Ann Romney on taxes: "There's nothing we're hiding"

Ann Romney.

(CBS News) After a brief respite from talk of Mitt Romney's tax returns, the issue is back in the spotlight after an interview with Ann Romney, who insists that "there's going to be no more tax releases given" by her husband in the lead-up to November's election.

Romney, speaking with NBC's Natalie Morales in an interview set to air Thursday night, said "there's nothing we're hiding" with regard to the couple's finances, but that unveiling a more extensive record of their tax history would "only give [Democrats] more ammunition."

"We have been very transparent to what's legally required of us," she said. "There's going to be no more tax releases given."

Democrats and even some Republicans have criticized Romney for his decision to release only two years' worth of returns, particularly in light of questions surrounding his history at Bain Capital and offshore bank accounts in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.

The Obama campaign, which has released 12 years' worth of President Obama's returns, has openly questioned what Romney could be hiding - and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has cited an anonymous source who he says has told him Romney paid no taxes at all for ten years.

The Romney campaign has vociferously denied Reid's charge, and Sen. John McCain, who vetted Romney as a vice presidential candidate in 2008, has said he saw nothing in Romney's tax returns to suggest he paid no taxes. The Romney campaign, however, has not released any further evidence that might put the matter to rest.

Mrs. Romney emphasized to NBC that much of the couple's wealth has been in a blind trust since her husband was elected governor of Massachusetts in 2002.

"It's been managed by a blind trust since before Mitt was governor, you know, 2002 forward," she said. "And so, you know, I'll be curious to see what's in there too."

[bloominggarden]

What I heard Ms. Romney say is that they are too entitled or privileged to be pushed, questioned, attacked or challenged.

I also heard her say Romney will save America.

It's starting to creep me out. Sounds like the mormon party line that they are going to inherit a universe and be saviors over that universe like Christ is over this one.

[imhopeful2]

with your remark i understand why no one would want you to see their taxes. gosh, you twist things all around!!!! Nuts!!

[owldog]

Ann Romney knows the Democratic operatives will connect dots on the financial industrial pillage of our way of life and manufacturing sector, that Romney and his 1% culture committed in the last 15 or so.

And these elitist Neo-conservatives rely on the belief that the American people are too stupid to suspect anything - and would elect him anyway

[imhopeful2]

He gave more when he became governor she said. Go look at those! Romney is ONLY required to turn over two years! Have you even looked at what he has turned over? Get over it! Ask where OUR money is that Obama OUTSOURCED? why is a debt so high when he promised to reduce it! Gosh, i heard that he has increased the debt more than all other presidents! If i spent your money the way he has would you let me get away with it??wouldn't i be jailed for something that reckless? and you are focused on whether or not the legal amount of tax returns have been turned over?? Crazy thinking!

[92F150]

Oh, ok Ann. Thanks. I understand. That really clears things up. A blind trust, no problem. I guess you can have your cake and eat it too. Ann, it's not just to make you cave to the puking libs, it's also to give confidence to the average voter who isn't going to blindly follow the GOP platform. These folks vote on perceptions and it sure looks like something is being hidden from them.

[CBSDebbie]

Don't tell me Ann, show me. The proof is in the tax forms.

[w_roos]

Oh no, not another self-contradicting excuse. I hate when I get those.

[stevex47]

What a lovely woman. I would never say anything bad about any Presidents wife.

She and Michelle are both awesome wives.

I think sometimes, Presidents wives would make better Presidents than their husbands !

[CaptainSmollett]

I think all liberals must have ADHD. You get so wired-up over trivial stuff while ignoring the important issues. What the hell difference does it make if Romney paid 13% tax, or whatever, when our economy is in such chaos? You are just soooo anxious to find anything to rationalize your own beliefs, regardless of how meaningless.

[RollotheNorman]

Think what you like, RepubliCON opinion is irrelevant in and of itself.

[CaptainSmollett]

I am a whole lot more concerned about what Obama is doing with our money than I am about what Romney did with his! Romney's tax returns are a trivial diversion from the real issues.

Obama promised to he wouldn't "mortgage our children's future under a mountain of debt"...then proceeded to increase the national debt $5.5 trillion - more than any president in history. If this continues, you can kiss our children's future goodbye. Is that what you want?

[RollotheNorman]

Cute line, but rapidly becoming a trite cliche.

[ejarizona]

Ann just opened up a can of worms. Why will it give us democrats more amo? What is in those tax papers? If everything is legitimate then why would it cause issues. You would think that if all is well then why would she say that, "IT WILL ONLY GIVE US MORE AMO"? WHY WOULD THEY GIVE US MORE AMO, WHAT IS IN THERE? Must be pretty bad if it will give us more amo. Dumb move Mrs. Romney.

[moderatechoice]

You must agree then that President Obama should have had to show his Birth Certificate -- eventually he caved to public pressure. I personally think that was stupid and unnecessary.

This is just doing the same thing in reverse-- and apparently much of America is starting to follow the bad trend of "ASSUMED GUILTY until PROVEN innocent."

To explain why Mrs. Romney can legitimately use the expression "only give [Democrats] more ammunition" doesn't take much effort to see for anyone actually trying to be fair.

As someone else commented-- showing what organizations he's donated to (or not donated to), or how much money he made, etc. is all something that the left wingers like spinning into class warfare and other distractions. Much of these accusations (like Mr. Reid's comments) sound great-- but where is the evidence? where is the actual witness? We know that the candidates in general try to make the other side look bad. But being able to back it up with numbers and make it sound like something it's not is the "ammo" that Mrs. Romney is talking about.

Anyone who can't understand that, and who hasn't watched the blatant differences in reporting between fox news (who leans right) and the rest of the mainstream media (which leans left), is willfully ignorant or just blinded by ideology. My wife commented the other day that there really isn't any integrity in journalism anymore-- everyone is selling a story and pandering to an audience.

And *assuming someone is guilty because they don't do what everyone else has done, when there is no evidence that they have done something wrong** now that's just hate & fear-- and very reminiscent of the type of reasoning used by the Nazis to justify the Aryan race.

[imhopeful2]

she understands how democrats twist things all around! Wow! if they gave 15% in charity one year and obama gave 16% we wouldn't hear the end of it. Obama is more charitable more charitable that is all we would hear. even though all other years Romney may have given more! obama outsourced our money! do you care anything about that? Are all of us outsourcing in a mini way when we buy things from china? what about if i invest in international stocks? is that outsourcing?

[ralphem]

Yes Ann, you indeed are hiding everything that hasn't been released. Like it or not, that's the way hiding works -- if you won't release something, you're hiding it. Even if everything withheld is on the up and up, it's still a secret, so far. So, everyone is left to wonder just why you are adamantly hiding all these important returns- Grandaddy Romney released 12 years of his taxes when he ran for President, without a whimper. Gee, I wonder why Romneys (including Ann) would be hiding all this tax information from public scrutiny- is this the way all senior Mormon figures act toward the public? I'm so certain there's nothing illegal in the returns (we are talking about bigtime Mormons here, right?), but unethical and shameless financial maneuvering just might be in there, along with questionable sources of major income that might not float too well with the public. Extremely problematic.