Citing "crisis of faith in government," Elizabeth Warren releases tax returns
Citing a worsening "crisis of faith in government," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren released her 2018 tax returns, becoming part of a small group of candidates in the crowded Democratic primary field to do so.
"The American people think the government works for the wealthy and well-connected, not for them," Warren said in a statement Wednesday. "And they're right. I've put out eleven years of my tax returns because no one should ever have to guess who their elected officials are working for. Doing this should be law."
The progressive lawmaker and longtime advocate for government transparency had previously disclosed 10 years of her tax returns online. Her 2018 returns revealed she and her husband, Bruce Mann, a Harvard professor, paid about $200,000 in taxes last year on an income of approximately $900,000. Warren reported an income of $176,280 from her senate salary and approximately $325,000 from book proceeds.
Only a few of the more than a dozen Democrats running for president have released their tax information so far, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. With Congressional Democrats embroiled in a standoff with the White House over the release of President Trump's tax returns, the party's White House hopefuls will likely face pressure from activists to set an example and release their tax information.
In an interview with CBS News, one of the leading contenders, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, pledged to disclose his tax returns by Monday.
Last year, Warren introduced a sweeping government transparency bill, dubbed the Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act, which would require the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to release the tax returns of candidates for the presidency, vice presidency, Congress and other federal elected offices.