SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: FOR YEARS, WE COULDN’T GET AWAY FROM HEARING ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TAX RETURNS. AND WHY, DESPITE YEARS OF PRECEDENCE, THE FORMER PRESIDENT WOULDN’T RELEASE THEM.

FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: we’re under audit despite what people said we’re working that out, i’m always under audit it seems.

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO: SEEMS NOT.

ACCORDING TO THE LATEST HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE REPORT, THE IRS FAILED TO AUDIT THE PRESIDENT FOR MOST OF HIS TIME IN OFFICE, DESPITE A RULE DATING BACK TO 1977 THAT REQUIRES MANDATORY TAX EXAMINATIONS OF ALL SITTING PRESIDENTS AND VICE PRESIDENTS.

THAT RULE WAS SPURRED BY A WATERGATE-ERA TAX SCANDAL SURROUNDING FORMER PRESIDENT NIXON.

BUT ACCORDING TO THE HOUSE COMMITTEE: ONLY ONE MANDATORY AUDIT STARTED AND NONE WERE COMPLETED DURING TRUMP’S FOUR YEARS IN OFFICE. THE AUTHORS SAYING “CLEARLY, THE MANDATORY AUDIT PROGRAM WAS DORMANT, AT BEST, DURING THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION.”

THERE’S NO SUGGESTION THAT TRUMP TRIED TO INFLUENCE THE IRS IN ANY WAY. IN FACT THE IRS COMMISSIONER THROUGH MOST OF TRUMP’S FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE HAD BEEN APPOINTED BY FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA.

BUT DEMOCRATS TAKING CONTROL OF THE HOUSE AND ITS COMMITTEES IN 2019 SEEMED TO SPARK THE IRS INTO ACTION, AT LEAST FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

THE REPORT STATES THE IRS SENT A LETTER TO TRUMP NOTIFYING HIM THAT HIS 2015 TAX RETURN WOULD BE EXAMINED THE SAME DAY THIS COMMITTEE INQUIRED TO THE IRS ABOUT HIS RETURNS.

BUT ASIDE FROM THE ONE MANDATORY AUDIT SELECTED LATER THAT YEAR, THE REMAINING RETURNS DIDN’T COME UP FOR EXAMINATION UNTIL AFTER TRUMP LEFT OFFICE.

THE IRS HAS NOT YET RESPONDED TO MY REQUEST FOR COMMENT ON THE REPORT.

I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO. IN NEW YORK IT’S JUST BUSINESS.

IRS failed to perform required audits of Trump’s tax returns