What could possibly be the reason for Bernie's tax return stall?

[redstateblues]

I'm at a loss. Bernie is not a rich guy so what could be the reason? It just doesn't make any sense. Hopefully he'll clear it up soon.

[JI7]

1. how do you know he isn't a rich guy ?

[redstateblues]

16. He may have a lot of cabbage left over from the last campaign.

[GemDigger]

2. He tells us in the last 10 seconds or so in the video when he plans to do it.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=7221


back it up and listen to it a few times...

[David__77]

3. I certainly don't know.

I can imagine a scenario in which he releases them along with some additional information that is presented by his campaign as demonstrating a desirable level of transparency.

[LongtimeAZDem]

5. By stalling for three years, he has lost any credible claim of transparency

[David__77]

7. I can understand the perspective.

...

[question everything]

4. Because he can. Because he shows us how he continues to mock us

running as a Democrat while not having an intention to switch parties. Except during the primaries in Vermont.

What I would like to know, is why are all the Sanderistas here still support and cheer him.

Can you not find a single candidate who carries the same torch but is a candidate?

Please, give me your reasons.

[David__77]

9. ...

While I don’t identify as a Sandernista, if the election were held today, I would vote for him. I agree with much of his policy platform (certainly not everything), I think his campaign will have a positive impact on politics in this country and on the Democratic Party. He strikes as honest person and throughly humanist in outlook. Obviously I could go on; that’s about it at this time!

[LongtimeAZDem]

6. Either he has contempt for the process, he is hiding something, or he is incompetent

Or a combination of the above.

I cannot see any other explanation.

[elfin]

8. I thought his wife Ann did the returns for the household

She had some problems with her job at a small university that involved finances (not hers personally) I believe. That problem may have been ongoing during the time of the personal returns filings.

Maybe the household returns aren't as accurate as they should be?

But they are definitely dawdling on this action and need to explain.

[handmade34]

10. Jane

and her job at the University was years ago...

[oasis]

13. Jane Sanders was president of Burlington College 2004-2011. IIRC a

financial controversy involving Jane and Burlington arose a few years later.

[yardwork]

11. Possibilities include....

Maybe Jane and Bernie Sanders didn't file accurate tax returns, either through neglect or intention. Releasing the returns would bring unwanted scrutiny from the IRS.

Or maybe they are behind in paying taxes, either through neglect or intention.

Or maybe they've received money from sources they don't want to reveal.

Maybe their business/campaign interests are mixed up with their personal finances, in ways that would bring legal scrutiny.

Maybe they don't want people to know how wealthy they are.

[W_HAMILTON]

27. Good list.

My top guesses are:

1. Maybe they don't want people to know how wealthy they are.
2. Maybe Jane and Bernie Sanders didn't file accurate tax returns, either through neglect or intention. Releasing the returns would bring unwanted scrutiny from the IRS.

I think both of these situations would make him look like a hypcrite and be incredibly embarrassing given his oft-repeated stump speech going after the wealthy not paying their fair share of taxes.

[highplainsdem]

12. Best guess is that he's afraid they'll hurt his image. Obviously he'd have released

them before now if he thought they would help.

Extrapolating from that guess, the returns probably show he's much better off financially than his followers know, possibly very adept at avoiding taxes as much as possible, and perhaps not exactly generous in his contributions to charity.

Again, this is just a guess, but politicians who are reluctant to release their tax returns generally are trying to keep them from scrutiny for a reason. So my guess is based on what tax-return revelations could hurt Bernie's image the most.

[Cha]

14. Who told you BS wasn't "rich"?

[redstateblues]

15. I guess he wasn't rich before he had all that money in his coffers from his last campaign

He may be a 1%er by now.

[Cha]

17. Yeah, I've read

BS is plenty rich now.

But, lots of people are rich and show there tax returns for 10 years.. so..

Mahalo for your OP, redstateblues!

[redstateblues]

21. Is Bernie trying to run out the clock like

You know who did? If he gets the nomination we’ll have two candidates with mysterious finances. The strategy worked before.

[Cha]

23. Sounds to me like it.. but, at least we have THIS...

Link to tweet

[namahage]

18. One tell is that he changed the target of his scorn

From “millionaires and billionaires” to just “billionaires”. If your message supposedly hadn’t changed, why would your target?

[Blue_true]

19. My guess.

He is either rich and has embarrassing investments, or some of his or his wife's income is embarrassing. Bernie is invested in looking like an ethical, crusading Saint to his supporters, a man who took a vow of poverty long ago and stuck to it, any fact that blows that image up is not kosher. Who can trust a millionaire to truly fight oligarchs? How can a person fight oil interests when that person hold oil related investments? You remember the aspersions cast on Hillary's wealth, Bernie can't get caught up in that type of turbulence.

[Gothmog]

20. Look up Old Towne Media, LLC

Last edited Thu Apr 4, 2019, 08:55 PM - Edit history (1)

[JaneQPublic]

22. Won't any excuses expire on April 15?

Assuming, of course, that the Sanders don't file for an extension.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems they HAVE to have their taxes together in 11 days to submit to the government, and then they can present them for his campaign.

[crazytown]

24. Foreign Connections

Anything related to Russia. Who knows?

[WeekiWater]

25. He is either waiting until his 2008 returns drop off the...

“10 year” rule. He wants to conceal income shown by his wife. Etc. some are talking about issues during his last campaign with respect to a highly questionable advertisement company. I think it goes well before that or he would have released them last time around.

[Tiggeroshii]

26. He should release them

if for no other reason but to qualify for the ballot in crucial blue states where it will likely be required.