Palm Springs one of many sites for nationwide Trump tax return protest Saturday
Saturday protesters across the United States, including here in the Coachella Valley, plan to demand that President Trump release his most recent tax returns to the public.
The Valley is no stranger to Trump demonstrations, there have been numerous for and against the president since November.
This most recent demonstration is in coordination with TaxMarch.org which will be marching in Washington DC to tell Trump to release his tax returns.
“We march to demand that the president release his returns, as he has repeatedly promised, but failed, to do,” the Tax March website reads. “We march because it is in the best interest of the American people to know what financial entanglements and conflicts of interest our leaders have.”
Trump has said that Americans “don’t care at all” about his tax returns, but polls show 74% of Americans say he should release them. Many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have also called on him to make them public. And a petition demanding that Trump release his returns has garnered more than 1 million signatures.
Locally, the goal of this demonstration is not only to get Trump to release his tax returns but to support the Ethics Package sponsored by Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz. There will be a petition for participants to sign supporting HR’s 838, 839, & 840. Pledge cards for Dr. Ruiz will also be available.
HR 838 seeks to “amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit a candidate for election for Federal office from using amounts contributed to the candidate’s campaign to make payments to vendors owned or controlled by the candidate or by an immediate family member of the candidate.”
HR 839: “prevents the enrichment of certain Government officers and employees or their families through Federal funds or contracting, and for other purposes.”
HR 840 is the Public Service Transparency Act, which seeks to amend the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to require the President, Vice President, and Cabinet-level officers to release their tax returns, and for other purposes.
The organizers of Saturday’s marches say there are more than 180 planned across 48 states and the District of Columbia.
The local march will be at the IRS building on 556 South Paseo Dorotea in Palm Springs from 1 PM – 2 PM.
