Exclusive: In an opening volley of a possible clash between two well-to-do political dynasties, Jeb Bush challenged Hillary Clinton by releasing more than three decades of tax returns, both to quiet criticism of his own past business dealings and to highlight Clinton’s reputation for secrecy, writes Chelsea Gilmour.
By Chelsea Gilmour
Jeb Bush is campaigning on a platform of transparency. Or so he says. On June 30, he released 33 years of tax returns on his website – more than any presidential candidate in history. The only other presidential candidate to come close was Bob Dole in 1996 who released 30 years’ worth. This unprompted move has raised eyebrows from some observers and “attaboys” from others.
Bush calls it “the spirit of transparency” that compelled him to release the returns. But, given Bush’s sometimes-dubious business background, it is hard to tell if it’s transparency he is concerned with or if he is simply trying to nip criticism of his past business dealings in the bud.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
Bush has never been bashful about announcing his desire to make lots of money – or about using his family name to secure financially rewarding positions. In 1983, he was famously quoted by a Miami News reporter saying, ”I’d like to be very wealthy, and I’ll be glad to let you know when I think I’ve reached my goal.” [For the history of his business dealings, see Consortiumnews’ “Jeb Bush’s Tangled Past”]
And, it appears from his tax returns that he has done better money-wise than many thought. Most estimates had put Bush’s wealth at between $8 million and $10 million, but the newly released data suggests that he is worth between $19 million and $22 million, a huge jump from when he left the Florida governor’s office in 2007, at which point his wealth was disclosed as $1.3 million. In 2013 alone, Bush brought in a total of $7.4 million.
The June 30 release shows that his accumulation of wealth is largely due to his work in the banking sector, in investments through his companies, Jeb Bush and Associates and Britton Hill, and from his numerous paid public appearances. Bush puts his average annual speech…