Gillibrand releases 5 years of tax returns
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand will deliver the commencement speech at Vassar College's graduation ceremony later this month, the college said this week. (July 23, 2012) Credit: Nancy Siesel
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand released five years of federal and state tax returns on her website Friday, ending an ongoing skirmish between the Democratic lawmaker and her Republican opponent.
Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) earned more than $165,000 in 2011 and paid nearly $39,000 in state and federal taxes, the returns show. In 2010, Gillibrand's first year in office, she earned a little more than $148,000 and paid more than $28,000 in state and federal taxes, the returns show.
The freshman senator previously has allowed reporters to view her returns but did not make them available to the public. Gillibrand files jointly with her husband, Jonathan, a financial adviser.
"I have always placed a top priority on finding new ways to increase the accessibility, transparency and accountability of government because it's the right thing to do," Gillibrand said in a news release. "Whether by passing legislation to ban any insider trading by members of Congress, or leading by example through posting my schedule and financial information to my website, New Yorkers deserve to know their interests are my only interests."
Members of Congress are not required to release their tax returns and very few do.
Gillibrand's GOP opponent, Manhattan attorney Wendy Long, first called on the senator to release her tax returns in April and repeated the demand last week.
"I'm glad Senator Gillibrand heeded my call to release her taxes," Long said in a statement. "Perhaps now we can move on to discussing her votes for big spending and high taxes that are breaking the backs of hardworking New Yorkers and creating recession-level unemployment."
Spokesman David Catalfamo said Long will release her own returns but declined to set a time frame, noting that it would be "not late on a Friday in the middle of the summer."Democrats, and some Republicanshave pressured GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney to release more of his tax returns. But Long has steered clear of the issue. "Governor Romney has to run his campaign his way and I have to run mine my way," Long said last week.
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