Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, asked if people under IRS audit are free to release their tax returns, a situation [Donald Trump] has asserted in refusing to release his forms. Koskinen said such taxpayers can release their returns.Nadler also asked if someone can use money from a charitable foundation to buy a portrait or a football helmet autographed by former quarterback Tim Tebow or to pay fees from legal disputes. Reports have said money from the Donald J. Trump Foundation has been used for those purposes.Koskinen said, generally, charitable money shouldn't be used to benefit someone who runs a charitable foundation.
Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) wanted to know if there was anything that would stop someone from proving that they are in fact being audited by releasing the audit letter they got from the IRS."Would releasing the person's tax return during the audit in any way impact that pending audit of the return?" Deutch asked."The release itself wouldn't. The concern sometimes by taxpayers is that when the information is public there may be more information that will be discovered or provided," Koskinen said."That is the concern," Deutch agreed, sounding somewhat pleased with the admission. "We understand that is the concern."Democrats then went on to highlight some of the items that could prove problematic for Trump to disclose, such as his actual income, what he pays the government in taxes, clues to his actual net worth and records of his charitable giving. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) wondered aloud if discovering payments by Russia might suggest a monetary -- or even treasonous -- motive for going soft on a U.S. rival.