Congressman Dave Reichert recently submitted a letter to the editor regarding President Trump’s tax returns — reportedly in response to one I had submitted previously calling for the Ways and Means Committee to compel the President to submit his returns. Reichert argued that “I am committed to protecting privacy rights and abiding by and enforcing laws….Those principles will always come before political expediency.”

Nice try Mr. Reichert, but that is baloney.

The power to obtain Trump’s returns is undeniable as long as it is exercised in accordance with the procedural requirements of Internal Revenue code Section 6103(f)….namely being related to any legislation that conceivably might be enacted. Two obvious examples of conceivable new legislation are already being widely discussed.

First, information in Trump’s returns reflecting foreign or domestic financial relationships or entanglements could reveal a need for further amendment of IRC Section 6103, requiring some or all of any future President’s tax returns or tax information to be made public; and second, that information might also be relevant now to the Ways and Means Committee in assessing the extent Trump’s own financial self-interest bears upon his new tax plan.

Clearly, Reichert’s opposition is in fact nothing but one of political expediency. He wants to avoid the responsibility for dealing with the information likely to be found in Trump’s returns, and at the same time continue to vote in a manner consistent with his donor’s and GOP’s party interests. Sad.

Steve Thompson

Sammamish