Ted Cruz Speculates Donald Trump's Taxes Could Show Mafia Ties
Texas senator accuses Trump of having a "bombshell" in his tax returns.
— -- Texas Sen. Ted Cruz speculated Donald Trump doesn't want to disclose his tax filings because he may have business ties to the mafia and donated to left-leaning organizations like Planned Parenthood.
"There have been multiple media reports about Donald's business dealings with the mob, with the mafia," Cruz said Sunday on ABC's "This Week." "Maybe his tax returns show that those business dealings are a lot more extensive than reported. We don't know."
Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio released summary pages of their recent tax filings Saturday. Trump has said he will release the filings once the IRS finishes auditing his returns.
Cruz pointed to S&A Concrete, which built Trump Tower, and other media reports linking the billionaire businessman to the mafia.
"You guys have reported that he's done deals with S&A Concrete, which was owned by two of the big crime families in New York and that he's had involvement in Atlantic City," Cruz said. "Maybe that's what his tax returns show. We don't know."
The Trump campaign has not yet responded to a request for comment.
An ABC News investigation found Trump claimed to not know Felix Sater, a twice-convicted Russian émigré who served prison time and had documented mafia connections, while testifying in video deposition for a civil lawsuit two years ago. Sater had played a role in a number of high-profile Trump-branded projects across the country.
Cruz added conservatives should unite behind him if they don't want Hillary Clinton in the White House.
"In the general election, Hillary Clinton is going to shine a light on all of this and Republican primary voters deserve to know,” Cruz said.