After refusing for years to release his tax returns, Mitt Romney finally disclosed two years of them today, revealing that he pays a lower tax rate than millions of middle class families and has used offshore accounts in Luxembourg, Ireland, and the Cayman Islands.
But is Romney hiding the rest of his tax returns on the advice of his lawyers? He should follow his father’s advice instead. Join us in demanding that Mitt do the right thing and disclose all his tax returns going back to when he founded Bain Capital.
Yesterday it was widely reported that Romney turned over more than two decades of his tax returns to the McCain campaign when he was being considered as their vice presidential nominee in 2008 – a position he didn’t get after they saw his records.
Why did the McCain campaign get more than two decades of tax returns, while the American people get just two years?
The late George W. Romney, who served as Michigan governor from 1963 to 1969, ran briefly for the 1968 Republican nomination for president. During that time he established the tradition of modern-day presidents releasing tax returns for multiple years. At the time, the elder Romney balked at releasing his tax returns for just one year, saying “one year could be a fluke, perhaps done for show ”
Mitt Romney doesn’t seem to understand that the voters expect transparency. In the case of a man who has made untold millions while laying off thousands of hard working American citizens, full disclosure going back to that time is even more important.
Romney may think we’re just jealous because he paid less than a 15% tax rate, used offshore accounts, and even had a Swiss bank account. But working Americans who pay higher tax rates than he does deserve to see what else he’s hiding. Sign our petition today and forward it to your friends. Let Mitt Romney know that the folks back in Michigan where his father served as governor need to know what he may be hiding.