Reid aide spills details about Bain source, then retracts them

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., talks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 31, 2012.

/ J. Scott Applewhite

Updated at 3:45 p.m. ET

(CBS News) An aide for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this week revealed some details about the source who allegedly told Reid that Mitt Romney avoided paying taxes for 10 years, only to quickly retract those details.

In a radio interview Wednesday, Reid aide Jose Parra said that Reid's source in Bain Capital, the private equity firm that Romney founded, was a Republican with "direct knowledge" on the subject.

"This person is an investor in Bain Capital, a Republican also, and somebody who has been dealing with Romney's company for a long, long time and he has direct knowledge of this," he said, the Huffington Post reported.

However, Parra later told the Huffington Post that he was retracting his remarks: "I do not know the party affiliation of the source, how long he invested with Bain, or his relationship to Romney beyond the fact that he was an investor with Bain Capital, as Senator Reid has previously stated," he said.

Though some have criticized Reid for passing on hearsay about Romney's taxes, Reid has stood by the story, calling his source at Bain "extremely credible."

There's been some speculation that Reid's source has been Jon Huntsman Sr., the founder of Huntsman Corporation and the father of former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, Jr. Huntsman's business partner is a managing director at Bain, but Huntsman told the Washington Post that he is not Reid's source.

"That's absolutely false," he said of the speculation. "I have absolutely no knowledge of Bain or Mitt Romney's tax returns."

However, Huntsman -- one of Romney's longtime supporters -- also told the Post that Romney should release his tax returns. Romney released his 2010 tax returns and an estimate for his 2011 taxes but has come under fire for not disclosing more, especially in the context of the debate over tax reform.

"Mr. Romney ought to square with the American people and release his taxes like any other candidate," Huntsman said. "I've supported Mitt all along. I wish him well. But I do think he should release his income taxes."

The Obama campaign, meanwhile, continues to fuel speculation over whether Mitt Romney avoided paying any taxes in years past with a new ad that asks, "Isn't it time for Romney to come clean?"

[shyann12]

Jose Parra is obligated to inform IRS about this.

[BuckeyeChuck]

Just the fact that Romney won't release his tax returns shows that he is not capable of making Presidential decisions. What if he was given a really tough choice, like should the US go after Bin laden

[johntlofty]

To the Conservatives comparing Romney's tax returns to Obama's college records: Romney hasn't released his college records either. A few recent candidates have, but most have not.

[johntlofty]

I strongly suspect there are things in Romney's returns that are unflattering, but unless it's stuff that makes him unelectable, I don't know why he's refusing to disclose. Every other candidate in recent memory has been much more forthcoming.

[Eco99]

If Obama's was unflattering I would love to hear your adjective for W's. W was re-elected so that proves there is hope for anyone even if it be a single celled organism.

[liberalmike]

Why even robmes' father suggested that someine who doesn't release 12 years of tax returns (like he did when he ran for POTUS) is probably hiding something! LOL!!!!

yOU THINK????

[liberalmike]

So long robme you can't buy the presidency!

[Eco99]

@FLHR: Where was all your rhetoric when W blew a budget surplus, started 2 wars accomplishing none of the objectives in either, oversaw the largest expansion in the federal government in decades, etc. Oh yeah and presided over the economic fall of which you speak that Obama inherited. Take the blinders off.

[wfw3536]

I am just amazed how the Dems and Obama campaign committee will lie about anything just to get re-elected. The ad that claims Romney was responsible for a women death after her husband lost his jobs 6 years earlier and the fact that she had her own health insurance is hitting a new low. And then the Obama campaign group pretends they don't know anything about it when they Ms Cutter, a top Obama campaign worker is heard on a conference call with the man in the ad. Oh, and let's not forget how she at first Ms Cutter denied any knowledge of it when first questioned about the ad. You just can't get any lower than this.

[Lindag20]

I suppose you're okay with the Romney ads that claim Obama is waging a "war on religion" and "taking the work requirement out of welfare" which are just as false. ALL political ads are misleading, get over it.

[Eco99]

@wfw: Ahhh ... the sounds of self righteous indignation. Acknowledge your own party's short comings and lies and then we can talk.

[Lindag20]

So one of Romney's co-investors at Bain "moved his lips" and told Reid that Romney had a scheme to avoid paying taxes. Since it's known that Romney schemed to avoid paying taxes when ripping off the Italian govenment while running Bain, why would anyone believe he'd act differently in the rest of his activities? I have a strong feeling tthat releasing his tax returns would lead to more embarassing revelations about Romney's business dealings that would make voters realize they DIDN'T want this shyster as president.

[the_egret]

Mormon vs Mormon is fun to watch. Whose Magic Underwear will prevail, Harry's or Voldemort's?

[lesserof2evil]

I like Harry Reid's style. He's slowly leaking information on this tax dodger without looking like he is. Brilliant I must say.:)

[bobwsa]

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is a honorable man who would only lie if it was to serve a higher power. Or is that someone has pictures of him with naked donkeys... I have a confidential source who may or may not be a democrat that is saying it may be true or not. My source has tapes and video - of what - I don't know - The ASPCA should look into this...

[bobwsa]

I am retracting my remarks

[lesserof2evil]

Nobody cares about what Reid does in private. Everyone cares about if the next President of the United States of America is a tax dodger or not. Try again, fool!