Discussion: NYT Investigation: Trump Engaged In 'Outright Fraud,' Helped Parents Evade Taxes

[ottnott]

[outis]

“SAWYER: Do you have one word for the Republican Party today? DUBYA: You will exist in the future.” (Apr. 24, 2013)

Let us hope that he is wrong about that.

[dannydorko]

But, but Trump only commits the best fraud! The most awesomest, yuuuuugest, most amazing, beautiful fraud ever. People talk about how great his fraud is, they talk about it. It’s amazing, it’s YUUUGE!!

“That makes me smart!”

[erik_t]

As a public official, Trump has the least basis available for defamation claims. He would have to prove that the journalists acted with actual malice and that they knew the published claims were false or they acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

Between the

1. vanishingly small likelihood the standard of libel of a public official could be met
2. extreme likelihood that the Times is actually correct
3. profound damage that discovery could cause the President

such a suit would have to be on the short list for ‘Dumbest Lawsuit in History’.

I don’t think that’s an overstatement, actually.

[established_1781]

I’m not going to disappointment myself by pretending there will be any consequences.

[bodie1]

Oh, Donnie. The failing NYT reported more than one billion in subscription revenues in 2017 in what they called “continuing growth.” Womp Womp.

[groundloop]

Not relevant to this article but after the attack on Pearl Harbor, 36 year old Fred Trump was still eligible for the military draft SAD that he didn’t help defend our freedom.

Much like Dick “Dick” Cheney during the Vietnam era, Fred had other priorities.

“Believe me! Believe me! I’d really love to help you guys out, but you see uhhh, well, heck! Fact is, I’ve got this whole “Outer Burroughs Slumlord” thing cooking right now and money is way, waaaay more important to me than an abstract concept like freedom. Have a good time!”

~ Fred Christ Trump

[outis]

Boy, he and Kav have a lot in common, both entitled, rich spoiled white boys, maybe one a touch smarter and one that wasn’t a frat boy.

Except that Trump apparently does not drink . . . he just drives other people to drink.

[darrtown]

That article reads a lot like Woodward’s new book on trump.

[joebob]

I’m not sure what revelatory information people think they would learn from Trump’s tax returns. Most likely is they would suggest he’s not worth nearly as much as he says he is.

Otherwise, if you wanted proof that Trump was, say, criminally liable for tax evasion - his personal income tax returns would just be the first piece of the puzzle. They would suggest what questions to ask next. You would also need his business tax filings. To uncover the type of fraud the NYT story reveals, you would also need access to a variety of business records. Since the Trump Org. is a privately held business, those would be hard to come by. .

[thinski]

Dummy’s Pussybank.

[mattinpa]

I’m not sure what revelatory information people think they would learn from Trump’s tax returns. Most likely is they would suggest he’s not worth nearly as much as he says he is.

I’m not sure either, but preserving the illusion that he’s unusually wealthy is probably one of the most important life goals Trump has. He can and has sued over any suggestion that he’s worth less than he says. It’s central to his myth, the idea that he’s very rich. If he is, as a real NYC mogul once said, “a clown who lives on credit,” it all comes crashing down.

[darrtown]

Remember that even though everybody knew Al Capone was a mafia guy and deep into crime of all sorts including murder for hire and murder for power…the thing they busted him for was tax evasion which resulted in 11 years in Alcatraz. He was let go when it was discovered he had end stage syphilis and it had begun to damage his brain and he was going to die from it in short order.
trump could be busted for tax evasion and parked in jail somewhere much like Al.

[michaelryerson]

Nothing we didn’t already know or at a minimum seriously suspect. What did Fermi say? ‘Never underestimate the joy people derive from hearing something they already know.’ It gave me pleasure reading it. Also gave me pleasure knowing that Trump is likely going to read it too.

[manhattan123]

Apparently racism and dementia aren’t the only things the old man passed down to Donald.

[darrtown]

I would be deeply pleased to see trump get very public comeuppance.

[erik_t]

Otherwise, if you wanted proof that Trump was, say, criminally liable for tax evasion - his personal income tax returns would just be the first piece of the puzzle. They would suggest what questions to ask next. You would also need his business tax filings. To uncover the type of fraud the NYT story reveals, you would also need access to a variety of business records. Since the Trump Org. is a privately held business, those would be hard to come by. .

We’ve got two years. I’m willing to wait.

[thinski]

I remember when he first started tweeting. I thought it was a joke. I was right.

[busdrivermike]

Wow! What is that, 3 days profit for him?

Way to dig deep, Mike!

[outis]

Fred was a tyrant who decided what family members would order in restaurants (among other dictatorial tendencies), and Mother Mary was a nonentity and had no influence on how the children were raised.

I think that this contributes an interesting example of the nature versus nurture debate. Was he doomed by the genes of a terrible father, or by the behavior of a terrible father, or both?