KBH Tax Returns: Promises Made, Promises …?
Texans deserve to know Senator’s complete tax record – and her husband’s
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison initially ran for the U.S. Senate promising reform and adv ocating for transparency by elected officials. After 16 years in the Senate, she has become the evasive Washington insider that she once ridiculed.
“Senator Hutchison must release all federal income tax returns — and those of her husband Ray Hutchison — filed during her 16 years in Washington,” said Texans for Rick Perry campaign manager Rob Johnson. “If she does not, she will have broken yet another promise made when she initially ran for the Senate. Texans need a governor whose word can be trusted.”
Last Tuesday, Aug. 18, Sen. Hutchison promised Texans that she would release her income tax returns “within the week.” She has yet to do so, and has not released any tax returns since 1999, when she jointly filed with her husband.
Texas voters cannot have a complete picture of Sen. Hutchison’s financial dealings without the public release of all income tax returns filed by both Sen. and Mr. Hutchison. The Senator recently admitted her remaining priorities in Washington include securing federal earmarks for projects involving Mr. Hutchison’s law firm — specifically DART, the Trinity River and Houston Metro.
“Texans have a right to know if Sen. Hutchison’s continual efforts to direct federal funds to the projects her husband’s law firm is involved with have had a direct financial impact on their personal wealth,” said Johnson.
In 1999, Sen. Hutchison voluntarily released joint federal income tax returns filed with her husband to fulfill a campaign promise she made in 1994 when seeking her first full term as U.S. Senator.
If the Hutchisons no longer file jointly, the Senator has a responsibility to release both her and her husband’s full tax returns filed during the 16 years she has served as a U.S. Senator.
Voters should be especially troubled by Sen. Hutchison’s failure to release her family’s complete tax record, which contradicts her past s tatements and actions.
In 1994, Sen. Hutchison told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “Without full disclosure first, reform cannot occur. Those who say they are advocates of reform must show they mean what they say.”
Also in 1994, Sen. Hutchison criticized her Democratic opponent for the very behavior she is now demonstrating, telling the AP: “It may not be required by law. But Richard Fisher has claimed to be a reformer. Anyone committed to reform should show leadership by disclosing.”
Sen. Hutchison’s past stance on disclosure even drew her praise from the Austin American-Statesman, which in a May 19, 1994 editorial titled “Anything short of full disclosure is no disclosure” wrote:
“Ladies and gentlemen. If you’re going to play the disclosure game, there is only way to play it: fully and without conditions. Candidates nowadays file all kinds of disclosures. But making public the 1040 and accompanying documents is really best. Someone can fudge disclosure documents, but very few are bold enough to try to slip one past the Internal Revenue Service. Even candidates are entitled to some privacy, to be sure. But the public is demanding more and more disclosure in exchange for trust. Any candidate who is sincere about serving the public should overcome that natural reluctance and just do it.”
Gov. Perry has always made his tax returns available to the public.