FRESNO (KMJ) – President Trump will have to release his tax returns to appear on California’s 2020 ballot that’s only if a new law holds up in court.
A law requiring that presidential candidates release their tax returns in order to be placed on the California ballot was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.
KMJ legal analyst Mark Kapetan says it won’t hold up if challenged in court.
“The laws regarding who can run and who cannot run have been set out by the constitution from the very beginning,” Kapetan said.
The law was so controversial that former Governor Jerry Brown — who declined to release his own tax returns — vetoed it in 2017 — warning that it might not be constitutional.
“I believe that they do have to file a lawsuit to preserve the fairness of the election process,” Kapetan said.
This latest measure requires that presidential candidates file the last five years of tax returns with the secretary of state — to be listed on the primary ballot.
