Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
DEMOCRATIC WHITE HOUSE candidate Hillary Clinton released her 2015 tax return Friday and criticized her Republican rival Donald Trump for bucking a long-standing tradition by failing to do the same.
Clinton and her husband Bill, the former president, reported $10.6 million in income for 2015.
They paid $3.6 million in federal income tax, according to the document, which was posted on her campaign website.
Over the course of their careers, the Clintons have published all of their tax returns since 1977. Democrats repeatedly point to this as evidence of transparency on the part of the power couple.
Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine also released his returns for the past 10 years on Friday.
“Donald Trump is hiding behind fake excuses and backtracking on his previous promises to release his tax returns,” Clinton campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri said.
What is he trying to hide?
Trump has so far declined to release his, arguing that his tax returns for the past several years are being audited.
The real estate mogul’s campaign said that Clinton’s move to release her tax returns “is nothing more than an attempt at distraction and misdirection.”
Trump senior communications advisor Jason Miller said in a statement that Americans would rather see deleted emails from Clinton’s private server, Clinton Foundation records and transcripts of speeches she gave to Wall Street business people.
“We want to see the records the night of Benghazi that explain why Secretary Clinton didn’t send in reinforcements as soon as the attack had begun,” he said of the 2012 assault on the US consulate in Libya that killed four Americans, including the ambassador.
Democrats hint that by not releasing his tax returns, Trump may be trying to hide that he pays little to no tax, makes less money than he claims or gives a negligible amount to charity.
Trump, 70, presented the Federal Election Commission with a mandatory personal financial disclosure form in May and says this is enough.
That document gave only an estimate of Trump’s assets, liabilities and income.
Trump has said he is worth more than $10 billion, but no one has been able to confirm this independently. Forbes magazine estimates Trump is worth less than half that – around $4.5 billion.
The New York Times reported that Trump had probably benefited from tax breaks available to real estate developers in past years, as in 1978 and 1979, when he paid no federal income tax at all, according to documents he made public in 1981 when applying for a casino license in New Jersey.
The Clintons’ main sources of income were Bill Clinton’s paid speeches, to the tune of $5.2 million, and a payment to Hillary Clinton from the publisher of her last book, Simon & Schuster, for $3 million.
Hillary Clinton, 68, gave dozens of paid speeches in 2013, 2014 and 2015 but gave up on that before launching her White House run in April 2015.
The Clintons also donated $1 million to the non-profit foundation that bears their name.
Republican and Democratic candidates in the last nine presidential elections – since Ronald Reagan in 1980 – have released tax returns at least for the previous year, according to PolitiFact.
Most released their returns for several years, such as Bob Dole in 1996. He did so for the previous 29 years, according to The Washington Post.
In 2012, Mitt Romney released two years’ worth of tax returns.
Trump turned a deaf ear to calls from his critics for his tax returns at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, a key swing state where he is lagging behind Clinton in the polls.
His sinking poll numbers are worrying some Republicans, but party boss Reince Priebus weighed in Friday to show his support. He said:
Don’t believe the garbage you read – Donald Trump, the Republican Party, all of you, we are going to put him in the White House and save this country together
Trump - launching a broadside at Clinton over her husband’s signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1993, whichTrump says cost American jobs – also took aim at one of his favorite targets: the media.
Incredulous that the media did not see sarcasm in his repeated statements about President Barack Obama and Clinton being the “founders” of the Islamic State group, Trump earned cheers when he said journalists “are the lowest form of life.”
“They are the lowest form of humanity. Not all of them. They have about 25 percent that are pretty good, actually,” he added.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
who gives a oot about someones wedding right now, money racket scheme anyway, means nothing
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: You’d change your tune if it was your wedding that had been postponed twice and you’d been shittinga.brick all week that you could only have 4 guests
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: very easy to say if you aren’t getting married. Was due to be married in June and it was cancelled. Rescheduled to November. I now have to tell many of my nearest and dearest that they can’t attend as we had originally invited 50. If it was reduced further to six myself and my fiance would have had to choose between our parents on who could attend.
@jzT: I’m not even trying to say stuff bad about people getting married, thats obviously horrible they have to wait but just ridiculous that theres an entire article dedicated to it after the announcement, like how can they be so ignorant to real problems and not report them
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: who hurt you?
@Conor Doherty Coughlan:
Fine comment when it doesn’t involve you! My son is getting married on the 5th of December and thankfully brothers and sisters can now attend. Prior to this we were looking at one priest, three stewards and the couple themselves with no family. Heartbreaking for parents!
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: funny how nobody cares when it doesn’t impact them. Like calling fir everything to be closed when you are working away on a full salary… maybe everybody should go on PUP during level 5 including NPHET and Politicians. Reckon we would be having a different conversation after a week.
@Conor Doherty Coughlan: An article was needed, actually.
There was no statement on whether the 5km rule would apply, and now we know the government’s position on that.
Never mind the weddings. What about all the extra divorces there’ll be this year?
@Liz O’Neill: it won’t be this year. Or next year with all the backlogs in tbe courts .
Are they closing the arrivals @ Dublin airport for non Irish citizens or is that too logical?
@Bailey Tormey: You’re making too much sense, stop it.
@Bailey Tormey: Who do you think is flying into the Country? The Airport is dead, there are Zero tourists in the Country. The only People flying into the Country are People who live here. The Aviation sector have been hung out to dry by the Government and Media. But suspicious the day another lockdown is announced because of Government incompetence because they didn’t increase ICU capacity they release a Story about a Man infecting 56 People and have a lovely graph to go with it. Pity they didn’t put as much thought into protecting nursing homes and increasing vital ICU beds
@David Garland: not true. There is a steady stream of people flying.
@Liberal Artisté: it is true, what tourists are in the Country? I work at the Airport everyday and haven’t seen one tourist since the end of lockdown
@David Garland: ireland in winter for a tourist is Cat. Close the pubs on top of that and it’s worse again. Add to that the shops, restaurants, hotels and limit the distance to 5k and I’m pretty sure well be limiting the no. Of tourists coming in. Dont be worrying about who’s coming through the airport, it ain’t an issue. Shop local or online shop Irish.
The lockdown rules are a joke, they haven’t got a clue what they are doing. Children can still go to school and mix with a number of students but someone can’t have anyone visit their home. Why don’t they stop flights or quarantine ppl properly who are coming in, that has a lot to do with it. They should take note from what they did in New Zealand.
25 guest, OK church’s, hotels, pubs, restaurants closed not allowed in a house. How do you have 25 guests? A wedding is a social event.
@David Connolly: churches are allowed to hold weddings, yes all else is closed, but hey marriage, if you believe that kind of thing, is a religious sacrament, the big party does not have to be part of day. If the party is all that matters then postpone till it can be held.
Complete over reaction , this lockdown will destroy country not covid
This blanket 5km rule is absolutely absurd. You could walk 5km in the countryside and meet nobody you won’t do that in a town or city. Actually its absolutely nonsense I have to drive 40 miles to work with 300 people but I can’t drive 10km to play golf on my own
@Michael McGrath:
Sure have your game of golon your way home from work and yoh wont be going out of your way…
@Michael McGrath: We had this argument last time it was in, you can’t deny the cases went down.
Wrong decision
@Micheal: care to elaborate
25 at a wedding. 32 in a classroom with no masks.
@Jonathan Regan: in my kids secondary school they all wear masks in the class.
@Jason Ebbs: and at lunch? In between classes? Travelling to and from school?
@A d d y o u r n a m e: not responsibility of school with the coming and going to the school. But in my kids school they have staggered the start and finish times with 10 minutes between the years. So 1st year finishes at 3:30, 2nd year at 3:40 and so on, and the same when starting. They get a mask break between each class, so the class goes outside and walks around the football pitch with their masks off while supervised by a teacher. During lunch they are not allowed leave the class they are in and so eat their lunch at their 2m distanced desks.
@Jason Ebbs: Sounds like prison
@King B: Sounds no different to other years in school, which also felt like prison for many.
@King B: the school is doing their best to keep kids safe, which I appreciate. The kids aren’t complaining, so all is good.
Should be 25 allowed at funerals, leaving 25 for weddings, just doesn’t seem fair
I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again. If you are or were due to get married this year, take a hint ;-)
Why would even be bothered, not worth the expense, postpone until this joke is over.
@Tom Bombdadil: that doesn’t suit everyone. Some people want to get on with their lives and may postpone and still be in the same position.
As usual they nearly did it. Either go all in or dont go at all.
Airports open essential services is basically most and no enforcement. A complete waste of time.
So if your getting married or a guest at a wedding your immune from covid? Makes as much sense as a €9 euro meal reducing your chances of contracting covid.
Are golf clubs remaining open?
@Sam Louise: Ya but they’re growing the rough and slicking up the greens. We just can’t catch a break!
@Jeremiah A Craic: still no word whether they are/ can remain open! GUI to release a statement this morning
Call the solicitors over and sign the papers and be done with it. Have the party when all this rubbish is over
@Colin: solicitors have nothing to do with weddings. Its a registrar or priest.
@Daff. Myers: They’ll come into it eventually! ;)
Does that mean 25 can attend the reception?
@Catherine Cosgrave Kehoe: It’s condescending because there is nowhere to have a reception & you can only meet people from one household.
@Kevin O’Brien: can you travel to the wedding?
@Kevin O’Brien: with 5k restrictions
@Seagoat returns: Tbh I’ve no idea, it’s a clear as mud.
@Kevin O’Brien: cheers, trying to get out of a wedding (winky face)
@Seagoat returns: In that case, no. No way can you travel beyond 5km, don’t even think about. You’ll be a disgrace to the nation if you do. Stay at home & don’t attend that wedding. ;¬)
@Kevin O’Brien: thought so, couldn’t do it. much appreciated sir
@Seagoat returns: You’re more than welcome.
@Seagoat returns: You can travel to attend a wedding and leave the county.
25 at weddings is a joke
How can 25 people, potentially on the piss be allowable at a wedding. Unfortunate for couples, but it doesn’t make sense.
@Eddie Forde: Its essentially the same as the gaa. The lads don’t social distance during the game at all or after and almost all are working other jobs with other people. Makes about as much sense as a wedding.
Increase in weddings over the next 6 weeks, most popular venue in local pubs
@Over the top: Except, the pubs are closed.
Does the 25 include the bride and groom? Or is it 25 guests?
@Conor J Linnane: I think it’s 25 in total, so the couple, guests and the staff all included in that number.
@Conor J Linnane: but to go where? There is nowhere to hold a reception I assume and only 1 household can mix?
@Jason Ebbs: nope – anyone in a professional capacity is not included in the numbers at a wedding ceremony and it’s unclear if the couple are included in the 25 as you are not a guest at your own wedding nor do you attend your own wedding. You host your own wedding. This is where the wording needs to be CRYSTAL clear!
@#blacklivesmatter #ibelieveher #werepealedthe8th: if you read the second paragraph in this very article “the number of attendees includes the couple and the celebrant…”
@Julianne Power: The wedding is in a registry office or Church. You can have the p…up next year!
@Jason Ebbs: the legislation says different. I work in the industry Thanks for mansplaining though. Always appreciated!
@Jason Ebbs: aaaaah they added that paragraph later. Wasn’t there originally. Cheers
@Conor J Linnane:
It said 25 guests
@#blacklivesmatter #ibelieveher #werepealedthe8th: you are welcome. Regarding your comment “mansplanning”…. I have no idea if you are male or female…..so I don’t know how I am being condescending.
You said I was wrong and I simply pointed out what the article stated. But as I said you’re welcome ;-)
@Julianne Power: One would assume they are in about the church. A reception is just that, an after party, in no way shape or form is part of getting married from a legal point of view.
When do all these restrictions kick in?
@Brian Tracy: Midnight Wednesday
have your say