Quote:
Originally Posted by photon
Actual question: if someone broke into Trump Tower and stole Trump's tax returns, would/could the media print the returns? The few pages that were reported a few weeks ago (seems like months ago) were sent anonymously and I seem to recall there being some question as to if that was even ok.
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The NYT felt they were legally secure because of an overwhelming public interest. If Trump was not a candidate, they would be in violaton of the law.
The taxes were also leaked to multpile sources, and the press is permitted to report on publicly available information (like leaked emails).
These are legally unclear answers; courts tend to defer to the freedom of speech when in doubt though, so (in my amateur opinion) it would be legal.
The leaker, however, if he was a public employee or worked with taxes in a professional capacity, would be in certain violation of the law.