Congressman Asks DOJ to Investigate Leak of Trump’s Taxes to New York Times

In a letter obtained by Breitbart News, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) asked the Department of Justice to investigate possible crimes committed via the alleged disclosure of President Donald Trump’s tax returns to the New York Times.

The New York Times published details of what it alleged were Trump’s tax returns on Sunday. It alleged that the president’s tax returns revealed “chronic losses and years of tax avoidance.”

In a letter to Attorney General William Barr, Zeldin wrote:

Dear Attorney General Barr,

On September 27, 2020, the New York Times published a story about the tax returns of President Donald Trump. This article included what appears to be confidential information regarding President Trump’s tax returns. I write to ask that the Department of Justice investigate whether any information about President Trump’s tax returns were illegally released to the New York Times and whether any action needs to be taken by the Department of Justice regarding this issue.

The New York Times has said it will be publishing additional information that goes into greater depth on the President’s tax returns. It is imperative to determine as soon as possible whether federal crimes were committed in the transmission of any confidential information.

Respectfully,
Lee M. Zeldin
Member of Congress

Federal officers and employees are legally required to maintain the confidentiality of tax returns and return information.

Breitbart News Finance and Economics Editor John Carney explained how the allegation that Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 — a claim repeated by many news media — is false.

Trump dismissed the New York Times‘ claims as “fake news.”