WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - With Donald Trump still refusing to release his tax returns, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., has introduced legislation requiring the presidential nominee of a major political party to release the information.
The Presidential Tax Transparency Act would require the candidate to release the most recent 3 years of tax returns to the Federal Election Commission within 15 days of becoming the nominee.
If the candidate refuses to comply, the FEC may obtain the tax returns from the Treasury Secretary for public release.
'Since the days of Watergate, the American people have had an expectation that nominees to be the leader of the free world not hide their finances and personal tax returns,' Wyden said.
'Tax returns deliver honest answers to key questions from the American public,' he added. 'Do you even pay taxes? Do you give to charity? Are you abusing tax loopholes at the expense of middle class families? Are you keeping your money offshore? People have a right to know.'
Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, is not likely to have much success in getting the bill approved, but its introduction highlights Trump's continued refusal to release his returns.
Trump has repeatedly cited an ongoing audit by the Internal Revenue Service as the reason for his refusal to release his returns.
The real estate tycoon has said he hopes to release the returns before the election in November but claims that there is nothing to learn from them.
Earlier this month, Mitt Romney suggested that Trump's refusal to release his tax returns disqualifies him from being president.
Romney, the GOP's presidential nominee in 2012, warned that Trump is reluctant to release his tax returns because they contain a 'bombshell.'
The former Massachusetts Governor came under similar scrutiny when he released only two years of tax returns while running for president.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX