IRS plans to keep Trump’s tax returns in a safe

The outgoing commissioner of the IRS says the agency is planning to move President Trump’s tax returns to a new safe from their previous locked filing cabinet.

In an interview with Politico, John Koskinen said he’s never seen Trump’s tax returns and said the agency is in the process of moving them.

“It’s in a locked cabinet in a locked room that nobody’s in. You’ll need a key to the room and the cabinet to get it,” Koskinen told the magazine. “We’re in the process of turning that cabinet into a safe. We keep all the returns from every president in there.”

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Koskinen also said he can’t say whether Trump’s taxes are being audited, telling Politico “you’ll have to go with whatever [Trump] says” and saying nobody at the agency has the ability to see Trump’s returns.

“Nobody can, unless you’re authorized for the process of examination. I couldn’t look at my own return. Anyone who looks at anyone’s return is subject to termination,” he told Politico.

Trump became the first presidential candidate in decades to not disclose his tax returns. He said during the 2016 presidential race that he wouldn’t release them because of an IRS audit, but the IRS has said that audits don’t prevent people from releasing their own tax information.

In a May interview with The Economist, Trump hinted that he may not release his tax returns until he leaves office.

“I doubt it,” Trump said when asked whether he would release his tax returns as part of a deal with Democrats over tax reform. “Nobody cares about my tax return except for the reporters.”

House Democrats have attempted to pass measures to obtain Trump’s tax returns, but those measures have been defeated by Republicans.

Koskinen, who was appointed by former President Obama, saw his term as IRS commissioner end on Nov. 12. He was often the target of Republican lawmakers during his time at the helm of the IRS after the agency faced backlash over heightened scrutiny targeting conservative groups.