Story highlights A former Donald Trump tax adviser said the presidential candidate had no role in preparing tax returns

A 1995 tax return revealed Trump had declared a $916 million loss that year

(CNN) A former tax adviser to Donald Trump said the Republican presidential candidate had "virtually zero" role in reporting a nearly $916 million loss, a move that meant the real estate mogul could be exempt from paying federal taxes for nearly two decades.

Jack Mitnick told CNN's Kate Bolduan and John Berman on "At This Hour" that Trump's tax returns -- including those revealed in a New York Times report over the weekend -- were prepared by a separate financial team, rather than by Trump himself.

Mitnick dodged on a question on whether or not Trump had filed similar losses at other times during his career, citing his allegiance to "codes of ethics of two professions" -- he's an accountant and an attorney.

He said, however, Trump acted well within legal bounds in his 1995 tax filings.

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