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2nd District candidates to release tax returns

By Lynn Bartels, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 9, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Congressional candidate Joan Fitz-Gerald intends to release her income tax returns for the past five years today and call on her opponents to do the same.

Rivals Jared Polis and Will Shafroth said that wouldn't be a problem.

All three are running for the Democratic nomination in the 2nd District.

Fitz-Gerald's move comes a week after her campaign criticized Polis for putting more than $600,000 of his own money into his campaign.

"This is about transparency," said Fitz-Gerald's campaign manager, Mary Alice Mandarich.

"Jared is happy to make his tax returns publicly available," his campaign spokeswoman, Dayna Hanson, said. "He has nothing to hide."

Shafroth also will release his returns, his campaign manager, Lynea Hansen, said.

"We are in the process of pulling them together," she said.

Challenging opponents to release their income tax records is nothing new.

Dick Wadhams, now the GOP state party chairman, did it in 2002 when he ran U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard's re-election bid against lawyer Tom Strickland.

And many candidates do it in response to newspaper requests.

"It's a Colorado tradition for candidates to release their income tax returns," political consultant Katy Atkinson said. "If the Clintons can release their tax returns, so can other candidates."

Fitz-Gerald, of Coal Creek Canyon, served as Senate president before stepping down last fall to concentrate on her congressional run. State legislators are paid $30,000, plus a per diem and additional pay for serving in leadership.

Polis, of Boulder, received no pay when he served on the Colorado Board of Education for six years.

But Polis, the oldest son of Stephen and Susan Polis Schutz, owners of Blue Mountain Arts in Boulder, made his first millions in 1998 when he sold the first of seven Internet companies he founded.

Shafroth, of Boulder, served as director of the Colorado Conservation Trust until taking an unpaid leave of absence last year to work on his campaign.

bartels@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5327

Comments

  • April 9, 2008

    7:19 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Coloradobaywatch writes:

    I hope Fitz-Gerald's Hubby puts out his tax returns too. He is a mega rich lawyer for a gold and mining company!

  • April 9, 2008

    5:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Veritas writes:

    "Mega rich" is not what the joint tax return says according to the Boulder Daiy Camera. A joint income for the past 3 years averages about $71,000. Coloradobaywatch needs to do his homework.