Name:   copperline - Subject:   The latest news from Trump World Date:   9/30/2016 5:50:09 PM

The latest news on Donald Trump’s career has been really interesting to read about.

Forget that he insulted & cruelly shamed a former employee publically for gaining weight, or that he now tells us to go look for her  previously undiscovered sex tape……  geez, what a guy…..   Forget that he denies saying things that were recorded on videotape…. Even after the old tapes are played.    Over & over.

More importantly:  

First, we know he won’t release his taxes.  Now, investigative reports (where WERE these guys earlier this year?) are coming up with reasons why he may not want anyone to see his returns.   In the years he has released his returns, he paid zero taxes.      How did he do that?   By use of depreciation of his real estate assets to offset his income… much of which now comes from selling his name… and not from real estate sales or development.  

This was income in the hundreds of millions of dollars per year from licensing his name, TV shows, Ms. Universe pageants, gambling casinos, World Wrestling Foundation promotions……. no taxes because he could claim a deduction designed for real estate businesses & the like….not people in the entertainment industry.   And certainly not for people like you & me.  

Second, he has income generating business agreements across the globe… specifically Eastern Europe & Russia … and these are a clear conflict of interest for a prospective US President.  He also made attempts to create business opportunities for himself in Cuba prior to the lifting of the US embargo, paying $65,000 thru a 3^rd party for exploratory business trips to the island.  He simply does not want you to know about his business activities. That alone ought to be a red flag for most people, I'd say.

Third, the Trump Foundation failed to register in New York as a charity… as required by state law… and has avoided required state audits as a result.   We know the charity solicited public donations and used its money to pay legal fees for Trump's for-profit businesses & to purchase expensive art for his personal use.  This is the same Trump Foundation Charity he claims to make charitable donations from… but he hasn’t put any of his own money into it in nearly 10 years.   And many organizations deny ever getting the funds he publically announced he had given to them.

Fourth, releasing his taxes would give us a clearer idea of what potential conflicts of interest he would have from owning Trump Corporate entities world-wide.   He has said he would simply give control of these to his kids… but that is not the same as a blind trust arrangement which in this case would be impossible… because there would still be actively managed income from them during his term in office…and his family would be on payroll too.   There appears to be a long list of business licensing deals across the globe.   These business arrangements are different from any known in previous presidents, and obviously create a potential conflict of interest that could prevent him from being elected.

If I just had a nickel for every reason that Donald Trump should not be President…. I could start a fake University.