 It has nothing to do with Russia. That s the story the Trump campaign is sticking to. Paul Manafort, Trump s dictator-protecting campaign manager, has doubled down: we are not releasing his tax returns. The reason? His taxes are under audit, so they can t (even though the head of the IRS completely debunked that claim on live national television).For months Democrats and even Republicans have been hounding the  billionaire  mogul to release his tax returns, a standard that every presidential hopeful has met over the last several decades. But Trump seems to be the only one who will not do it. Even Romney, after enough prodding, did it.There s several theories as to why he won t release them. The first is that they will show he s not actually a billionaire. Another is that it will show he has overvalued his properties (which has already been shown he has) and his businesses. The third option is that it will show he paid virtually nothing in taxes, certainly not his fair share.And the fourth (and now most plausible theory): he has ties to Russian interests/oligarchs. That s the theory of conservative columnist George Will. Given that the FBI has a strong case linking Russia to the DNC email hack, and Trump s campaign manager has close ties to Russia, and that Trump has business dealings with the authoritarian country, that theory seems to stick in people s mind. And it should.Trump has been a serial liar throughout this campaign. He s had the audacity to say Hillary Clinton has  taken money  from countries that kill gays and women. But the evidence is starting to show it is Trump who has taken not only taken money, but has offered his soul to a country that also kills gays, women, and anyone who dares to dissent (remember the Winter Olympics controversy)?For a man who claims he wants American sovereignty and autonomy, he certainly has no problem letting his buddies at the Kremlin determine our political discourse.Of course Will s speculation is just that   speculation. But it does raise the question that Trump s refusal to release his tax returns and his love and shady dealings with Russia and Putin may be more than what meets the eye.Like Trump University, this story won t be going away anytime soon. And the Democrats certainly won t be letting it go.This election, it s Trump/Putin 2016.Featured image via Sara D. Davis/Getty Images