Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Thursday said he “would like to” see President Trump’s tax returns despite the president’s repeated claims he cannot disclose them due to an audit.
“I think he has, if you take the president at his word, a legitimate reason for not turning them over, he says he’s in the middle of an audit and his CPAs say don’t turn them over,” Kennedy said in an appearance on CNN.
{mosads}“I think all things being equal I would like to see presidents’ taxes. I wouldn’t be averse to turning over my taxes, I don’t have anything to hide.”
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) sent a letter yesterday to formally request Trump’s personal and business tax returns from 2013 to 2018 by April 10.
Kennedy said the request was “probably within [Neal’s] purview,” but added he believes Neal “has an ulterior motive.”
“I think the chair hates President Trump, he doesn’t appear to me to be objective,” Kennedy said. “Everything he says is hateful about the president.”
Kennedy told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota that a series of sweeping investigations of Trump launched by the Democratic-controlled House were intended “to give Trump as much trouble as they can and try to beat him in 2020.” Trump has repeatedly characterized the numerous investigations as “presidential harassment.”
Trump has repeatedly cited an audit to avoid the disclosure of his taxes, although audits do not prevent people from releasing their own information.
“I’m always under audit, it seems,” Trump said Wednesday. “But I’ve been under audit for many years because the numbers are big, and I guess when you have a name you’re audited.”