GOP Rep. Complains Release Of Trump Tax Returns Could Create ‘Slippery Slope’

Even though President Trump broke precedent by refusing to hand over his tax returns before taking office, a Republican congressman is concerned that Democrats obtaining the documents could create a “slippery slope” paradigm.

During an interview on CNN Friday morning, Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), a member of the Ways and Means Committee, argued the release of Trump’s tax returns could set a political precedent that invades the privacy of other American citizens.

“This will be an interesting debate. This authority that the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee has to pull anyone’s tax returns — we have to be careful we are not going down a slippery slope here of just picking for political purposes someone’s tax returns a political process,” he said, arguing “where do you draw the line?”

“Just the President? Do you do this for the Speaker of the House? Do you do it for the Majority Leader of the Senate?” he added

“Yeah, draw the line at the President,” CNN’s Jim Sciutto pushed back.

“I think the President has made it very clear as to where he stands on his tax returns,” Reed said. “That’s his right to do so as a citizen of America and have that privacy right protected. We are going to engage in the debate. Let’s see what they ask for in the Ways and Means Committee, see what happens as they go through the process. At the end of the day the President has been clear with his tax returns. The American people elected him.”

Reed claims reviewing Trump's tax returns opens a "slippery slope" precedent pic.twitter.com/VUCHRf2Ecy

— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) February 1, 2019