Gavin Newsom Signs First Law Requiring Candidates To Reveal Taxes | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

California Governor Gavin Newsom discusses the reasoning behind a new California law requiring candidates to make five years of their income tax returns public in order to appear on a ballot in the state of California.
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Gavin Newsom Signs First Law Requiring Candidates To Reveal Taxes | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

65 comments

  1. What an idea! Only electing presidents who aren’t hiding possible foreign financial influence or, as Richard Nixon so eloquently put it, “People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook.”
    The Russians can’t rig the election if their boy Trump isn’t even on the ballot, unless they find a way to plug him in as a massive write-in.

    1. It could be that this law came about because of Trump. So be it. I sure as heck don’t want to continue hearing the same song about taxes; something never heard before until he came around.

  2. This seems so simple, yet innovative. xD If Mitch has a reputation to watch out for, he’d consider this bill.

    1. TheAileZX2 But, he won’t. Because that would put him and a whole lot of other politicians out of a job.

    1. What a waste of time and effort. The constitution lays out the requirements to hold federal office. If the states want to set requirements for state offices they are free to do so but they may not add or subtract requirements to hold the offices of president, vice president, senator, or house of representative. The Supreme Court already struck down efforts like this in the past. With hundreds of thousands of homeless, needles and crap in the street, hungry children, and this is the best California can do? The state that puts a warning on almost every product sold on Earth that it contains substances known to cause cancer can’t recognize futility and stupidity.

    2. @Hammer0f Thor Nothing futile about this. Americans deserve to know who owns their president and how that may influence foreign policy. This should have been done long ago but only Trump has hid his taxes as they will be an embarrassment to him to show since he only loses money, other people’s money. He released the one year he actually paid taxes, which shows why he hides the rest.

  3. Every Democratic Governor should pass this law for every Presidential candidate failure to do so results in being kick off the ballot and debates

    1. Wolf’Jarl Gr’Bane well, of course, both parties. The DNC and the RNC should upgrade their vetting process to any Presdental candidates! This would be party-neutral and should be enacted immediately. We need fair elections and the election cybersecurity should be a Federal law as well. Best to you! 🇺🇸

    1. Does it matter politically, though? Because it’s winner-take-all, trump won’t be getting CA no matter what. I guess it’s a good symbolic gesture

  4. 5 years won’t cover most politicians’ corrupt past. This requires 10 to 15 years and for the next 5 years after they leave office. And what will happen to those who don’t comply? Nothing, I expect. Make a mandatory jail term for non-compliance if you genuinely don’t want corruption. While you are at it, rank lawyers and assign them equally to prosecution and defence, so wealth does not buy immunity in court.

    1. Parslow Pongbert – they will not be on the ballot if they don’t comply. They haven’t committed a crime, so jail is inappropriate, but if they’re not on the ballot the game’s up.

    2. Actually I’m liking the countries that EXECUTE Government Criminals…..Don’t need them, they have FAILED society as a whole!! Can’t move forward, when somebody is scheming in the background!!

  5. Trump knows that releasing his taxes would be his undoing. That’s why he would rather divorce Melania and marry Rosie O’Donnell than release his taxes.

    1. @Sicklady and you would avoid paying your taxes by going on welfare

    2. @Mind Freshener no they dont they think only the americans that work should pay and not them after all they arexeither in prison or on welfare

  6. And just think, if this law had been a requirement for all presidential candidates in 2016, we wouldn’t have an unregistered agent of a foreign country in the white house right now.

    1. Wolf’Jarl Gr’Bane I would hope so. I just think that with a brute majority on courts, no one can be certain of the rationales GOP judges will use to achieve a desired outcome. Ain’t it funny how they kept striking down Obama EOs (DACA, DAPA) but find Trump’s EOs (Muslim ban, emergency wall funding etc) to be totally fine. Who knows – but if past is prologue, I think we have an answer.

    2. David j. Trump got the “unregistered as a foreign agent” requirement all wrong.
      He is registered as a foreign agent in/for Russia.

      Seculow, Giuliani and his band of yappers will argue that point.

    3. “Judges will likely strike it down as unconstitutional.”

      Why? It seems that it is completely in spirit with preemptively addressing Article 2 section 4, Article 3 section 1 and in CA’s rights following Article 5, section 1.

      I see nothing in your constitution that actually would bar this law at all.

  7. Donald Trump promised in the 2016 campaign that he would release his taxes, yet ever since then he has refused to do so and has gone to court on numerous occasions to keep his taxes from being released. The fake audit was never a good reason to hide his tax returns.

    1. ..and yet his obtuse base continues to support him …makes you wonder at just how stupid and ignorant some people must be to continually support such a criminal president ..they are willingly blind.

  8. We have had enough of trumps corruption.

    PREDICTION: There will be an unprecedented voter turnout in 2020 and trump will lose by a landslide.

    1. He only been in office two years the corruption started way before him where you been probably just a kid

    2. Sky 2006
      You’re funny!
      In 2020 trump will be in deep legal do-do or he will have defected to Russia. Putin will have no need for a used paper towel. But, trump in a “trump 2020” shirt from Leavenworth or a Russian gulag will be nice to see.

  9. The man is a crook ! That is why he takes all possible legal steps to avoid showing his crimes.

    1. AND IT AIN’T WORKING!!! We don’t live in the countryside of Siberia…We knows Stuff!!! The MAJORITY are NOT Followers, we’re Thinkers!!! And we’re thinking, it’s time for Y’all to GO!!

  10. It is good to see California taking a leadership roll, in preventing another kleptomaniac president

    1. Leadership? From Slime ball cheater Newsom? He & his corrupt Aunt are worse than anyone! (I am a California Native)

  11. Great, this way make it illegal for Trump to run as a candidate if he doesn’t release his taxes!!! Brilliant move!! Every state should do the same.

  12. Signing first law that requires candidates to release/show tax returns.👏👏👏👏👏

    donald trump should show his taxes, immediately, or else, get out of the w.h!!!

  13. Bout time you finally start playing McConnell’s game and stop bringing butterfly nets to a drone strike!

  14. The IRS came out & said being under audit does not preclude anyone from releasing a copy of their taxes, that is just an excuse & more than that an outright lie. But a lie from the big orange guy is no big surprise.

    1. After that LAST Electoral College Mishap…..Put nothing past those clowns!! 55 is a big number, just needs a couple more to join in, won’t add up!!!

    2. If just a few big states do this, it could really help another (less corrupt) Republican primary him.

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