlined a number of major platform points in a series of speeches. Now that it it is clear the general election will be Clinton versus Republican Donald Trump, it is important that Clinton continue to deliver substantive speeches and combat a Trump platform that seems to offer no substance or foundation. Clinton’s platform is built on a career of public service and an understanding of domestic and foreign policies. While not everyone may agree with points of her platform, taken as a whole it is clear that she has put together a solid plan to more the country forward and ensure that everyone has an opportunity to live up to their full potential.

When Clinton has introduced a major platform topic, we add it to the Platform category of the website. Looking through Clinton’s speeches and policy proposals, a clear plan emerges. From Clinton’s kickoff rally in June 2015 to the announcement of the proposed cap on child care costs and expanded early childhood education earlier this month, a list of Clinton’s platform speech topics and announcement dates are below:

• June 13 – “Four Fights” of Campaign
• July 13 – Economic Agenda
• July 27 – Climate Change
• July 31 – Cuban Embargo
• August 10 – College Affordability
• August 18 – Drilling in the Arctic
• August 26 – Agriculture
• September 1 – Substance Abuse
• September 8 – Campaign Finance Reform
• September 9 – Nuclear Agreement with Iran
• September 14 – Sexual Assault
• September 22 – Prescription Drugs
• September 23 – Clean Energy
• October 5 – Gun Control
• October 7 – Trans-Pacific Partnership
• October 8 – Wall Street
• November 4 – US – Israeli Relations
• November 10 – Department of Veterans Affairs
• November 12 – Coal Communities
• November 19 – ISIS and Global Terrorism
• November 20 – Middle-Class Taxes
• November 22 – Caregiver Tax Credits
• November 29 – Infrastructure
• December 8 – Manufacturing (Part 1)
• December 15 – Immigration Reform
• December 15 – Anti-Terrorism
• December 16 – Buffett Rule
• December 20 – LGBT Rights
• December 22 – Alzheimer’s Disease
• January 5 – Autism
• January 11 – Fair Share Surcharge
• February 12 – “Breaking Every Barrier Agenda”
• March 4 – Jobs
• March 23 – Counterterrorism
• April 1 – Manufacturing (Part 2)
• April 13 – Department of Immigrant Affairs
• April 13 – Environmental and Climate Justice
• May 10 – Improved Child Care and Early Childhood Education
• May 25 – Infrastructure Revitalization in First 100 Days
• May 31 – Plan to Assist Military Families
• June 2 – Foreign Policy
• June 13 – Reduction of Gun Violence
• June 24 – Immigration Reform
• June 25 – Democratic National Committee Platform
• June 28 – Empowering Young People to be Entrepreneurs
• June 29 – Initiative on Technology and Innovation
• July 6 – Debt-Free College
• July 7 – Protections for Small Businesses
• July 9 – Universal Health Care

For all the latest, follow our revamped Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Review: Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Platform

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speak during a town hall with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Monday, April 25, 2016, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Since launching her campaign last April, Hillary Clinton has outlined a number of major platform points in a series of speeches. Now that it it is clear that the Republican nominee will be Donald Trump, it is important that Clinton continue to deliver substantive speeches and combat a Trump platform that seems to offer no substance or foundation. Clinton’s platform is built on a career of public service and an understanding of domestic and foreign policies. While no every may agree with points of her platform, taken as a whole it is clear that she has put together a solid plan to more the country forward and ensure that everyone has an opportunity to live up to their full potential.

When Clinton has introduced a major platform topic, we add it to the Platform category of the website. Looking through Clinton’s speeches and policy proposals, a clear plan emerges. From Clinton’s kickoff rally in June 2015 to the announcement of the proposed cap on child care costs and expanded early childhood education earlier this month, a list of Clinton’s platform speech topics and announcement dates are below:

• June 13 – “Four Fights” of Campaign
• July 13 – Economic Agenda
• July 27 – Climate Change
• July 31 – Cuban Embargo
• August 10 – College Affordability
• August 18 – Drilling in the Arctic
• August 26 – Agriculture
• September 1 – Substance Abuse
• September 8 – Campaign Finance Reform
• September 9 – Nuclear Agreement with Iran
• September 14 – Sexual Assault
• September 22 – Prescription Drugs
• September 23 – Clean Energy
• October 5 – Gun Control
• October 7 – Trans-Pacific Partnership
• October 8 – Wall Street
• November 4 – US – Israeli Relations
• November 10 – Department of Veterans Affairs
• November 12 – Coal Communities
• November 19 – ISIS and Global Terrorism
• November 20 – Middle-Class Taxes
• November 22 – Caregiver Tax Credits
• November 29 – Infrastructure
• December 8 – Manufacturing (Part 1)
• December 15 – Immigration Reform
• December 15 – Anti-Terrorism
• December 16 – Buffett Rule
• December 20 – LGBT Rights
• December 22 – Alzheimer’s Disease
• January 5 – Autism
• January 11 – Fair Share Surcharge
• February 12 – “Breaking Every Barrier Agenda”
• March 4 – Jobs
• March 23 – Counterterrorism
• April 1 – Manufacturing (Part 2)
• April 13 – Department of Immigrant Affairs
• April 13 – Environmental and Climate Justice
• May 10 – Improved Child Care and Early Childhood Education
• May 25 – Infrastructure Revitalization in First 100 Days

For all the latest, follow our revamped Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Platform

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters during a campaign rally at East Los Angeles College on Thursday, May 5, 2016 in East Los Angeles. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/ Pasadena Star-News)

Since launching her campaign in April, Hillary Clinton has outlined a number of major platform points in a series of speeches. Now that it seems the Republican nominee will be Donald Trump, it is important that Clinton continue to deliver substantive speeches and combat a Trump platform that seems to offer no substance or foundation. Clinton’s platform is built on a career of public service and an understanding of domestic and foreign policies. While no every may agree with points of her platform, taken as a whole it is clear that she has put together a solid plan to more the country forward and ensure that everyone has an opportunity to live up to their full potential.

When Clinton has introduced a major platform topic, we add it to the Platform category of the website. Looking through Clinton’s speeches and policy proposals, a clear plan emerges. From Clinton’s kickoff rally in June 2015 to the announcement of the proposed cap on child care costs and expanded early childhood education earlier this month, a list of Clinton’s platform speech topics and announcement dates are below:

• June 13 – “Four Fights” of Campaign
• July 13 – Economic Agenda
• July 27 – Climate Change
• July 31 – Cuban Embargo
• August 10 – College Affordability
• August 18 – Drilling in the Arctic
• August 26 – Agriculture
• September 1 – Substance Abuse
• September 8 – Campaign Finance Reform
• September 9 – Nuclear Agreement with Iran
• September 14 – Sexual Assault
• September 22 – Prescription Drugs
• September 23 – Clean Energy
• October 5 – Gun Control
• October 7 – Trans-Pacific Partnership
• October 8 – Wall Street
• November 4 – US – Israeli Relations
• November 10 – Department of Veterans Affairs
• November 12 – Coal Communities
• November 19 – ISIS and Global Terrorism
• November 20 – Middle-Class Taxes
• November 22 – Caregiver Tax Credits
• November 29 – Infrastructure
• December 8 – Manufacturing (Part 1)
• December 15 – Immigration Reform
• December 15 – Anti-Terrorism
• December 16 – Buffett Rule
• December 20 – LGBT Rights
• December 22 – Alzheimer’s Disease
• January 5 – Autism
• January 11 – Fair Share Surcharge
• February 12 – “Breaking Every Barrier Agenda”
• March 4 – Jobs
• March 23 – Counterterrorism
• April 1 – Manufacturing (Part 2)
• April 13 – Department of Immigrant Affairs
• April 13 – Environmental and Climate Justice
• May 10 – Improved Child Care and Early Childhood Education

For all the latest, follow our revamped Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Hillary’s Platform Speeches

Hillary Clinton leads the discussion at a manufacturing roundtable in Syracuse, New York on April 1, 2016.

Since launching her campaign in April, Hillary Clinton has given a number of platform setting speeches across the country. When she has introduced a major platform topic, we add it to the Platform category of the website. Looking through Clinton’s speeches and policy proposals, a clear plan emerges. From Clinton’s kickoff rally in June to the announcement of her manufacturing plans earlier this month, a list of Clinton’s platform speech topics and announcement dates are below:

• June 13 – “Four Fights” of Campaign
• July 13 – Economic Agenda
• July 27 – Climate Change
• July 31 – Cuban Embargo
• August 10 – College Affordability
• August 18 – Drilling in the Arctic
• August 26 – Agriculture
• September 1 – Substance Abuse
• September 8 – Campaign Finance Reform
• September 9 – Nuclear Agreement with Iran
• September 14 – Sexual Assault
• September 22 – Prescription Drugs
• September 23 – Clean Energy
• October 5 – Gun Control
• October 7 – Trans-Pacific Partnership
• October 8 – Wall Street
• November 4 – US – Israeli Relations
• November 10 – Department of Veterans Affairs
• November 12 – Coal Communities
• November 19 – ISIS and Global Terrorism
• November 20 – Middle-Class Taxes
• November 22 – Caregiver Tax Credits
• November 29 – Infrastructure
• December 8 – Manufacturing
• December 15 – Immigration Reform
• December 15 – Anti-Terrorism
• December 16 – Buffett Rule
• December 20 – LGBT Rights
• December 22 – Alzheimer’s Disease
• January 5 – Autism
• January 11 – Fair Share Surcharge
• February 12 – “Breaking Every Barrier Agenda”
• March 4 – Jobs
• March 23 – Counterterrorism
• April 1 – Manufacturing (2)
• April 13 – Department of Immigrant Affairs
• April 13 – Environmental and Climate Justice

Clinton’s platform displays her breadth of knowledge on both domestic and foreign policy issues. While the Republicans continue to bicker among the crowd, Clinton has been laying out her plans to help everyday Americans, keep our country safe, and maintain our status as a leader in the world.

For all the latest, follow our revamped Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Clinton, Sanders Draw Battle Lines in Debate

During last night’s Democratic Debate, which aired on PBS, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders critiqued each others policies, but did so in a fairly calm manner. While Clinton attacked Sanders during last week’s debate in New Hampshire, this week, Clinton went for a more diplomatic approach. She was calm and effective as she laid out her plans and how they differed from those of Sanders. Clinton worked tactfully to dismantle Sanders’ plans, including his plans to offer free college tuition. She pointed out a flaw in his plan saying, “Senator Sanders’s plan really rests on making sure that governors like Scott Walker contribute $23 billion on the first day to make college free. I am a little skeptical about your governor actually caring enough about higher education to make any kind of commitment like that.”

Sanders attacked Clinton’s ties to Wall Street and her campaigns use of PACs to finance portions of the campaign. But this is a critique that Sanders has leveled at every debate and many of his campaign stops. These criticisms of Clinton are center to his campaign, as are his plans for a single-payer health care system and free college tuition. Clinton subtly criticized his platform as being narrow, and during her closing statement, she said, “I am not a single-issue candidate, and I do not believe we live in a single-issue country.” A full video from the debate is below, and a transcript is available HERE.

For all the latest, follow our revamped Scheduled Events page and follow Clinton on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

News Source: The New York Times

Clinton Releases Campaign Finance Plan

Today, Hillary Rodham Clinton released her plan for campaign finance reform. In a release on her website, Clinton outlined points to her plan to cut untraceable money and the influence of wealthy individuals and corporations from politics. The proposal has three main points. First, overturn the Citizens United ruling by appointing Supreme Court Justices dedicated to overturning it and passing a Constitutional amendment. Next, end the flow of unaccountable money that requires public disclosure of donations and spending by outside organizations, requiring publicly traded companies to disclose contributions, and require all federal government contractors to report all political spending. Finally, she hopes to make the voices of everyday Americans heard over those who contribute large amounts by enacting a donor matching program, lower contribution limits, and enforce all campaign finance laws.

The goal of the plan is to ensure that average Americans have a voice in choosing their elected leaders and not allowing those with the deepest pockets to call the shots. Clinton has been a critic of the Citizens United ruling. Clinton’s campaign released a video (above), and you can read the full details of Clinton’s plan by clicking HERE.

Tonight, ABC will air an interview by David Muir with Clinton that will cover a number of topics including the agreement with Iran, her use of a private email server as Secretary of State, and her campaign. Details from the interview will be posted later this evening.

News Source: Time, The New York Times, The Briefing