Journalist who published Donald Trump's 2005 tax returns says he and his family have received threats

Telegraph - The journalist who obtained the 2005 tax returns of Donald Trump says he and his family have received threats after the publication of the documents.

David Cay Johnston, who runs a website called DCReport.org and won a Pulitzer Price for his work exposing loopholes in the US tax code, appeared on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow’s show to discuss the president's business dealings.

He said the return was mailed anonymously, and unsolicited, to him. Mr Johnston speculated on the show the documents could have been mailed from Mr Trump, a known leaker of information, or his associates since they appeared to paint the president in a favourable light.

    Reporter David Cay Johnston tells @Maddow President Trump may have leaked his own tax returns https://t.co/AbXKMm0j5G pic.twitter.com/HGZqlicwt1
    — Variety (@Variety) March 15, 2017

Hours after the programme aired, the journalist said on Twitter that he and his family had been harassed over the story.

"Trump fans call and harass my wife and one of my children after I break story White House confirmed. Sad! Let's have open debate, not threats," he said.

"To be clear, folks, I don't intimidate. But calls to family are out of bounds, a disturbing sign of how Trump damages civil debate."

It is not the first time people who have criticised the president have been target of threats and abuse. A number of other reporters, including Politico’s Hadas Gold, have previously received threats and anti-Semitic messages from self-described Trump supporters

And in October 2015, Lauren Batchelder, then an 18-year-old college student, said she received abuse after challenging Mr Trump about his attitude to women.

After Mr Trump hit back on Twitter, accusing the Jeb Bush campaign of planting her, Ms Batchelder told the Washington Post she began getting threatening, sexually explicit calls, voicemails, emails, and Facebook messages.