Sen. [crscore]Ted Cruz[/crscore] suggested that the reason Donald Trump has not released his tax returns is because they will show ties to the Mafia that are “a lot more extensive than has been reported.”

Appearing on ABC’s “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, Cruz said the fact that Trump is refusing to release his tax returns “really suggests…  there may be a bombshell in there, that there’s something [Trump’s] hiding.”(RELATED: MSNBC’s Chris Matthews Suggests That Trump Pays Off The Mafia To Build In NYC [VIDEO])

Stephanopoulos asked Cruz what he thought about Trump’s claim that he might be targeted by the IRS because he’s a Christian and Cruz said, “I think his statement, nobody who heard it had any reaction other than laughter.” (RELATED: Trump On Being Audited: ‘Maybe Because Of The Fact That I’m A Strong Christian’)

“I’ve released now nine years of taxes,” Cruz said. “Donald Trump has not released any of his tax information. He needs to release his tax information.” (RELATED: Romney: ‘We Have A Good Reason To Believe There’s A Bombshell’ In Trump’s Taxes)

When asked what Trump could be “hiding” in his tax returns, Cruz said, “Well, a lot of media outlets have reported that he doesn’t make nearly as much money as he says he does.”

He then suggested that “Mitt Romney is richer than Donald Trump. We don’t know. But — but he’s clearly hiding something.”

“On the other hand, it could be donations to liberal groups like Planned Parenthood. At every debate, it seems, he praises Planned Parenthood. Maybe he’s written them a bunch of checks.” (RELATED: Trump: ‘Planned Parenthood Does Some Very Good Work’ [VIDEO])

“Or, you know, maybe there are other issues,” Cruz claimed, “[F]or example, there have been multiple media reports about Donald’s business dealings with the mob, with the Mafia. Now maybe his tax returns show that those business dealings are a lot more extensive than has been reported.”

Stephanopoulos interjected, “Business dealings with the Mafia?”

“We don’t know — indeed. ABC has reported that. You guys have reported that he’s — 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. Maybe that’s what his tax returns show,” Cruz argued.

“We don’t know, but the important point is, George, in the general election, Hillary Clinton is going to shine a light on all of this. And Republican primary voters deserve to know. And the media is going to amplify the Democrats’ attacks a thousand fold.”

“The Republican primary voters deserve to know if there’s a scandal, if there is, as Mitt Romney put it, a bombshell in Donald Trump’s taxes, we deserve to know, the voters deserve to know and to vet the candidates,” Cruz said.

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