It is customary for USA presidential candidates to make their tax returns public, although they are not required by law to do so. Democrats repeatedly point to this as evidence of transparency on the part of the power couple.
Advertisement
Her vice presidential running mate, Tim Kaine, also released his tax returns Friday for the years 2006-2015.
Critics, including 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, have blasted Trump for failing to disclose his tax rate and raised questions about what his returns say about his net worth and various business ties, particularly in Russian Federation. “What is he trying to hide?” said Hillary for America communications director Jennifer Palmieri.
Trump has said that his returns are now being audited and he would release his returns after it is completed.
“Hillary Clinton has turned over the only records nobody wants to see from her – the American public wants to see the 33,000 emails she deleted to obstruct an FBI investigation”, Jason Miller, senior communication advisor of the Trump Campaign said.
“We want to see the records the night of Benghazi that explain why Secretary Clinton didn´t send in reinforcements as soon as the attack had begun”, he said of the 2012 assault on the U.S. consulate in Libya that killed four Americans, including the ambassador.
“We will only really know if he’s a real deal or a phony if he releases his tax returns”, Romney says, suggesting that maybe Trump isn’t as rich as he claims, hasn’t paid the tax rate Americans would expect him to or hasn’t donated to veterans and other charities as he’s said he has.
Trump’s critics, including 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and other fellow Republicans, have said his refusal raises questions about his net worth, his charitable contributions, his business dealings and other ties, including with Russian Federation.
Trump has said he is worth more than $10 billion, but no one has been able to confirm this independently.
Sen. Tim Kaine, Clinton’s running mate, and his wife, Anne Holton, are also releasing 10 years of their returns showing they earned a combined $313,441 and paid a 25.6% rate, taking into account federal, state and local taxes.
The Clintons´ main sources of income were Bill Clinton´s paid speeches, to the tune of $5.2 million, and a payment to Hillary Clinton from the publisher of her last book, Simon & Schuster, for $3 million.
“We want to see the transcripts of the secret Wall Street speeches Clinton was paid USD 10,000 dollars-a-minute to give”. They gave more than $1 million to charity.
Republican and Democratic candidates in the last nine presidential elections – since Ronald Reagan in 1980 – have released tax returns at least for the previous year, according to PolitiFact.
“Your move”, Clinton campaign aide Ian Sams said on Twitter, linking to the Democratic nominee’s returns.
Asked in a television interview in May what tax rate he pays, Trump replied “It’s none of your business”.
Advertisement
The Trump campaign dismissed Clinton’s action, saying: “This document release is nothing more than an attempt at distraction and misdirection” from controversy about her use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. The Clintons made about 90 times more, reporting almost $28 million for the same year.
