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Strickland releases his tax returns
By MARC KOVAC
COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland released four years of income-tax returns Wednesday — and called on his Republican gubernatorial challenger to do the same.
The state’s top Democratic officeholder handed out copies of his tax documents for 2006-09 during a press conference near the Statehouse. During his first campaign for the governor’s office, he released six years of tax returns for public perusal.
John Kasich “has refused to do the same,” Strickland said. “Despite frequently touting his work on Wall Street and with Lehman Bros., Congressman Kasich refuses to tell the people of Ohio what companies he represented, what deals he was involved in and how much he profited from his time at Lehman.”
Kasich did allow selected reporters to see his 2008 tax filing recently, plus a state-required financial disclosure form. Those reporters had about 30 minutes to review the return and take notes, but they were not allowed to keep the documents.
Spokesman Rob Nichols said the campaign took the step to refute Democrats’ assertions that Kasich earned millions of dollars from Lehman Bros. in the year the firm declared bankruptcy.
The 2008 returns show Kasich earned about $183,000 in salary from Lehman, plus a bonus of about $432,000, both paid in 2007. Kasich did not receive income from Lehman in 2008, the year it went bankrupt, Nichols said.
“We have already provided more than Ohio law requires,” Nichols said of the disclosures.
He added, “If Ted Strickland would work harder to cut Ohio’s taxes and worry less about how much John and his family paid in them, maybe 426,000 Ohioans wouldn’t have lost their jobs since he became governor.”
According to documents released Wednesday, Strickland earned more than $166,000 last year, about $142,000 of which came from his salary as governor.
He and First Lady Frances donated close to $31,000 to charity, including $11,208 to the Friends of Governors Residence and Heritage Garden and $5,347 to the Ohio Historical Society.
The Stricklands’ total tax obligation was $21,571, and they received a $2,027 refund.