Trump's 'Corruption Pandora' Box Opens

Federal Supreme Court Orders "Submission of Tax Refund Documents to Prosecution"

Former U.S. President Donald Trump [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Former U.S. President Donald Trump faced a major crisis just one month after leaving office. The Pandora's box, which he had refused to open and resisted, was finally opened as the Supreme Court sided with the New York prosecutors investigating the Trump family.

On the 22nd (local time), according to The Washington Post, CNN, and others, the Supreme Court ordered former President Trump to submit tax refund documents related to tax evasion charges to the prosecutors. This ruling is expected to accelerate the New York prosecutors' investigation. However, under grand jury confidentiality rules, the documents will not be made public.

Trump, a real estate businessman, has faced tax evasion allegations throughout his term. Considering that previous U.S. presidents disclosed their tax payments, his refusal to release tax returns during his tenure remains suspicious.

Controversy intensified about a month before last year's presidential election when it was revealed that he had paid no income tax for 10 out of the 15 years before taking office. According to The New York Times, which obtained and reported on Trump's tax records, he received $72.9 million in refunds out of $95 million paid in taxes over the past 18 years. He reportedly evaded taxes by reporting losses greater than his income.

In 2016, when he ran for president, and in 2017, his first year in office, his annual income tax payments were only $750 each year. At the time, then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released an advertisement stating, "While an elementary school teacher pays $7,239, a firefighter pays $5,283, and a nurse pays $10,216 in annual income tax, Trump pays only $750."

Currently, New York prosecutors are investigating the Trump family's real estate and tax-related financial transactions. Cyrus Vance, Manhattan District Attorney, tweeted immediately after the ruling, "The investigation will continue." According to CNN, New York prosecutors will soon gain access to the documents. The Wall Street Journal stated, "If false information was provided on tax returns or loan documents, penalties may be imposed under New York law."

Former President Trump immediately pushed back, calling it "the greatest political witch hunt in history." In a statement released that day, he claimed, "This has never happened to any previous president" and argued that it was "the result of complete influence from the Democratic stronghold of New York City and state."