# A Perfectly Reasonable Amount of Schadenfreude about Things Happening to Trump & His Enablers (Part 1) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 14, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537 "2020-11-14T00:09:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 411
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8207 "2022-12-21T04:24:07Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > But the Congressional committee releasing them to the general public is a different thing. That’s why I didn’t say that this was definitively settled. But I don’t know who he’s going to appeal to in order to stop it. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8208 "2022-12-21T04:27:51Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > I’d think the separation of powers would prohibit the SC from dictating what the Legislative Branch can and cannot release from their investigations, particularly in the absence of a specific law prohibiting it. The SC has no problem telling the Executive branch what to do or not do under various circumstances. I don’t see why the Legislative branch is exceptional. There’s no law prohibiting Congress about keeping the returns private, but the returns were submitted to the IRS and there _is_ a law about what they can release. So it could be argued that that restriction should be extended to any other part of the Federal government that legally acquires access. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8209 "2022-12-21T05:57:36Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > Now that it appears that the Department of the Treasury has some questions to answer about the required Presidential Audits that seem not to have been performed, as required, Who exactly was in charge of this facet at the Dept of the Treasury, and what sort of legal or professional peril could they be in for not actually doing their job? I’d love to see some followup on this one… ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8210 "2022-12-21T06:57:01Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > There’s no law prohibiting Congress about keeping the returns private, but the returns were submitted to the IRS and there _is_ a law about what they can release. So it could be argued that that restriction should be extended to any other part of the Federal government that legally acquires access. Is Congress part of the Federal government? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8211 "2022-12-21T07:11:27Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Is Congress part of the Federal government? Of course it is. I thought of another problem with the committee releasing Trump’s return: the precedent it sets. If the D’s set the precedent of not honoring the confidentiality of the tax return, there could be significant repercussions. For example, when the R’s get control of the committee (which they will in a couple weeks) the chairman could request the returns of any number of people, such as major donors to the Democratic party, and then release them. This is not a desireable consequence. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8212 "2022-12-21T09:16:37Z")
Just to note, there _is_ a law prohibiting the disclosure of tax information. > **[26 U.S. Code § 6103 - Confidentiality and disclosure of returns and return...](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/6103)** However, from my reading of it (I am not a lawyer or other expert in tax law) it is pretty specific in who it applies to. And a member of Congress is not an officer or employee of the US or a specific state. (An employee is someone hired into a job, as I am an employee of Washington State, and an officer is someone appointed like a judge, ambassador, or cabinet member.) Elected officials aren’t subject to this law, nor is anyone else who isn’t an federal or state employee or officer unless they acquired that information _from_ an employee or officer in the course of their duties. So, let’s say a government clerk gets someone’s tax return information from their work and posts it on a web site. They might be in violation. Let’s say that clerk instead gives that to their buddy, or a reporter. If that person publishes the info, they might be in violation. If someone carelessly throws away their tax returns in an overflowing garbage can and someone out for a jog sees it sitting on the sidewalk and picks it up, they can probably do whatever they want with it. And in this case, the SCOTUS said that Congress can have it, likely knowing full well that they can later choose to make it public if they wanted to. So that fight seems to be over. Again, IANAL, but that explains why there is no huge outcry (from anyone credible at least) over this being illegal. It just ain’t. > [@dtilque](#): > > I thought of another problem with the committee releasing Trump’s return: the precedent it sets. The bad precedent that was set was Trump doing away with longstanding tradition and not volunteering his tax returns like his predecessors. I think that making this public helps restore a **good** precedent. You’re looking at this backward. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8213 "2022-12-21T09:24:52Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > This is not a desireable consequence. This is “avoid pissing off the abusive bully” logic. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8214 "2022-12-21T09:32:28Z")
Precisely. Trump’s original refusal to do what even Nixon would do was one of his first attacks on our norms and institutions. Not at all worried about the privacy concerns. If you want your taxes private, don’t fucking run for President. Otherwise, tough titty: to run this country, prove that, at the very least, you don’t cheat it. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8215 "2022-12-21T09:57:12Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > I thought of another problem with the committee releasing Trump’s return: the precedent it sets. If the D’s set the precedent of not honoring the confidentiality of the tax return, there could be significant repercussions. This is at the bottom of the list of problems I am worried about concerning this. If the Republicans thought there was political hay to be made attacking tax returns of Democrats or those to contribute to Democrats, they would make it, regardless of precedent. That isn’t what stops them. What stops them is the saying, “those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Besides, if there is anything illegal there, I think it should be investigated, regardless. If Pelosi’s taxes are crooked, let’s look at them. I strongly suspect the Republicans would lose that game. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8216 "2022-12-21T10:20:00Z")
If this leads to weaponized tax leaking going forward, that doesn’t sound bad to me. Public servants should be subject to this kind of scrutiny. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8217 "2022-12-21T11:38:06Z")
IIRC, TFG promised to hand over the returns but reneged on that promise like he did with so many other promises. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8218 "2022-12-21T14:16:39Z")
Correct. But he couldn’t because they were under IRS audit. Of course it was BS, the IRS had no such restriction and said so. The conman said it was so and the rubes believed it because the IRS is the jackbooted arm of the gooberment and stamps out Freeeedumb!!! ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8219 "2022-12-21T14:30:15Z")
At least he _said_ they were under audit. But now it turns out that was also a lie, regardless of IRS restrictions either way. It’s always a fractal lie with these schmucks. No matter how finely or coarsely you look at the details, there’s just another layer of lies. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8220 "2022-12-21T14:49:44Z")
> [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](#): > > Of course, there is no unenumerated right to privacy that can be applied from the Constitution. ISWYDT ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8221 "2022-12-21T15:25:46Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > At least he _said_ they were under audit. But now it turns out that was also a lie, regardless of IRS restrictions either way. > > It’s always a fractal lie with these schmucks. No matter how finely or coarsely you look at the details, there’s just another layer of lies. It’s lies all the way down. And now this, about a MAGAhead newly elected to Congress: [https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/20/politics/nassau-county-republicans-george-santos/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/20/politics/nassau-county-republicans-george-santos/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2022, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8222 "2022-12-21T18:25:50Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > fractal lie Great observation! ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8223 "2022-12-22T01:12:31Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Not at all worried about the privacy concerns. If you want your taxes private, don’t fucking run for President. Otherwise, tough titty: to run this country, prove that, at the very least, you don’t cheat it. Yep. This needs to be part of the U.S. Code. (Well, maybe not the “tough titty” phrasing, but…something equivalent.) This MAGA Republican drive to make tax avoidance, or even actual cheating, into a virtue, must be stopped. Of course the Murdochs are working to promote the ‘it’s totally cool to avoid contributing to the nation that makes your wealth possible’ point of view: [https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1605586432256487425](https://twitter.com/atrupar/status/1605586432256487425) The admiration for Trump’s lack-of-contribution just jumps off that FoxNews graphic. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8224 "2022-12-22T02:03:44Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > He’s out of runway If only our loser army had manned the air better, rammed the ramparts with more rams, and taken over more airports, then, maybe, there’d be enough for Trump… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8225 "2022-12-22T14:11:12Z")
Another loss in court for him: > **[Judge rejects Trump's attempt to block NY attorney general from accessing his...](https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/21/politics/trump-private-trust-records/index.html)** > > A federal judge in Florida on Wednesday denied former President Donald Trump's request to block the New York attorney general's office from seeking materials from his private trust. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2022, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537/8226 "2022-12-23T06:24:57Z")
I posted this in the Fox are liars thread, but I think it also belongs here. > **[Fox News' Sean Hannity says he knew all along Trump lost the election](https://www.npr.org/2022/12/22/1144926308/fox-news-sean-hannity-dominion-lawsuit-trump)** > > "I did not believe it for one second," Hannity said under oath about former President Trump's false claims that Dominion Voting Systems cheated him of votes in 2020. Dominion is suing Fox News. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537.md?page=410) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-perfectly-reasonable-amount-of-schadenfreude-about-things-happening-to-trump-his-enablers-part-1/925537.md?page=412)