Congress releases Trump tax returns

Democrats released former President Donald Trump’s tax returns from 2015-2020 on Friday after fighting for years to obtain the documents. Representatives on the House Ways and Means Committee voted along party lines last week to release the documents, which total more than 6,000 pages. The documents include personal tax return documents for Trump and his wife, Melania, as well as records from Trump’s businesses. Trump had declined to voluntarily release his tax returns during his campaigns or while serving as president.

How was this public release allowed? The U.S. Supreme Court last month refused to stop the treasury department from turning the tax records over to the House Ways and Means Committee. Democrats on the committee argued that releasing the records increased transparency and might help with spotlighting any illegal activity. Republicans on the committee argued that releasing the documents could set a precedent of eroding privacy protections.

Dig deeper: Read Lynn Vincent’s report in WORLD Magazine about whether the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago signals a new era in American politics.