Two Republicans join Democratic campaign to force Trump to release his taxes

Two Republican lawmakers have joined House Democrats in a campaign to try to compel President Donald Trump to release his tax returns.

The Hill reports that Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) and Mark Sanford (R-SC) have signed a letter that urges the chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee to compel the United States Treasury Department to release Trump's tax returns for congressional review.

"Disclosure would serve the public interest of clarifying President Trump's conflicts of interest in office, the potential for him to personally benefit from tax reform, and ensure that he is not receiving any preferential treatment from the IRS," the letter states. "We believe the powerful and respected Committees on Finance and Ways and Means have the responsibility to ensure oversight of the executive branch by requesting a review of President Trump's tax returns and moving toward a formal release of these documents to the public"

In addition to the two Republican lawmakers, the letter was signed by the vast majority of the Democrats' 193-member House Caucus.

President Trump broke decades' worth of precedent in 2016 by becoming the first major party nominee since the 1970s who refused to release his tax returns to the public.

While this didn't harm his effort to get elected to the Oval Office, the contents of Trump's tax returns have taken on new life in the wake of multiple scandals that have erupted since his inauguration about his contacts and possible involvement with the Russian government.