Governor Bentley Responds to Misleading Report on Romney Financial Documents
By: Stephen Crews
Updated: July 16, 2012
Alabama Governor Robert
Bentley
on Saturday responded to an Associated Press report that said the
Governor called on Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney to
release financial documents. The report further said Governor Bentley
suggested that by not releasing various documents,
a person might have something to hide.
Earlier Saturday, Governor Bentley was asked by a reporter at the National Governors Association conference
whether he thought Mitt Romney should release tax returns. The Governor said yes - adding that he believes in transparency and releases his own tax returns each year. Contrary
to the AP
report, Governor Bentley did not call on Romney to release "all
documents requested of him." The Governor was responding to whether tax
returns should be released,
and he said yes.
"I
believe my comments were taken out of context, they were not reported
in their entirety, and I want
to make sure the record is set straight," Governor Bentley said in a
statement. "I believe in trasparency, and that was the basis for my
answer. I personally choose to release my own returns each year, and
there was no effort to imply that Mr. Romney has
anything to hide."
"While
I believe in total transparency, I also believe much of the rhetoric
surrounding Mitt Romney's
personal finances is nothing more than an attempt by Democrats to
distract from the real issues of the presidential campaign. The real
issues are the economy, employment, and getting America back on the
right track," Governor Bentley added. "I fully support
Mitt Romney and his vision for our country, and I will do everything I
can to help get him elected."
