Key House Republican on Donald Trump's tax returns: 'Open up your kimono and show everything'

Rep. Jason Chaffetz calls on Donald Trump to release his tax returns

(Image credit: CNN/YouTube)

published 25 August 2016

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) is no fan of Hillary Clinton — as chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, he has been front and center in the Clinton email investigation, which he plans to keep alive with a perjury inquiry. On CNN Wednesday night, Chaffetz told Jim Sciutto that Clinton should hold a long-overdue press conference if she wants to rebut an Associated Press story about Clinton Foundation donor access at her State Department and Donald Trump's "pay to play" allegations. Sciutto turned the conversation to Trump, whom Chaffetz has pledged to support.

"Does Donald Trump's refusal to release his own tax returns — which would show his business interests and might raise questions about potential influence on his own campaign of money interests, or if he were to be elected president — does that not raise the same questions?" Sciutto asked. "Shouldn't he be equally transparent on his business relationships, his investments, etc.?"

Chaffetz agreed, colorfully. "If you're going to run and try to become the president of the United States, you're going to have to open up your kimono and show everything: your tax returns, your medical records," he said. "You're just going to have to do that. It's too important. So both candidates, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, should show both their medical records and their tax returns. Absolutely." Clinton has released nine years of her tax returns, and both candidates have released notes from their doctors; Trump is the first major party candidate not to release his returns since 1976. Sciutto asked Chaffetz if he would be just as zealous investigating President Trump as he would President Clinton, and Chaffetz appeared to have low expectations for the honesty of either candidate: "Hey, the Government Reform and Oversight Committee is going to be the place to win no matter who wins this election." You can watch below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.