Tea Party Wants McInnis to Release Tax Records

"I strongly feel that if you're going to run for office, you need to release any and all information available," said Kelly Standley, Colorado Tea Party Coordinator.
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On April 15th, Scott McInnis, gubernatorial candidate in Colorado -- in response to The Denver Post's request that he release his tax records -- stated, "I'm not going to invite myself to my own beating. I'm going to give what I think the people want, not what The Denver Post wants."

He isn't only receiving criticism from the left, but also those on the right.

"I strongly feel that if you're going to run for office, you need to release any and all information available," said Kelly Standley, Colorado Tea Party Coordinator and candidate for Colorado's First Congressional seat. "I'd love for people to see that I lost a lot last year in taxes. If Scott McInnis isn't showing his records, it makes you wonder if hes got stuff to hide."

The Tea Party, if you have been under a rock, is a national movement that is unhappy with the direction the government and the economy are heading, leading an anti-incumbent movement in support of fiscally conservative candidates.

"Our goal is to basically make the government more fiscally responsible and to let them understand that it's the taxpayers that are paying the bill here. People have got to take a stand and they've got to vote in people who will respect the wishes of the American people instead of what they're party represents," continued Standley. "The Democratic Party represents socialists. They're basically trying to put the responsibility on the people's back with the expenses they've built up. If the government was a bank, that bank would be foreclosed on by now"

John Hickenlooper, mayor of Denver and the Democratic Party's gubernatorial candidate, has been calling on McInnis to follow his lead and release his tax records.

Jason Salzman notes,

The Post argued that releasing income tax returns "shows that a leader who seeks the public trust is committed to transparency at all levels," adding that "[t]ax returns show sources of income, chronicle any charitable giving, and reveal potential conflicts of interest, use of tax shelters and other valuable information."

It is not clear if Mr. McInnis will be releasing has tax records, but he claims to have been more open about his finances than most candidates.

Kelly Standley thinks that the other Republican in the race against Mr. McInnis, Dan Maes, has a better chance against Mayor Hickenlooper in the general election. He notes that outside of the metro area, Mr. Maes has a solid support bloc. Maes received 40% in the GOP caucuses.

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