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A Solid, Spectacular Theory on Who May Have Leaked Donald Trump's Tax Returns

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 3, 2016 |

By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 3, 2016 |

A few weeks ago, I began asking myself why Marla Maples has been silent on the subject of her ex-husband during the election year. What does she think of Trump, I wondered? I began to look around, and I noticed that she was curiously silent on the issue of her ex-husband, even after her daughter, Tiffany, appeared at the Republican National Convention.

It only took a minute to discover why Maples has probably been quiet. Back in 2000, after he divorce from Donald Trump, Marla Maples signed a book deal to publish All That Glitters Is Not Gold, a publication that promised ”the story behind the headlines” and a ”remarkably candid memoir” that would include ”the pain of loving a man whose greatest passion was the empire he built.”

That memoir, however, was never released. ReganBooks had put the book on publication schedule, but months before its scheduled release, it was cancelled “by mutual consent.” Maples’ agent would not say why it was cancelled, but according to the NYTimes, Donald Trump was “not unhappy” about its cancellation. ”She signed a confidentiality agreement,’ as part of her divorce agreement, he told the Times.

Obviously, we don’t know what was in that confidentiality agreement, but I did find an interview with Maples where she said that Trump — though he wasn’t around much — had been a good parent to her daughter, Tiffany, financially. He was supporting Tiffany. In other words, speaking out about Trump would not only put Maples at risk of a lawsuit, it might put Tiffany’s financial security at risk. That’s not something Maples would ever want to do. If you read Marla Maples’ Twitter account, you’ll notice two things immediately: 1) She never talks about Trump, and 2) she adores her daughter, Tiffany.

Meanwhile, how serious is Trump about that confidentiality agreement? Well, back in 1999, when Trump first floated the idea of running for President, Maples was quoted in the London Telegraph as saying:

“If he is really serious about being president and runs in the general election next year, I will not be silent. I will feel it is my duty as an American citizen to tell the people what he is really like.”

Trump was not happy with Maples for the comment. He attacked her in the media in an attempt to discredit her, and he withheld his $1.5 million alimony payment. Maples had to take Trump back to court to get a judge to compel him to pay the $1.5 million payment. The judge agreed, noting that the statement to the London Telegraph didn’t actually reveal any marital secrets.

But Maples learned her lesson, so to speak, about speaking out against Trump. She understood that her ex-husband was a petty, vindictive little man who would smear and discredit her in the media if she dared speak against him. She hasn’t since made a public statement either for or against his campaign, although a few weeks ago, Maples did drop this curious tweet:

Then, over the weekend, the NYTimes reported on the 1995 Donald Trump tax return they received anonymously. Who could have sent that? I saw a lot of folks in our comments section suggest it was a scorned clerical employee, which is certainly possible. But could it have been the other signatory on that 1995 tax return — someone who once thought it was her “duty” to speak out on her ex-husband’s Presidential run — who released the tax doc? It would be the ultimate revenge, would it not?

Who knows? All I know is that Marla Maples was breathing a sigh of relief yesterday, happy to begin the rest of her life. The fact that these pumpkins share the same color as Donald Trump’s skin, I’m sure, is mere coincidence.

But, you know, it’s just a theory.