White House Reviews Roberts’ Tax Returns, Won’t Commit To Sharing With Senate
White House Reviews Roberts’ Tax Returns, Won’t Commit To Sharing With Senate
Yesterday, the White House said that the tax returns of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts were off limits:
The White House said [yesterday] that under a policy enacted in 2001 it would neither examine Roberts’s tax returns itself nor provide them to the Senate.
But at today’s press briefing, Scott McClellan admitted the White House has reviewed Robert’s tax returns as part of their vetting process:
Now, in terms of Judge Roberts, and as part of the vetting process, we did ask for his tax returns from the past three years, and we have received those.
But McClellan still won’t commit to providing the documents to the Senate. Question: If the tax returns are relevant to the White House’s vetting process, why aren’t they relevant to the Senate’s process?
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Maybe they’ll leak them to Bob Novak.
July 27th, 2005 at 3:02 pmWhy do CONservatives have so much to hide if what they’re doing is so ‘correct’? It’s important to remember that CONservatism always begins with a CON ;)
July 27th, 2005 at 3:11 pmThe people have no right to look at anyone’s tax return. It’s bad enough having to file one without everyone looking at it.
July 27th, 2005 at 4:05 pmLook, enough info is leaking about Roberts to know he’s an ultra-right shill and an insider at far right conservative organizations. If paid for his input, these connections will appear in his tax returns. The other possibility is that he was paid for his involvement and never reported that fact. That would open him to charges of tax evasion. Either way, we see once again that the Bush administration fears the revelation of information because they KNOW it won’t sit well with the public. They cling to secretive actions that will anger their employers, the people of the United States. Bush and all are guilty of the highest grade of arrogance, duplicity and obstruction of justice. I say obstruction of justice because it is just for our elected officials to provide the voting public with comprehensive information that will allow a full reasoning of administration actions. When they’re trying to install a man who will determine judicial law for decades, it is even more critical that every damn thing be known about this person. By preventing us from knowing all we need to know, Bush is giving every American the big middle finger, the one skill he’s mastered through the fog of illiteracy, evasion of duty, wealthy snobbery, lying petulance, vengeful nature, drug use and binge drinking that define his essential character.
July 27th, 2005 at 4:10 pmI think it’s likely he donated money to some radical right wing organizations and deducted it from his tax returns. He probably also has investments in some companies that would make it questionable for his ability to sit on the court in an unbiased manner. It’s clear that the more we know about him, they more he’ll look bad – and that’s why the CONservatives are desperately trying to hide him behind his fake smile…
July 27th, 2005 at 5:23 pmWell if he forgot to itemize his deductions (ala Whitewater) I’m sure the Republicans will immediately draft impeachment proceedings.
July 27th, 2005 at 6:52 pmI’ll show the WH my tax return if they show me Roberts’s….
July 27th, 2005 at 7:16 pmThey sure went over John Kerry’s tax returns with a fine toothed comb. Has something changed since November?
July 27th, 2005 at 7:39 pmRoberts is anti-abortion and believes the same crap as bush, but this administration has contributed to policies which have increased maternal deaths, infant mortality, and abortion.
This is a stupid agenda for any decent human being to accept as having good values! It’s just one more case of hypocrisy and moral ignorance disguised as moral fortitude!
If Bush had real morals around protecting children, he’d provide fully funded education, health care, shelter and food for all children! Morality always stops short of a CONservative’s pocket book!
July 27th, 2005 at 8:13 pmRight on Ryan! For me “family values” mean taking care of your own first.
I’d like the extremists to list the things that Bushie has done for the American family.
Like always they come up not one single thing. Their pride is in taking care of the Iraqi people first, to hell with the American families.
Helping the Iraqi’s is their latest reason for attacking Iraq yes? What about helping your own first?
Thats right, I’m not talking to real Americans am I?
July 27th, 2005 at 9:05 pmhttp://www.knowmore.org/index.php/Judge_John_G._Roberts_Jr.
July 20, 2005 | As a partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Hogan & Hartson, John G. Roberts contributed
$1,000 to George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign. Roberts, who Bush nominated last night to serve on the
U.S. Supreme Court, has donated to just three other federal candidates–all Republicans–over the years in what
amounts to a modest record of campaign giving.
Roberts contributed $500 in 2000 to Republican Sen. Dick Lugar of Indiana, the state where Roberts was raised.
Roberts’ other donations to federal candidates came in the 1998 cycle, when he sent a total of $1,235 to
Republican Peter Fitzgerald, who went on to defeat Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.), and $1,000 to Indiana
Senate candidate Peter Rusthoven, who lost in the Republican primary.
The rest of Roberts’ political contributions went to Hogan & Hartson’s political action committee. Over the
years, Roberts donated $7,450 to the PAC in amounts ranging from $850 to $1,100 per year, far below the legal
limit. Overall, Roberts has made a total of $11,185 in campaign contributions to federal candidates, parties
and PACs.
Unlike Roberts, Hogan & Hartson is a major campaign donor. The firm has contributed $2.3 million since 1989 in
individual, PAC and soft money contributions, 56 percent to Democrats.Roberts’ wife, Jane, a partner in the law firm of Shaw, Pittman, has made several contributions to the firm’s
PAC totaling $3,772. Her lone contribution to a federal candidate was $250 to Fitzgerald in 1998
***********************************
Lobbying By John G. Roberts:
Western Peanut Growers Association-1996 (Source: Opensecrets, Federal lobbying records)
July 28th, 2005 at 12:24 am-Roberts was paid up to $20,000 by WPGA to lobby.
-He lobbied for The Warehouse Storage Loan Program and the Peanut Price Support Program.
-Throughout the year, he contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Panhandle Peanut Growers Association-1997
-Roberts was paid up to $10,000 by PPGA for lobbying.
-He lobbied for The Warehouse Storage Loan Program and the Peanut Price Program.
-He contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Western Peanut Growers Association-1997
-WPGA paid
I hope the above is helpful. Generally speaking, your attitudes represent everything about the ‘Big Brother’ aspects of government which frighten a lot of people. The Senate has every right to examine Judge Roberts’ judicial philosphy, including his writings, his opinions on past cases, and the effect his personal beliefs may have on his judgments, especially in this case where lives are at stake. However his private financial and family life is his own, and the people have no right to know “every damn thing” about him, or you, or me, ever. His personal financial records haven’t been requested yet. Perhaps they won’t be and then the question is moot.
July 28th, 2005 at 12:43 amAs Josh Marshall has pointed out, if the White House which simply nominates the candidate reviews certain documents, shouldn’t the Senate, which actually confirms the person, be able to review the same documents? I wish someone would ask George or Scotty this simple question.
July 28th, 2005 at 11:42 amThis corrupt administration has everything to hide.
If Roberts expects to work for “The American People” he needs to let them inspect EVERY aspect of his life! Pure and simple.
The administration will not allow anyone to inspect any of their cronies. IE:rover
This administration is particullarly overtly corrupt.
Everyone associated with this administration has a shady past and lots of things to hide.
Cheeney, Rove, Roberts, Bolton etc. but most disturbingly shrubya….
Do a web search for Chris Floyd – Bush Family Whitewashing in Iraq and Nazi Germany. CounterPunch.
Yes boys and girls this is NOT EVEN THE SECOND TIME THE SHRUBS HAVE PROFITED FROM WARS. Chris Floyd’s article is the Reader’s Digest version of the shrub perversion.
August 1st, 2005 at 12:42 pm