WATCH Chris Cuomo dismantle a GOP congressman who says Trump has every right to keep his tax returns hidden

CNN host Chris Cuomo easily destroyed the bogus defense of President Donald Trump’s refusal to hand over his tax returns to Congress offered by Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) Wednesday evening, expertly pointing out that the president is again in violation of the law.

The debate began when Cuomo asked Duffy:

“Why not just give over the taxes? The law is pretty clear. They stated the purpose. That is all in the IRS manual. Just give them over.”

Duffy, however, tried to assert that the move by some in Congress to get Trump’s taxes was purely political:

“There has to be a legitimate legislative purpose, and to harass the president is not a legislative purpose that I think falls under that category.”

But Cuomo was having none of Duffy’s prevarication, noting:

“That is an opinion, it is not in the law, and in the IRS manual it lays out how you’re supposed to deal with requests from Congress, and there is nothing about some ancillary analysis about whether you like their reason. They gave you a reason, they have the power, you’ve got to give it over. This is dangerous stuff for you, Sean.”

Instead of responding, Duffy tried to shift the debate:

“It’ll go to the courts. We’ll let the third branch decide whether those records have to be disclosed or not.”

Later in the discussion, Duffy even tried to suggest that the 1924 law giving the chairmen of the House and Senate Ways and Means committees the right to see any American’s tax returns doesn’t apply to Trump:

“Let’s stop moving the goalpost. Let’s abide by the law. The president is not required to disclose his taxes, he does a summary, he did that. And on the last show you said Bob Mueller is the gold standard, whatever he said we have to abide by.”

Here’s the larger question: Why is Donald Trump afraid to let Congress see his tax returns? If his finances are all legal and above board the way he insists, shouldn’t he be eager to release the documents that prove his innocence? What is he trying to hide?

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