Donald Trump said during Thursday’s GOP debate in Houston that the reason he is not releasing his tax returns yet is because he’s being audited at the moment.
“I’ve been audited every year, 12 years or something like that,” Trump said. “Every year they audit me, audit me, audit me. I have friends that are very wealthy people. I will absolutely give my return but I’m being audited now for two or three now so I can’t do it until the audit is finished obviously, and I think people would understand that.”
Hugh Hewitt reminded Trump that during a radio interview with him, Trump promised to turn over his tax returns.
“Are you going back on your commitment?” Hewitt asked.
Trump just put down Hewitt’s show.
“First of all, very few people listen to your radio show,” Trump said. “Look, let me just tell you something. I want to release my tax returns but I can’t release it while I’m under an audit. We’re under a routine audit. Obviously if I’m being audited, I’m not going to release the return. As soon as the audit is done, I love it.”
Ted Cruz (R-TX) charged that Trump was hiding something or he would have released them.
“Donald says he’s being audited. Well, I would think that would underscore the need to release those returns. If he has said something that is false and that an audit is going to find is fraudulent, the voters need to know,” Cruz said.
Former Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney–who has been harassing Trump to release his tax returns–weighed in that Trump could still turn over the returns.
No legit reason @realDonaldTrump can’t release returns while being audited, but if scared, release earlier returns no longer under audit.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 26, 2016
