Dems Take Aim at Tax Returns, Conflicts of Interest in Ethics Proposal

As one of their first big-ticket legislative proposals of the new Congress, House Democrats on Friday will unveil a sweeping anti-corruption, campaign finance and ethics reform package that takes aim at long-simmering concerns about President Donald Trump’s possible conflicts of interest between his actions as president and his family business. The massive proposal, known as “The For the People Act” and designated as “House Resolution 1,” also includes dozens of measures from Democrats on ethics and campaign finance reform, voting rights and election security. It would also require presidential and vice presidential candidates to release 10 years’ of their personal tax returns and require sitting presidents and vice presidents to do the same. “It captures all the things the public has wanted to see over the last few years in terms of seeing their voice matter again in Washington on Capitol Hill,” said Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., the chair of the House Democrats’ Democracy Reform Task Force.