California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a law, certain to be challenged in court, barring Donald Trump from the state's ballot unless he makes his tax returns public.
The L.A. Times reports: “The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on his final day to take action and passed on a strict party-line vote in the Legislature, requires all presidential candidates to submit five years of income tax filings. They must do so by late November in order to secure a spot on California's presidential primary ballot in March. State elections officials will post the financial documents online, although certain private information must first be redacted.”
Said Newsom in a statement: “As one of the largest economies in the world and home to one in nine Americans eligible to vote, California has a special responsibility to require this information of presidential and gubernatorial candidates. These are extraordinary times and states have a legal and moral duty to do everything in their power to ensure leaders seeking the highest offices meet minimal standards, and to restore public confidence. The disclosure required by this bill will shed light on conflicts of interest, self-dealing, or influence from domestic and foreign business interest.”
