White House criticizes New York Times report on Trump's tax schemes

The White House is opposed to a comprehensive investigation released Tuesday by The New York Times that Donald Trump allegedly perpetrated various tax schemes and frauds during the 1990s to reinforce the legacy he would have received from his parents, calling the report a "misleading attack" on the president's family.

"Fred Trump has been away for almost twenty years and he is sad to witness this misleading attack by the Trump family by the bankrupt New York Times," said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary, in a statement, referring to Trump's deceased father – a powerful real estate promoter and housing mogul in New York.

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"Several decades ago, the IRS reviewed and approved these transactions," Sanders said. "The credibility of the New York Times and other media vis-à-vis the American people is at its lowest level, as they are thirsty to attack the president and his family 24 hours a day instead of reporting information" .

The president's spokeswoman then pointed to various economic achievements she said she made in her administration, noting that The Times "can rarely find anything positive about the president and his formidable record."

Sanders added: "Perhaps another New York Times excuse, like the one they had to publish after the 2016 election, which is so embarrassing, is acceptable."

The Times' investigation – based on thousands of documents obtained by the newspaper, including more than 200 tax returns filed by Fred Trump – indicates that Donald Trump has received at least $ 413 million from his father and that Trump and his siblings helped their parents avoid taxes by creating a "fake society", taking inappropriate tax deductions, undervaluing their real estate holdings and taking other dubious measures.

The president has repeatedly called a self-proclaimed billionaire who borrowed only one million dollars from his father and who repaid him "with interest."

Democrats have seized the Times report, using it to attack Republican economic policies and to reiterate calls for Trump's tax returns.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the finance committee's largest Democrat, accused Trump of "rampant fraud" and said Republican politics continued to encourage such activities.

"This Trump tax evasion story is a perfect illustration of how a select few are taking on a heavier burden on middle-class Americans," Wyden wrote on Twitter.

The Times report also relaunched the Democrats' efforts to get the president's tax returns published.

"We need to see Trump's tax returns to find out where the crimes are going," said Representative Bill Pascrell (DN.J.), who has been constantly trying to ensure that the Committee on Ways and Means and the plenary get the return of Trump. , said in a statement. "This presentation by Trump portrays a man whose entire professional life was built on his father's money, his responsibilities, and his" flagrant fraud. "

Trump refused to release any of his returns, breaking with decades of presidential candidates' precedent, claiming he had been audited by the IRS and that this prevented him from disclosing the documents.

A lawyer for the president, Charles J. Harder, said in a statement to the Times that his reports were incorrect.

"The New York Times' allegations of fraud and tax evasion are 100% false and highly defamatory," said Harder. "There was no fraud or tax evasion by anyone. The facts on which the Times bases its false allegations are extremely inaccurate. "