President Trump is keeping an online petition feature of the White House’s web site, and the first petition on Friday is demanding that he release his tax returns.
“Immediately release Donald Trump’s full tax returns, with all information needed to verify emoluments clause compliance,” the petition states.
Mr. Trump has consistently said he will not release tax returns while they are under audit.
The Constitution’s “emoluments clause” forbids any “person holding any Office of Profit or Trust” in the U.S. government from accepting any “any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”
The clause is intended to guarantee that a U.S. government official avoid private entanglements with foreign states.
Former President Obama’s White House started the online petition site called “We the People,” and required a certain number of signatures to merit a response from the administration. The number of signatures required for the Trump administration to reply to the tax return petition is 100,000.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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