Rantz: Sen. Kuderer refuses to submit tax returns, but demands them from Trump

Senate Democrats approved legislation to demand tax documents from President Donald Trump that they, themselves, won’t provide.

RELATED: Presidential tax return rule passes Washington Senate

In a 28-21 vote this week, State Senator Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue) lead the Democrats in advancing a bill requiring primary and general election candidates for president and vice president to release the five most recent federal income tax returns.

If the candidate doesn’t comply, the state will not allow the presidential election to move forward, disenfranchising millions of their right to vote.

Kuderer, on the Senate floor, argued the tax returns are “part of the vetting process.”

Democrats have pounced on Trump’s unwillingness to release tax returns, citing a pending audit. I don’t believe this. He’s hiding his tax returns because he either makes significantly less than he claims or because he’s using clever, legal loopholes to not pay more in taxes. Or perhaps both.

Putting this info out there would hurt his brand as a wealthy businessman, or would be used to demonize him for not paying more taxes than he’s supposed to.

Democrats use this to imply the president is either poor, a crook, or maybe even working with the Russians! Trump brought these attacks on himself, though I don’t think any candidate should have to release this data or any data like, say, birth certificates.

But let’s use Kuderer’s argument that it’s incredibly important to have access to private financial data. If it’s an important part of vetting candidates, then Kuderer should also release her five most recent federal income tax returns.

Only, she won’t, unless she becomes a candidate for president.

“You can have my tax returns when I announce my candidacy for president.”

I wonder what Kuderer is hiding? Perhaps she uses legal loopholes out of paying her “fair share” of taxes. Maybe she’s secretly in cahoots with the Russians?

“The Democrats targeted President Trump in a bill to require a person release their tax returns to run for president,” Republic State Sen. Doug Ericksen said. “They rejected amendments to require members of Congress and State Legislative leaders to release their taxes. They clearly were more interested in politics than transparency. I am more interested in how a legislator became a millionaire than how a billionaire became president.”

How about this: If you’re going to waste tax dollars on a political stunt to attack the president, since this bill, if passed, will be challenged in court — and lose — why not either hold yourselves to the same standard?

Perhaps, instead, you can lower the bar to what you deem necessary for state lawmakers? Or — and stay with me here — focus on issues impacting people’s lives in Washington state, like opioid addiction and homelessness. I get that those issues are hard to address, and it’s easier to go after Trump, but perhaps you can give it a try?

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