Pawlenty: I Gave Mitt 'A Bunch of Tax Returns' (Video)

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was passed over for the vice presidential slot by presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Now Pawlenty is indicating that Romney may have higher standards for his running mate than he does for himself.

On “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” Pawlenty said that he gave Romney “a bunch” of tax returns as part of the vetting process for the second spot on the GOP ticket.

“I don’t remember the exact number,” Pawlenty told Stephanopoulos. “It was several years, I believe.”

Stephanopoulos asked Pawlenty if it was more than two years — the number of tax returns Romney has said he will disclose to the public — and Pawlenty declined to be specific.

“Well, we don’t get into the details of the vetting process,” Pawlenty said. “But I gave him a bunch of tax returns. I don’t remember the exact number of years.”

Romney has been under fire from the Obama campaign and several Republicans for his refusal to release more than a partial 2010 tax return and a promise to release 2011 returns later in the fall. Romney has steadfastly refused to release more than two years’ worth of returns, making Pawlenty’s statement all the more damaging.

While there is no law requiring Romney to release returns to the public while seeking office, the pressure on Romney to disclose his finances has been intense, and has been a centerpiece of the Obama campaign’s attacks on the former Massachusetts governor. Thanks to Pawlenty, those attacks are now likely to intensify, and the question of Mitt Romney’s tax returns — one he hoped to permanently shelve with the announcement of Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., as his running mate — will continue to dog Romney throughout the fall.

Take Action: Demand Mitt Romney release his tax returns.

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Now Newt Wants Romney’s Tax Returns

What’s In Romney’s Tax Returns?

Image Credit: Gage Skidmore

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Wendy S.

3:25PM PDT on Aug 25, 2012

But Romney won't show his. He's hiding something and he might as well come clean. The truth will always come out. At his age, he should know that.

August 25
send a green star

David F.

7:09PM PDT on Aug 14, 2012

Hey James, did you ever find President Clintons 1991 tax returns? Or were you bamboozled by the state media again?

August 14
send a green star

Mike K.

12:31PM PDT on Aug 14, 2012

Todd K., When the repukeican convention rolls around, Ron Paul will make a little squeaky sound from inside that suit that is still too big for him, and then he will roll over on his back with his legs and arms pointing upwards so that he can get his belly scratched by Willard Mitt Romney and Paul Davis Ryan, as he hands all his delegates over to the Chinese job creator and the Medicare Killer.

Ron Paul gamed you and you fell for it. Wanna buy a Rolex for $75, Todd?

12:22PM PDT on Aug 14, 2012

Mitt not revealing his non-payment-of-income-tax-forms reminds me of my two sons when they were around 7 years old. It made me just a tad suspicious whenever I asked them what they were up to, and they had their little hands behind their backs while answering, "Nothing".

According to Mitt, I should have just ignored them and minded my own business.

Sorry Mitt, one time I discovered that my 7 year old had a book of matches behind his back. That was a lesson learned the easy way. Good thing I didn't follow the Mitt School of Parenting, or I might have had a pile of ashes where my house used to sit.

Hey Mitt, You made Paul Davis Ryan submit "several years" of tax returns before putting him to work for you. You made Timothy James Pawlenty show you "several years" of tax returns when you were considering him working for you.

You want to work for the People of the United States of America, Mitt? We have to demand that you show us what you have got behind your back. It's our job. You have to comply with the demand of your future employer, or you can go back to your old job of looting the employee pensions of the companies you bankrupted.

Frances C.

10:54AM PDT on Aug 14, 2012

Frank Y. Why do you want his college records? Is it because the birther lie didn't pan out? We never ask a candidate for his school records, or their birth certificate. That is just a crazy tea party idea. Now that I think about it we should have asked George W for his school records, or his drug and alcohal arrests that daddy covered up. Or his military non-duty. Or his failed business's that daddy friends had given him.

Daniel D.

10:22AM PDT on Aug 14, 2012

@Frank Y.: Possibly because the information contained in college records is very seldom germane to being President? Unless Obama is trying to get reelected on the strength of his degree (if he has, I haven't noticed), there isn't much that would be in his college records that I really *care* about at this point - from a character standpoint, there's a world of difference between college and where he is now (especially considering he graduated from law school more than two decades ago).

This is as opposed to Romney, who's attempting to trade on his financial and business acumen in his campaign, but has been cagey about his business experience and secretive about his finances.

change t.

9:59AM PDT on Aug 14, 2012

Frances, Newt makes my skin crawl, and I for the life of me can not understand why he was even given the time by anyone in his failed bid for the nomination. But then I really do not get much of what the "right" deems right & true, & feels should be forced on the people; sometimes they are laughable, and sometimes I GAG.

9:39AM PDT on Aug 14, 2012

James K. I have been waiting and hoping for someone, anyone to question Mittstake on how he managed to have that much money in his IRA. I hope to hear that answer as I have been very curious.

Change T. I also saw that Gingrich interview good analysis, hard to watch because he is creepy, but interesting.

8:11AM PDT on Aug 14, 2012

Yes, and once again James calls out those feeding misinformation/disinformation, and to whom your setting the record straight for; it was like watching Newt Gingrich get interviewed by Wolf Blitzer the other night- they avoid truth when presented with it, and then start blowing smoke, finally become hostile when there is no room to escape when your on National television. Newt of all people, IS the perfect running mate for Romney.