« Previous | Main | Next »

Obama to Clinton: Release Your Tax Returns

Share

February 07, 2008 5:24 PM

ABC News' David Wright Sen. Barack Obama called on his rival Sen. Hillary Clinton to release her recent income tax returns -  a move the Clintons have long resisted.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

Strapped for campaign cash, Clinton announced this week that she loaned her presidential committee $5 million of her own personal funds, but it was not immediately clear how she came by that much money.

"I've released my tax returns," Obama said today on his campaign plane, noting that Presidential candidates have a duty to be transparent and accountable.

He said, "The American people deserve to know where you get your income from."

Back when Bill Clinton was an office-holder, Hillary Clinton's business dealings  were often a source of controversy.  Remember the Whitewater land deal and all the scrutiny given to her client list at the Rose Law Firm?

Now that she is running for President,. Bill Clinton's finances are attracting attention.

He has cashed in since leaving the Oval Office - raking in a small fortune in speaking fees, as well as consulting for private clients and foreign governments.  Fundraising for his Presidential library has also come under scrutiny.

In one recent controversy, he reportedly consulted with businessmen connected with the repressive government of Khazakstan. Some have criticized him for selling his credibility and, in the process, undercutting US foreign policy and his wife's public pronouncements.

Should Hillary Clinton use the former President's windfall to fund her own bid for the Presidency, it would inevitably become a campaign issue. 

And, for her, there's another sensitivity. Given that she is making the case that she is an independent career woman, dipping into a rich husband's assets might undercut that image.

Nonetheless the Clintons have resisted frequent calls to open the library's books or release their income tax returns.

Pressed by reporters for his thoughts, Obama said "I don't have enough money to drop $5 million on a campaign."

Asked by email for reaction, Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson emailed back: "Senator Clinton discloses the sources of her income every year."

Clinton does file annual financial disclosure forms in connection with her job at the US Senate, but they are far less detailed than a joint tax return.

Wolfson added: "When will Senator Obama release the complete details of his relationship with Tony Rezko?"

Rezko, a Chicago businessman currently under indictment and facing trial later this month, was involved in a deal allowing Obama to purchase land adjacent to his house at below market value. Obama has, in retrospect, acknowledged the deal was "bone-headed."

Obama also recently returned some $150 thousand in campaign contributions from donors connected with Rezko.

February 7, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (264)

User Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Everyone knows that if Hillary had nothing to hide - something potentially damaging to her campaign - she would not have loosed the leash off of Wolfson to attack Obama for making a genuine request on behalf of the American people. The fact is we do need to know where the $5 Million came from. We do know, however, that the American people did not give it to her to boost her campaign as they have done in Obama's case. We also know that Bill and Hillary will try to do anything to get back to the White House. So, Hillary, if you're worthy of any vote you need to disclose your tax returns.

Posted by: Kensing | Feb 7, 2008 6:10:13 PM

Hillary keeps telling everyone she is running on her record... so why won't she release the documents pertaining to it?

What's in those returns?

Posted by: Bob Loblaw | Feb 7, 2008 6:11:42 PM

"remember whitewater"

Ohh, how clever...you're drudging up the past in which Republicans spent hundreds of millions to investigate the Clintons, and it was found they DID NOTHING WRONG!!!! Aside from a blue dress, "remember whitewater" should be a stain on the republicans forever and ever!

ABC PLEASE!

Posted by: Josh | Feb 7, 2008 6:13:04 PM

Clinton should just release her tax records. At least that would put this angle to rest, assuming there's nothing surprising in there. By not doing it, well, it just reinforces her secretive perception with many voters.

I really doubt her income includes anything really embarrassing. Maybe its bigger than most of us are thinking, but nothing too bad. So to not release them strikes me as kinda dumb.

Posted by: Paul | Feb 7, 2008 6:15:15 PM

I think someone is afraid of another Clinton. Hillary Clinton is in control and will make a great president.

Posted by: thinkaboutit | Feb 7, 2008 6:21:00 PM

To all of you smitten with Obama mania: will you support Hillary if she is the nominee? Of course not...since you are actually REPUBs in Obama clothing..ha,ha,ha

Posted by: Norris | Feb 7, 2008 6:24:22 PM

Paul, I think you're absolutely correct: no minds are being "changed" here, and we're all just kind of venting I guess.

As for the sock-puppeting, that's disturbing to hear. Once again, there's something almost Nixonian in the implied paranoia -- the idea of actually paying staffers to cruise and to propagandize these meaningless boards, while looking for "enemies" to crush....

Posted by: Mark | Feb 7, 2008 6:27:07 PM

Norris, I can't speak for the rest here, but I'm not a Republican. I'm an independent. And, nope, just can't support Clinton if she's the nominee. Just don't think she has the character.

I understand others see it differently.

Posted by: Paul | Feb 7, 2008 6:27:09 PM

REF: OBAMA RAISING $32 MILLION

HOW MUCH WAS OPRAH's CONTRIBUTION ?

Posted by: NELL | Feb 7, 2008 6:29:15 PM

Let's face it, if the Clintons haven't found any better dirt on Obama than what this 2009 poster has to share, and believe me, the Clintons play as dirty as the Republicans, I'm pretty confident that there isn't anything out there on Obama. But while Hillary keeps saying that she has been "fully vetted" new suspicious facts about her and her husband arise daily. Is it possible that an asian dictator is indirectly funding Hillary's campaign? Release the returns!

Posted by: Paul | Feb 7, 2008 6:29:41 PM

TELL OBAMA TO RELEASE HIS TAX RETURNS, ESPECIALLY THOSE FOR THE YEARS WHEN HE WAS 30 TO AGE 33.

I READ HIS BOOK AND IT AIN'T PRETTY! HE IS ALMOST 50 YEARS OLD, WHAT DID HE DO BEFORE HE JUST POPPED UP ON THE SCENE?

PEOPLE YOU BETTER INVESTIGATE AND KNOW YOUR CANDIDATES.

OBAMA IS AN UNKNOWN, NON-SUBSTANCE PERSONALITY WHO WILL BE TORN TO BITS BY THE REPUBLICANS, AND I WILL BE SMILING ALL THE WAY TO THE REPUBLICAN INAUGRATION BECAUSE YOU UN-INFORMED PEOPLE PUT UP SOMEONE WHO HAS A LOT OF NEGATIVES.

AS FAR AS SENATOR H. RODHAM-CLINTON, SHE IS AMERICAN BORN, AMERICAN RAISED AND STEEPED IN AMERICAN POLITICS. SHE IS A KNOWN COMMODITY! NO FLY BY NIGHT HERE.

SHE HAS PROVEN HER GRACE UNDER FIRE AND I DON'T BELIEVE SHE WILL JUMP SHIP, OR QUIT!

As a woman, I am for her, but as a Voter, I am for her even more. She has been investigated, and investigated, and investigated, and the worst the Republicans can do is to keep going back to the fact that she had a cheating husband. Well that just puts her in the majority of the married women in the world. I CAN IDENTIFY WITH HER THERE AND SO CAN MILLIONS OF OTHER WOMEN!!!

HEY PEOPLE, MEN CHEAT AND WOMEN ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR IT!!!!ALL THE MORE REASON FOR WOMEN TO STICK TOGETHER!!!

BY THE WAY, IS OBAMA WITHOUT CHEATING SIN??? I BET NOT!!! SOME LITTLE OLE GAL OUT THERE CAN TELL YOU A THING OR TWO!!!
McKay

Posted by: McKay | Feb 7, 2008 6:31:24 PM

Obama needs to stick to the issues at hand...THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!!THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!!THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!!THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!!

Posted by: Cindy, Calfiornia | Feb 7, 2008 6:32:01 PM

It would appear that Hillary was not able to budget her finances in this race ,since she has to borrow . I therfore wonder how she will handle the finances of the American People

Posted by: phillip | Feb 7, 2008 6:33:05 PM

Norris, Hillary must earn the nomination *legitimately* and with no "ticking bombs" (i.e. scandals) under the floorboards. If she's got skeletons and things to hide, I expect her to get them sll out in the open NOW, not in September or October, once we're stuck with her (if indeed she is the nominee, which is far from certain) as we run agaisnt McCain.

Playing all coy and cutesy with the truth just ain't gonna cut it 2008! Voters are demanding truth and authenticity, and will severely punish those they decide lack them.

Posted by: Mark | Feb 7, 2008 6:35:42 PM

2009, you are supporting a person who, when making a speech, had to look at her notes to see who the people were that were most important to her (super tuesday night speech). Hillary is so fake. I would not be suprised if this whole $5 million loan is a farce to counter Obama publicity.

Posted by: Jason | Feb 7, 2008 6:37:25 PM

Are the Clinton supporters naive enough to think that there is some mud on Barack Obama that hasn't already been thrown by the Clinton machine? There isn't!That's why Hillary has to stoop to the false flyers and robo calls right before a primary. She has to make things up in order to beat him. The woman is a disgrace as well as unethical and the American people should be smart enough to see that!

Posted by: Janet | Feb 7, 2008 6:39:16 PM

Before the Dems nominate Obama, they better due some due diligence. I just can't believe he is that squeaky clean. And if you are going to pick on her spouse, let's do some Michelle bashing. She has already stated that if Hillary gets the nomination she won't campaign for her but I bet Bill will campaign for Obama.

Posted by: KMW | Feb 7, 2008 6:39:41 PM

Paul: Once again, you've hit it right on the head re the Clintons and their willingness to "go dirty" to win. Sad but true.

And my fellow Democrats, we fail to heed independent-voter Paul's concerns at our peril, as we'll need good folks like him to win in November -- particularly now that McCain's going to be the GOP's standard bearer.

Posted by: Mark | Feb 7, 2008 6:44:05 PM

"Are the Clinton supporters naive enough to think that there is some mud on Barack Obama that hasn't already been thrown by the Clinton machine?"

YES CHECK THESE OUT:

*Nuclear and obama<--- opps did i miss something
*Obama and his kenyan cousin <--- genocide?
*Obama attends a racist church<-- Oh no , he never played the race card.
*Obama Likes single payer insurance? <---- Oh no he didn't
*Obama lies about guns<--- Is he for or against it , we will never know???
*Obama and Resko<------How did he get his house again?
*Obama Was A Constitutional Law Professor<-- no you weren't you are just registered as a speaker.
*Obama's record on choice is less than 50%. He pretends to be pro-choice while voting for anti-choice justices who have vowed to end choice. Obama even voted for cloture on Priscilla Owen, a justice Alberto Gonzales felt was too far to the right
*Obama's pretense at being anti-war is a fraud on the American people. His actions are fully pro-war. He has voted anti-choice and to keep the USA-PATRIOT Act. A win for Obama will be a win for the neo-con agenda. An Obama nomination is a guaranteed loss for the American people who would have no major candidates to support in 2008.


What do you really know about Obama, seems to me , not much!

Posted by: danw | Feb 7, 2008 6:46:09 PM

If OBAMA HAS NOTHING TO HIDE THEN WHY DOESNT HE DEBATE?

GOD IF HE CANT BEAT HILLARY IN A DEBATE < HE SURE AS HELL CANT BEAT MCCAIN

Posted by: Eleven22 | Feb 7, 2008 6:47:23 PM

Post a comment