General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDid Mitt Romney Take the 2009 Swiss Bank Account Amnesty
http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2012/07/17/romney_s_tax_returns_is_the_2009_swiss_bank_account_amnesty_what_he_doesn_t_want_us_to_see_.html?tid=sm_tw_button_toolbarWhen attempting to engage in baseless speculation over what it is that's in Mitt Romney's tax statements that's so embarassing he'd rather take the heat for non-disclosure, I think it's important to remember that he was actively running for president in 2007 and 2008. That means it's relatively unlike he was doing anything during those years that he thought couldn't withstand scrutiny. So why not release a nice even five years of tax data? Perhaps because of something that happened in 2009.
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Romney might well have thought in 2007 and 2008 that there was nothing to fear about a non-disclosed offshore account he'd set up years earlier precisely because it wasn't disclosed. But then came the settlement and the rush of non-disclosers to apply for the amnesty. Failing to apply for the amnesty and then getting charged by the IRS would have been both financially and politically disastrous. So amnesty it was. But even though the amnesty would eliminate any legal or financial liability for past acts, it would hardly eliminate political liability.
Cary
(11,746 posts)then we may as well take that opportunity. In fact we should assume he did every terrible thing possible.
So what's the worst case scenario?
flamingdem
(39,336 posts)to be on the safe side, it needs to be assumed that he did. If it's repeated
enough it might just emerge as "the truth", really because it probably is!
The Magistrate
(95,264 posts)Spazito
(50,590 posts)and why there is a KEY document missing from what he released from his 2010 return. The missing document relates to his Swiss account, it's known as a Report on Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts.
The political ramifications would be disastrous if, as is being speculated, Romney did apply for the amnesty.
flamingdem
(39,336 posts)Ruby the Liberal
(26,219 posts)If he just turned over schedules without the details, then it would be consistent, but if he just purposely omitted form 8938 while producing other, similar documentation, then it is a huge tell.
Looked it up last night. Information is here: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=148849,00.html
flamingdem
(39,336 posts)didn't have to include it?
Spazito
(50,590 posts)"The Romney campaign did not respond to HuffPost's request to view the document."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/18/mitt-romney-taxes-2010_n_1683084.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)"Governor Romney, did you participate in the 2009 IRS voluntary disclosure program?"
There's enough smoke here that surely ONE campaign trail reporter can get Romney on record on that particular point. Do these people know how to do their fucking jobs?
swayne
(383 posts)Is the "liberal media" that afraid to ask that simple question?
flamingdem
(39,336 posts)Hey Anderson - can you formulate a hard ball question? We are concerned about the loonies in our country more than those in the Middle East, btw, where you think it's so important to get the "truth".
aint_no_life_nowhere
(21,925 posts)was it laundered drug money? Did it come from prostitution? Did he hide it on behalf of it true owners engaged in organized crime. Most people would say that's preposterous but unless he comes completely clean how the fuck can anyone know? If he had suspicious piles of cash hidden over the years in offshore accounts, would the Justice Department automatically open an investigation without clear justification against one of the GOP party leaders considering the fact it may have been the Bush Justice Department at the time under the Bush tax amnesty program? Wasn't there an earlier tax amnesty, too, called the "Homeland Investment Act"? How do we know Romney did this only once?
flamingdem
(39,336 posts)and with the soft ball media he might win that. Obama and surrogates can hound him but the MSM will paint it as "envy" or being over the line..