Is Mitt Romney 'hiding something' as Reid claims?
| WASHINGTON
Put up or shut up, says Mitt聽Romney. Just sayin', retorts Harry Reid. For both men, it's a taxing聽situation.
Romney聽demanded Thursday that the Democratic Senate leader back up the story he's been passing around this week that an investor with聽Romney's聽old firm, Bain Capital, has told him that聽Romney聽didn't pay any聽taxes for 10 years.
Reid offers no evidence to substantiate the claim 鈥� he even says he's not sure it's true 鈥� and won't reveal who made it. For the Nevada Democrat, the claim explains why聽Romney聽is adamant about not releasing more than a year or two of his聽tax聽returns.
Romney聽went on conservative radio host Sean Hannity's show Thursday morning to brand the claim untrue.
"Well, it's time for Harry to put up or shut up,"聽Romney聽said. "Harry's going to have to describe who it is he spoke with because of course, that's totally and completely wrong."
Romney聽added: "It's untrue, dishonest, and inaccurate. It's wrong. So I'm looking forward to have Harry reveal his sources and we'll probably find out it's the White House. Look, the Obama campaign is going to do everything in its power to try and talk about anything besides the president's record."
Reid repeated the claim on the Senate floor. Following聽Romney's聽response, he released a statement saying that "it's clear聽Romney聽is hiding something."
"When it comes to answering the legitimate questions the American people have about whether he avoided paying his fair share in聽taxes聽or why he opened a Swiss bank account,聽Romney聽has shut up," Reid said. "But as a presidential candidate, it's his obligation to put up, and release several years' worth of聽tax聽returns just like nominees of both parties have done for decades."
Romney聽has released his 2010 federal聽tax聽return and a summary of his 2011 return. In 2010, he paid 13.9 percent聽tax聽on income of $21.6 million. That's a much lower rate than what most Americans pay on far less income. Most of聽Romney's聽income came from investment gains, which are聽taxed聽at a lower rate than earned income.
His wealth estimated at $250 million,聽Romney聽has said that his critics will distort and use against him any additional聽tax聽information he releases.
