GREER, S.C. (CNN) – The Obama campaign have dismissed Mitt Romney’s revelation that he has paid no less than 13 percent in personal income taxes over the past ten years, saying, “Prove it!”
“Mitt Romney today said that he did indeed ‘go back and look’ at his tax returns and that he never paid less than 13 percent in taxes in any year over the past decade. Since there is substantial reason to doubt his claims, we have a simple message for him: prove it,” Obama campaign spokeswoman Lis Smith wrote. “Even though he’s invested millions in foreign tax havens, offshore shell corporations, and a Swiss bank account, he’s still asking the American people to trust him. However, given Mitt Romney’s secrecy about his returns, coupled with the revelations in just the one return we have seen to date and the inconsistencies between this one return and his other financial disclosures, he has forfeited the right to have us take him just at his word.”
The presumptive GOP nominee has faced withering criticism from Democrats over the release of his tax returns, including a charge by Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid that Romney had paid no taxes for a ten year period. Reid did not specify if those were the last ten years, or an earlier period.
He expressed frustration with Reid’s attack at a press conference with reporters in South Carolina.
“I did go back and look at my taxes and over the past ten years I never paid less than 13 percent. I think the most recent year is 13.6 or something like that. I paid taxes every single year,” Romney said, explaining he had gone back to check his records after being asked by a reporter about the tax rates he had paid. “Harry Reid’s charge is totally false. I am sure waiting for Harry to put up who it was that told him what he says they told him – I don’t believe it for a minute by the way – but every year I paid at least 13 percent and if you add in addition the amount that goes to charity, why, the number gets well above 20 percent.”
Reid had told reporters an anonymous source gave him a tip. A source close to Reid later said that Reid got the information from an investor with Bain, the private equity firm Romney ran.
Romney has released his 2010 tax returns and an estimate of his 2011 tax returns when he filed for an extension, but has declined to make available any earlier returns.
On Thursday he called insistent questions over his tax documents “small-minded compared to the broad issues that we face” such as unemployment and the nuclear threat from Iran.
The following was posted on CBS’s website. I did look this guy up (Google) and he appears to be a real person who is employed in the profession he claims in his post.
by bokehbrian August 16, 2012 12:24 AM EDT
What I am about to say is 100% true, and I am only sharing it because there is no job more important then US President, and as an American we should vote, and we have a right to be informed to make the right decision. So you know I am not some random whack job I will tell you my name is Brian Murphy, I am CEO of JRM Resource Management and have worked for government IT contractors for the past 15 years (look it up)
A few nights ago I went out to dinner with some old associates. the person I am speaking about in this post was one of the people there. I have known him for 13 years. He spent 8 years working at the IRS as a senior IT person working on TIPPS, the web integration with large companies and several other projects.
After dinner we were having a few drinks and discussing the election. The topic of “would Romney release any more tax returns?” came up. My friend laughed and said “ill bet you a years pay that no matter how much heat he takes he won’t release a single year more” and then laughed.
All of us there knowing he spent several years at the IRS pushed him “why? what do you know?” we asked with a joking smile.
He paused then took a drink and looked at us and said “because, if he did he would have to show everyone that he took amnesty for a crime at the very least, and I can’t imagine he would have a snowballs chance in hell of being elected if that came out” then he took a drink and refused to elaborate.
I asked him several times if he was serious and he said he was. In 13 years i have NEVER known him to tell a lie, certainly not make up a story.
Although he failed to elaborate the ONLY thing he possibly could have been referring to was the amnesty the IRS offered US citizens who were hiding assets in Switzerland a few years back. He certainly worked there, certainly worked where and in the place where it would be possible for him to have access to that information.
Id bet 10k Mitt does not release any more returns.
I felt the amnesty was a great idea, but I do think it more than likely caused quite a few American scum buckets to skate away with a home free deal. BUT, they did have to pay the taxes. I remember watching one of the hearings on CSPAN, I have forgotten who it was, but remember he tried to say he “forgot” where he had put his money, and was not quite sure how it got into that bank. I thought that was very funny. The Congresspersons interrogating him were not laughing. How did Mitt escape one of those hearings? And how come those amnesty findings were not front page, instead of whatever celeb was going in or out of rehab, or a divorce or getting fat?
We need to blame our media.
BUT, we are the ones who watch, and we are the ones who buy products from the jerks. Look how many people still think credit is something you need or should want. After it ruined out country, and made so many millions homeless?
I think it is a crime Mitt paid 13% and thinks that is a good thing. My sister was a lifetime servant of the People, working for the sheriff, the DA and Home Land Security, even when deadly ill, she consulted from her home, She had retired because she did not think the People should pay her when she was home ill. SHE paid a whole hell of a lot more than 13% of her income each year in taxes.