House hopefuls draw on Trump's refusal to reveal tax returns

By Ahmed Namatalla Associated Press

Saturday, May 26, 2018 10:05 AM

SEATTLE (AP) President Donald Trump's unwillingness to release his tax returns has some House hopefuls debating whether elected federal office holders should be expected to reveal the documents.

Candidates and incumbents in House races in Colorado, New York and Washington are among the few who've disclosed tax returns in an effort to show transparency and sway voters ahead of the midterm elections.

One Democratic House candidate, Eddie Sundquist of New York, aims to draft a law that would require all candidates for Congress to release five years of tax returns.

Almost half of sitting lawmakers have called on Trump to disclose the documents, but just 1 out of every 10 have released their own, according to data compiled by Roll Call last year.

House hopefuls draw on Trump's refusal to reveal tax returns

In this May 6, 2018 photo, Democratic congressional candidate Lisa Brown, center, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., greets walkers at the Lilac Bloomsday Run in Spokane, Wash. President Donald Trump's unwillingness to release his tax returns is helping renew a debate on whether the practice should be expected of elected federal office holders ahead of this year's midterms, and in April, 2018, McMorris Rodgers released her returns for the first time since winning the House seat in 2004. (Dan Pelle/The Spokesman-Review via AP)

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In this Jan. 21, 2018, photo, Democratic congressional candidate Lisa Brown speaks after the 2018 Spokane Women's March in Spokane, Wash. President Donald Trump's unwillingness to release his tax returns is helping renew a debate on whether the practice should be expected of elected federal office holders ahead of this year's midterms, and in April, 2018, McMorris Rodgers released her returns for the first time since winning the House seat in 2004. (Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review via AP)

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FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2018 file photo, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., left, watches as President Donald Trump greets Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., right, at the 2018 House and Senate Republican Member Conference, in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Trump's unwillingness to release his tax returns is helping renew a debate on whether the practice should be expected of elected federal office holders ahead of this year's midterms, and in April, 2018, in Washington state's 5th District, McMorris Rodgers, the incumbent who is being challenged by Democrat Lisa Brown, released her returns for the first time since winning the House seat in 2004. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, file)

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FILE - In this March 17, 2017 file photo, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington. President Donald Trump's unwillingness to release his tax returns is helping renew a debate on whether the practice should be expected of elected federal office holders ahead of this year's midterms, and in April, 2018, in Washington state's 5th District, McMorris Rodgers, the incumbent who is being challenged by Democrat Lisa Brown, released her returns for the first time since winning the House seat in 2004. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, file)

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FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2017 file photo, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., speaks during a news conference at the Republican congressional retreat in Philadelphia. President Donald Trump's unwillingness to release his tax returns is helping renew a debate on whether the practice should be expected of elected federal office holders ahead of this year's midterms. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, file)

The Associated Press

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2018 file photo, Democratic U.S. House candidate Lisa Brown poses for a photo in her campaign office in Spokane, Wash. President Donald Trump's unwillingness to release his tax returns is helping renew a debate on whether the practice should be expected of elected federal office holders ahead of this year's midterms, and in April, 2018, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., who is being challenged by Brown, released her returns for the first time since winning the House seat in 2004. (AP Photo/Nicholas K. Geranios, file)

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