Let’s see a show of hands of Ballantine Communications employees that would not have any issues if their federal tax returns were front page news in the Durango Herald and the Cortez Journal. While the AP story (Herald, Oct. 3) never alluded to the fact that Trump’s tax returns may very well have been obtained illegally, the New York Times reporter breaking the story indicated he was willing to go to jail for using the material.
Obviously, there will be no federal investigation. Interestingly enough, the question on the network morning shows was whether Trump would sue the Times. A number of legal experts on both sides of the aisle have indicated that Trump has a solid case.
For the record, there are no laws that require a candidate, from the president to a county commissioner, to release tax returns. Finally, using some of the same tax avoidance techniques used by Trump, the New York Times also avoided paying taxes in 2013 and 2014.
Dennis Pierce
Durango
