Washington (CNN) If legendary journalist Carl Bernstein could impart one message to the investigative reporters covering President Donald Trump, it would be: Follow the money. "What we really need to look at right now are the conflicts of interest," Bernstein told David Axelrod on "The Axe Files," a podcast from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN, remarking on the opacity of Trump's vast international business holdings. One place to begin digging, Bernstein proposes, is around Trump's attempted dealings in Russia and the surrounding region. Additional scrutiny should be given there, he argues, in light of Trump's welcoming gestures to President Vladimir Putin and his timidity to support the US intelligence community's assessment that the Russians interfered with the US presidential election."We have no idea what Trump's businesses, associations, loans are in greater Russia," he said"We need to know all of your holdings," he said
Since then, a senior _ official confirmed that the President will not release his personal tax returns -- documents that likely would provide needed clarity on his finances.