The Treasury Department on Monday said reports of a reduction in average tax refunds in 2019 are “misleading.”
In a tweet, the department said refund amounts have been consistent with 2017 levels and “down slightly” from last year, something it blamed on a small sample size. Continue reading “Treasury calls reports on dip in tax refunds ‘misleading’”
Democrats have a new investigative target: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
The leaders of three powerful House committees are requesting a trove of documents related to the Treasury Department’s decision to lift sanctions on companies tied to Oleg Deripaska, a prominent Russian oligarch linked with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Treasury lifted the sanctions on Deripaska’s United Co. Rusal and two other firms after he agreed to reduce his ownership stake below 50 percent and relinquish control of the firms, according to details of the deal released by the Treasury Department.
View the complete February 1 article by Morgan Chalfant and Olivia Beavers on The Hill website here.
The following article by David Cay Johnston was posted on the DCReport.org website July 31, 2018:
The swamp monster who Donald Trump chose as Treasury secretary has a plan to save the richest of the rich billions and billions in taxes – and without any vote by Congress, either.
Steve Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachser and later California banker who grew rich exploiting the housing crisis, revealed the plan to The New York Times while in Argentina for the G-20 meeting of the world’s richest countries.
The plan would radically increase the concentration of wealth in America, accelerating a trend that will be explained below with some shocking numbers. And it comes as the Trump administration, reneging on campaign promises, is floating proposals to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as well as using subtle means to scuttle the Affordable Care Act.
The following article by Niels Lesniewski was posted on the Roll Call website July 17, 2018:
Monday’s announcement by the Treasury Department that it will no longer collect information about donors to some political nonprofits was met with applause from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, perhaps the leading advocate for unrestricted campaign donations. At the same time, it ignited a campaign finance fight with the midterm elections less than four months away.
“It’s bad enough to wield government power to chill political speech and invite harassment of citizens — based on what an angry mob might assume their opinions are, based on their private financial records,” the Kentucky Republican said on the Senate floor Monday. “It’s even more egregious to pursue that nakedly political goal while calling it ‘good government.’ In this country, good government means protecting citizens’ First Amendment rights to participate in the competition of ideas — not trying to shut down that competition.”
For McConnell, campaign spending is key to his expansive interpretation of the First Amendment. Senate Democrats, led by Finance ranking member Ron Wyden of Oregon, criticized the announcement.
The following article by A.P. Joyce was posted on the mic.com website January 12, 2018:
This week the media was roiled by the revelation that the president of the United States argued against accepting immigrants from what he reportedly called “shithole countries” in Central America, Africa and the Caribbean, arguing instead for more immigrants from countries like Norway.
But as the nation struggled to define what constitutes overt white nationalism, Trump’s cabinet continued to make drastic policy changes that will affect millions of Americans. Here’s what you might have missed. Continue reading “While you weren’t looking: 5 stories from the Trump administration that aren’t about “shitholes””
