Mnuchin says Treasury unable to comply with deadline for Trump's tax returns

　　据美联社最新消息，美国财政部已错过了向众议院筹款委员会主席提交美国总统特朗普纳税申报单的最后期限。

　　此前，据美国有线电视新闻网 (CNN) 报道，针对众议院对美国国税局于4月10日前提供特朗普近6年的个人及公司纳税申报单的要求，美国财政部长姆努钦曾于周三表示：“无法按时提供。”在写给委员会主席理查德·尼尔的一封信中姆努钦还表示，财政部尚未决定是否遵守这一要求。财政部将与司法部磋商，谨慎考虑这一要求。

　　The Treasury Department has missed a deadline to deliver US President Donald Trump's tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee chairman.

　　Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin informed Congress early Wednesday evening that his department would be unable to comply with House Democrats' deadline for President Donald Trump's tax returns, inserting himself into what is sure to be a pitched battle for the closely held documents.

　　In a letter to committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., on Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said his department hasn't decided whether to comply with the demand and said Treasury will consult with the Justice Department and "carefully" review the request further. Neal asked for Trump's returns a week ago.

　　4月3日，美国众议院筹款委员会主席理查德·尼尔致信美国财政部下属机构——美国国税局，要求查看美国总统特朗普近六年的个人与其名下八个商业实体于2013年至2018年间的纳税申报单。

　　House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal on April 3 formally requested Trump's personal tax returns as well as eight of Trump's business entities in the past six years from the Internal Revenue Service.

　　Photo:AP)

　　这是45年来该委员会首次向国税局索要现任总统的税务信息。民主党人强调，该要求完全符合法律赋予其的督察权力。早在20世纪20年代，因蒂波特山油田丑闻一事中严重的腐败问题，美国法律就已明确规定，众议院或参议院主席有权要求财政部长提供相关税务记录。

　　It was the first such demand for a sitting president’s tax information in 45 years and Neal cited a little known IRS code based on a history lesson of the Teapot Dome scandal and its aftermath which requires that "the secretary shall furnish such committee with any return or return information specified in such request". The Teapot Dome scandal involved the leasing of oil fields by Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall and alleged bribery under the Harding administration in the 1920s.

　　A bargain between the two parties

　　两党之间的讨价还价

　　然而，在周三回应尼尔的一封公开信中，美国财长姆努钦表示该法律不能“用于攻击或以难堪另一个政党的政治人物为目的”，并表达了其对尼尔“滥用职权”的担忧。

　　In his letter, Mnuchin cited concerns over “an abuse of authority” and wrote that the law cited in Neal’s request could not be used “for purposes of embarrassing or attacking political figures of another party”.

　　在信中，姆努钦强调自己将亲自监督财政部对这一请求的处理，并正在征询司法部的意见，为了”保护每一个美国人免受出于政治动机而披露个人税务信息的影响。”

　　Highlighting what he called the "unprecedented nature of this request," Mnuchin said that he would be overseeing the Treasury's handling of the request and that the Department of Justice was being consulted to protect all American taxpayers from the potential implications of the request.

　　对此，参议院财政委员会民主党领袖、俄勒冈州参议员罗恩·怀登称，财长姆努钦的参与是“政治干预的表现”，并补充说，“如果姆努钦拒绝提供总统的纳税申报单，他将触犯法律。”

　　The top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, on Wednesday called Mnuchin's involvement "a sign of political interference," adding that "if Secretary Mnuchin does not provide the president's tax returns, he will break the law."

　　Photo:Getty image)

　　尼尔表示目前正在与律师沟通寻求下一步解决方案。

　　Neal said Wednesday that he would discuss the proper response with counsel since the Treasury Department "has decided not to allow the IRS to comply with my request by the April 10 deadline."

　　与此同时，特朗普10日在白宫表示，自己的资产报表正在接受审计，在此期间不会公布自己的纳税申报单。

　　“我很愿意给他们，但在审计期间没有义务公布这些信息”，特朗普强调。

　　他表示自己曾于大选期间公布了一份财务报表，内容包括从2015年初起的资产、收入和债务估算额。

　　Trump continued late Wednesday to hold the line on refusing to release his tax returns. Trump has said that he's been under audit since before the election. "I would love to give them, but I’m not going to do it while I’m under audit,” Trump told reporters as he departed the White House for a trip to Texas, noting that he has released a 104-page summary of his assets and values when he won the election in 2016.

　　美媒《国会山报》援引美国国税局的消息称，国税局对总统的审计工作并不妨碍其公布自己的税务信息。另外，国税局确有一项内部政策用于审计现任总统。

　　According to the Hills, the IRS has said that audits don’t prevent individuals from releasing their own tax information, and the agency has an internal policy to audit the sitting president.

　　华盛顿邮报称，特朗普是40多年来第一位拒绝公开报税记录的美国总统。

　　尽管法律没有明文规定，但数十年来，美国总统和总统候选人都会自愿公开他们的报税表。CNN指出，前总统奥巴马和小布什都曾在任期内公开自己的纳税记录。（但他们都没有像特朗普那样曾领导着一个庞大的商业帝国——特朗普此前的商业活动涉及约500家企业。 ）

　　The Washington Post said Trump was the first president in over 40 years to decline releasing his tax returns to the American public.

　　The past US presidents voluntarily released their tax returns while in office. Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush both did during their tenure. (But neither of them led a sprawling business empire like Trump, who is involved in approximately 500 corporate entities.)

　　此前，美国白宫代理幕僚长米克·马尔瓦尼在接受福克斯新闻台采访也曾表示，民主党永远也别想得到特朗普的纳税申报单。

　　Democrats in Congress will “never” see Donald Trump’s tax returns, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said on Sunday.

　　Photo:Fox News)

　　“他们连相关文件也不应该拿到。这是一个在大选中就引起争议的问题，选民知道总统不会上交纳税申报单但还是选择了他，这才是让民主党作出如此疯狂举动的原因!”，并指责民主党人的要求是一个“政治噱头”。

　　Trump broke with precedent but not law when he chose not to release any tax returns while he was a candidate, though portions of some returns were leaked to media outlets. On Sunday, Mulvaney insisted the issue was “already litigated during the election” and the American people “elected him anyway”.

　　白宫和共和党指责民主党此举是对总统的另一场“政治迫害”，是在试图将税务问题政治化。

　　Concerning this, the White House said that Democratic efforts to obtain Trump’s tax records are “political games.” Republicans have denounced it as a political witch hunt and invoked privacy concerns.

　　姆努钦上个月也曾表示，无论国会议员是否试图要求公开特朗普的纳税申报单，他都将保护总统的隐私。

　　Mnuchin suggested in March that he would protect Trump’s privacy if he receives a request from House Democrats for Trump’s tax returns, AP reported.

　　2017年1月，30万美国公民在白宫网站上签署了一份在线请愿书，要求特朗普公开纳税申报单，然而被特朗普以“缺乏兴趣”为由而拒绝。

　　2017年4月15日，美国各大城市爆发相关示威活动。

　　After 300,000 American citizens signed an online petition on WhiteHouse.gov in January 2017, Trump spokesperson Kellyanne Conway announced Trump would not release his tax returns due to lack of interest. A series of demonstrations broke out in more than 150 locations throughout the US on April 15, 2017, a move to pressure Trump to release his tax returns.

　　Photo:ibitimes)

　　在华盛顿，数以千计的各年龄层示威者聚集在国会大楼前参加这场“税务游行”(Tax March)，高举着“他在隐藏什么?”和“真男人会缴税”的牌子。这场税务大游行还有一个非官方的吉祥物：一只“形似”特朗普的充气公鸡。

　　The protests, with signs reading "What is he hiding" were a response to the perceived lack of transparency in the Trump administration, and the fact that President Trump still had not released his tax returns by that date, contrary to his promise that he would during his campaign.

　　According to the New York Times, they also have an unofficial mascot: a giant inflatable rooster known colloquially as “Trump chicken.”

　　Photo:CNN)

　　在宣布参加总统竞选的一年多前，特朗普对一家爱尔兰电视台说，如果他参加竞选，他“绝对”会公布他的纳税申报单。

　　“如果我决定竞选公职，我绝对会提交我的纳税申报单”， 他说， “我很乐意这么做。”

　　MAY 20, 2014:

　　More than a year before he announced his presidential campaign, Trump told an Irish television station that he would "absolutely" release his tax returns if he entered the race.

　　"If I decide to run for office, I'll produce my tax returns, absolutely," he said. "And I would love to do that."

　　2015年，在接受美国广播公司乔治·斯特凡诺普洛斯采访时，特朗普表示正在考虑公布自己的纳税申报单。

　　OCTOBER 4, 2015

　　Trump said in an interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos that he was considering releasing his tax returns.

　　白宫时任新闻秘书斯派塞于2017年四月曾表示，特朗普的纳税申报单仍在审计中。

　　“这和竞选期间讨论过的事情是一样的，总统正在接受审计。这是一个持续的例行公事，”斯派塞说。当被问及是否可以假设特朗普将永远不会公布他的申报单时，斯派塞说，特朗普会“回头再告诉你”。

　　APRIL 17, 2017:

　　Spicer, the White House press secretary, says Trump's tax returns are still under audit.Asked in a later exchange if we can assume Trump will never release his returns, Spicer said he would "get back to you on that."

　　File photo of Spicer)

　　值得一提的是，4月15日是美国每年的报税截止日期。在此之前，“纳税门”是否会有新的进展呢，让我们拭目以待。

　　As April 15 marks the annual Tax Day in the US, Trump's further actions on tax returns have attracted great attention.

　　Sources：CNN, The Guardian, 环球网

　　Compiled by Shan Xin