Who Leaked Trump Tax Returns? President Doesn't Know How It Happened

Amid speculation that Donald Trump leaked his 2005 tax returns, the president said Wednesday he has “no idea” how investigative journalist David Cay Johnston got hold of the document. On Tuesday night, Johnston shared the tax returns document with MSNBC host Rachel Maddow, who, in turn, made the details public on her show.

Trump made the clarification in an interview on Fox News’ show “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” He called the publishing of the tax records illegal.

Read: Do Trump's Tax Returns Tie Him To Russia?

“I have no idea where they got it, but it’s illegal and they’re not supposed to have it and it’s not supposed to be leaked and it’s certainly not an embarrassing tax return at all,” Trump said in the interview. “But it’s an illegal thing they’ve been doing it, they’ve done it before and I think it’s a disgrace.”

Maddow, on her eponymous TV show, revealed that Trump's income in 2005 was over $150 million, for which he paid $38 million in taxes. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Johnston maintained he got the documents from an unknown source.

“It came in the mail over the transom,” Johnston told Maddow on her show. “There is absolutely nothing improper about journalists — if you haven't solicited something — getting it over the transom.”

However, he also said the president has a history of leaking documents and may have done the same for the tax returns.

“Let me point out, it's entirely possible that Donald sent this to me. Donald Trump has, over the years, leaked all sorts of things. Donald has a long history of leaking material about himself when he thinks it’s in his interest,” he said.

On Wednesday, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough tweeted that it was "painfully obvious" that Trump was behind the leaks “to distract from Russia hearings and the Trumpcare meltdown.”

The revelation of Trump’s tax returns has sparked dispute over the legality of MSNBC’s move. The cable network, however, defended the actions citing First Amendment privilege.

Earlier in the day, Trump questioned the veracity of Johnston's account.

The development came as Trump declined to release his tax returns throughout his presidential campaign. He reportedly became the first president in 40 years to refuse to do so.