SC Debate: Romney Says He Will ‘Probably’ Release Taxes in April
Published at
PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) — Amid continued pressure from his rivals to make public his tax returns, Mitt Romney said at a Republican presidential candidates debate Monday night that he will “probably” release that information in April.
That timetable is in line with tradition of past nominees, who have released their information around tax day in early April.
“I have nothing in them that suggests there is any problem,” he said. “I’m happy to do so.”
Romney had said as recently as last Wednesday that he doesn’t feel the need to do anything more than the law requires him to do, which is reveal his assets.
Rick Perry took the lead in assailing the former Massachusetts governor, accusing him of dodging the question of tax records and called on him to release them before a nominee is decided.
“My income tax have been out every year. Newt [Gingrich], I think you will let your income tax come out Thursday. And Mitt, we need for you to release your income tax so the people of this country can see how you made your money,” the Texas governor said. “Here’s the real issue for us as Republicans. We cannot fire our nominee in September. We need to know now.”
The other candidates came out swinging at Romney Monday night in the 16th debate of this primary season, attacking his leadership at Bain Capital along with his refusal to release tax returns.
Rick Santorum was perhaps Romney’s most vocal critic of the evening. He criticized the former governor for not standing up to his super PAC when it ran ads attacking Santorum for giving the right to vote to felons who have served their time.
“If you felt so impassionedly about it that you’re going to go out there and have someone criticize me,” the former senator said in a testy exchange, “then why didn’t you try to change that when you were governor of Massachusetts?”
When Romney responded by dismissing super PACs, the former senator countered: “I would say stop it.”
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio