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First Read is an analysis of the day's political news, from the NBC News political unit. First Read is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Chuck Todd, NBC Political Director

Mark Murray, NBC Deputy Political Director

Domenico Montanaro, NBC Political Researcher



Clinton releases tax returns

Posted: Friday, April 04, 2008 4:12 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC’s Domenico Montanaro
Here’s the press release on the Clinton tax returns (link to the returns). MORE TO COME…

*** UPDATE *** Here are the links to each of the years: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 summary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2008
Statement of Jay Carson, Clinton Campaign Spokesman
Today Senator Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton are releasing their tax returns for the years 2000 through 2006, and are providing information regarding their 2007 taxes as well. The Clintons have now made public thirty years of tax returns, a record matched by few people in public service. None of Hillary Clinton's presidential opponents have revealed anything close to this amount of personal financial information.

What the Clintons' tax returns show is that they paid more than $33,000,000 in federal taxes and donated more than $10,000,000 to charities over the past eight years. They paid taxes and made charitable contributions at a higher rate than taxpayers at their income level.

2000 - 2007 TAX RETURN SUMMARY HILLARY & BILL CLINTON TAXES PAID: $33,783,507
The Clintons paid $33,783,507 in federal taxes - 31% of their adjusted gross income. According to the most recent data available from the IRS, in 2005 taxpayers earning $10,000,000 or more paid on average 20.8% of their adjusted gross income in taxes.

 CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS: $10,256,741 The Clintons donated $10,256,741 to charity - 9.5% of their adjusted gross income. According to the most recent data available from the IRS, in 2005 taxpayers earning $10,000,000 or more contributed 3.1% of their adjusted gross income in cash contributions to charity. Information about the Clinton Family Foundation, including a list of charities to which the Clintons contributed through the Foundation, is available online in the Foundation's publicly available tax returns (www.foundationcenter.org).

AFTER TAX EARNINGS: $57,157,297 CUMULATIVE TOTAL(GROSS) INCOME: $109,175,175 Including, among other items: Senator Clinton's Senate Salary: $1,051,606 President Clinton's Presidential Pension: $1,217,250 Senator Clinton's Book Income: $10,457,083 President Clinton's Book Income: $29,580,525 President Clinton's Speech Income: $51,855,599

 SENATOR CLINTON'S BOOK INCOME: $10,457,083 Senator Clinton's book income is comprised of earnings for Living History ($10,267,895), including an $8,000,000 advance, and It Takes a Village ($189,188). The earnings for It Takes a Village were donated to charity. Since the release of It Takes a Village in 1996, Senator Clinton has donated over $1,100,000 to charity.

PRESIDENT CLINTON'S BOOK INCOME: $29,580,525 President Clinton's book income is comprised of earnings for My Life ($23,280,525), including a $15,000,000 advance, and Giving ($6,300,000). The President donated $1,000,000 of his income from Giving in 2007 to charity.

PRESIDENT CLINTON'S SPEECH INCOME: $51,855,599 NOTE: The figures in this summary include 2007 estimates. Annual tax information is available for download here:

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Comments

$51 mil for speeches in ONE YEAR? How common is that?
See the rich do pay taxes!!
Happy now, people??  Looks like the Clintons are just as generous as they are wealthy.  I can't wait to see what kind of negative comments Obama supporters will post...
So the Clintons are rich?  No freakin' kidding!  Why is this an issue.  It's only an issue because sexist media and Obama supporters can't believe that a woman can make her own money and therefore there was no way Hillary could loan herself money.  

Stick it Obama supporters!  Now how about all the information including e-mails to Resko from Obama?  Still waiting for that.  
Please Paulette -  - it's time to come home and stand by your man. The campaign is over.

I need someone to bake some cookies for me. April is always my busiest month. I've got a few late nights coming up and I'll need some snacks.

Also a lantern.


There's a lot of money floating around, for two individuals that didn't have any legitimate job for the past 7 years.
$51 mil for speeches in ONE YEAR? How common is that?
Jill, Tampa, FL (Sent Friday, April 04, 2008 4:17 PM)

That's for 10 years, stupid.
There's a lot of money floating around, for two individuals that didn't have any legitimate job for the past 7 years.

Where is the income for the Kazikistan deal?
Make sure they are in their original form, no redacting like with the schedules.
So the Clintons donated 10% of their income to charity.... and how much did Obama donate:  less than 1%....

How PATHETHIC of the Obamas.  Their talk is not matched by their words!  
The devil's in the details!
Let me be the first to say, I feel much, much better about the Clintons. I will proffer no further speculation on this matter. On their charitable contributions; BRAVO! May the Good Lord accept it from them. Amen.

Pulling for Obama '08
After mking 51 million dollars from speeches, I wonder if Hillary still thinks that speeches are only words!  When are the Clintons releasing the list of presidential library donors?  It will be interesting to see how many of the library donors received political favors from the Clintons during their White House years, such as whether any of the donors are linked up with any presidential pardons?
Why would this surprise anyone? We've always know the Clintons were for sale.

The really interesting facts will be when it is revealed who actually paid Bill the $51M for "speeking".
What part of these numbers include the Giustra or Dubai money?  We still haven't forgotten about that donor list either.  I'm sure there are going to be a few rogues on that list.  If all of this money was legitimate then why did the Clintons take so long to release them?  Were they embarassed to be shown to be stinking rich or is there more beneath the surface?
To all the Obama spin-masters:  this data is based on 7 years!  

so any comments about making that much money in 1 year is more STUPID than Barack Rezko Obama.  
It's a lot easier to donate 10 percent when you made $100 million.
Where are all the EXTRA tax payments that the Clinton Family is so willing to pay? Is there a special catagory for that?  Seems that I remember Mr. Clinton saying at a rally that he was willing to pay more in taxes, well big boy, here is your chance!  Pay up
http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
$100 million in the last eight years! What on earth could someone making that kind of money possibly know about the hardships of the working poor!? And she has the audacity to threaten to garnish our wages? HRC and the fat-bottom gang need to take a hike back to the Republican party where they belong.
OMG!!


Oh yes "We" will vote for McCain, millions of Hillary democrats.

Your *hunch* is wrong, way off the mark... I have been a democratic supporter for years. But millions of us are fed up with what we see. Like how is it that a candidate can win the popular vote of a state and still lose the delegate count. This so called democracy of the democrats is absurd.

And how is it that voters in Houston and Dallas Texas votes count more than the votes of the citizens out in the rural areas of the state. Seven votes in Houston equals ten votes down around the Rio Grand, with regard to awarding delegates.

Then screaming Dean strips Florida and Michigan of their (votes) and delegates, "strips" them.... These states are critical to the election, were not taking about Idaho or Utah, states that the democrats don't stand a snow balls chance in hell of winning. But the party and Obamaphiles who seem to be one and the same, point to and say look at "our baby" he's won Idaho and Utah, he can win the Election. He is not running against a Republican there "baloon heads" it's a fellow Democrat.

Obama's effort to disenfranchise millions of voters and the crazy democrats, back him up doing it. The Party moved up South Carolina, and Nevada, so the minorities could play a more important role in the election process and they then turn around and *strip* Florida and Michigan of their votes. It's a Constitutional right to vote in this country, and now the AA hold the party so tight in their grip that Democrats are afraid of a Kenyan style like election if they don't nominate Obama. In other words it's taking to the streets burning and killing things because they are unhappy, if they don't get the results, they deserve..

I will never vote for a candidate that crushes votes of his own party for political gain, nor those who back him up. The Democratic Party is so dramatically unfair and corrupt, this has been the real learning experience for me as this election plays out over time. I'm thankful to Hillary for that, the neophytes who writes all these hate mail, blogs about the Clinton's, are for the most part incredibly naive and shallow. Obama is already far more slippery than the Hillary will ever be.

As a Democrat, after I vote for McCain in the fall, I will change to an Independent, this country is in desperate need of a "Third Party" something in the middle, between the Left Winged Liberals of pseudo superimposed guilt, Democrats. And the Right Winged Conservatives, who feel the world is (their's) play ground Republicans.


Hillary/McCain, 2008
This really is no news. It gives the conservative media a chance to find something juicy to missinterpret. Nobody's going to care in a week.
Democrats::: party of the RICH!!!! Sex drugs and scandals
Jack the obamas didnt donate as much because they're no where close to the wealth the clintons have.
Obama only gave 1% to charity including most going to his church.

10% TO CHARITY IS UNBELIEVABLE.
Generous? Giving 9.5 percent of a rediculous income in order to gain further Tax Breaks, is not really generous, is it?
With all the money they have, it is a wonder why they are having so much trouble managing their campaign finances.
Now that this is out, maybe Obama can find something else to whine about.  Looks to me like the Clinton's have given generously to charity...but I am also sure that the media will find more negative things to say about Hillary from her tax info.  I am so tired of activist journalists who know nothing about fair reporting.
One more non-issue we can get past.

Our economy is falling apart....Which Dem is best suited to make the type of changes (corrections) we need.

Iraq is going to be a major issue for some time.  In spite of rhetoric and promises it is clear that Obama can't deliver on his boast of getting us out in 2009.  What can we expect from either candidate...specifics please.

The issues are many and the solutions are scarce.  Now is the time for us to get real and make some tough choices as we select the person best suited to lead us through the difficulties we confront.

Oh, Jill in Tampa?  I have no idea how common it is to make $51,000,000 in speaking fees....I'd guess as common as it is to find a couple that's donated $10,000,000 to charitable organizations.

Well the x pres. gets 1.2ish for retierment. what's the salary to begin with?
Obama vs. Clinton people shut the heck up!

Signed independent guy that wont vote Repub but can't stand the fighting bs. I warn you keep it up. Mc Cain...I'm not kidding.
Paul Revere-Obama Supporter,
We know that you're a Hillary campaign worker trying to fire up the women by making vintage 1960 comments.  Ever since the signs that two men held up in New Hampshire saying "Iron my shirt," I've suspected that the Clinton campaign has had plants that were playing this card to fire up their women supporters.  The amazing thing is that it works.   If you're truly an Obama supporter, you're not helping anybody with that kind of ridiculous post.  
*********************  IMPORTANT  **************

SEE FOLKS !!
A history of actually GIVING BACK to the common man!!
Not only does Sen. Clinton have 35 years of working to help improve the lives of the middle class - THEY ACTUALLY GIVE to those who need most !!

THIS is the type of President we need!! Someone who actually cares about us all!

GO HILLARY !!!!!  
this is a lot of money and probably not all of it either. Bill Clinton is steering income to other places, too.
anyway, the tax returns are on the table and I can't see how the good people of Kentucky, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania are going to buy into this one. Those states are for the most part, poor but proud. It is going to be a real tough sell for Hillary Clinton even if the tax returns are on the up and up.
Do they break out the corruption and birbes in seperate categories ?

How much is pay back from selling out the American people ??
Idiots, you cant see the forests through the trees, when have your ever heard of a rich person telling the truth about their wealth?
'Mitchell Feldman',

re: M.L. King post

I worried about the Jewish vote. I am ashamed. Please forgive me.
RON BURKLE OF DUBAI IS BILLS BUSINESS PARTNER IN YUCAIPA LLC.THE SAME DUBAI WHO WANTED TO BUY THE PORTS HERE IN AMERICA BACK IN 2005
Clinton, Obama, McCain.  They are all the same.  Politicians enrich themselves solely because of the jobs to which we elect them and pay them.  It is absolutely disgusting that these three should be multi-milionaires when they claim to be "public servants".  Why should Bill Clinton make $51 million giving speeches about his life as President?  He should give it all back to the people who elected him.  Money and politics go hand in hand.  REVOLTING is all I can say.
the question is who gave them the money for his "speeches"
I wonder how much of that money came from PETER PAUL??? They ARE RICH AND GREEDY AND WANT MORE...

POLITICAL AMBITION

Anti Reaganess,
The fact that you're still screaming about "disenfranchisement" in Florida and Michigan says a whole lot more about you than it does about anybody, most certainly about Obama.  It shows that you can be manipulated by two men (Howard Wolfson and Mark Penn) and that you care less about the facts than about pushing for whatever you see as "your right to have a woman in office."
those charitable contributions is where everyone will be digging to see if they contributed to "shady" businesses... Clinton backers shouldn't be pounding their chests just yet... let people dig through the returns before you spout off.

I'd say at that amount... there were bound to be some shady contributions.
Everybody chill.  Let's focus on McCain.

For Clinton supporters:  This is part of "vetting" as HRC has called for, let the info be looked over before you say something you'll regret.

For Obama supporters:  It took a while, but she let them out.  Hold back on any attacks until they have been looked over.

Let's cut the name calling and anger.  Obama is in the lead, but Clinton will still give it her best.  Let's stop saying the media is sexist, she's significantly behind and has few paths to the nomination, but the media's not calling for her to drop out, and neither is the Obama campaign.  The media is not sexist when they say Obama is ahead, it's the truth.

So let's all just calm down.
WAAAAAAAAAAAH.........WAAAAAAAAAHHH!  I need money for my campaign!  WAAAAAAAAAH

Pay for it yourself.  I think you may have a few extra bucks to pay for it.  Just take it out of one of the tax shelters in the Caymans.
"It's a lot easier to donate 10 percent when you made $100 million." -- jj

That doesn't mean they had to.
Can these be checked against what they actually filed with IRS the past 7 years?
I think JJ has a pretty good point there.  
Trying to deflect the Mark Penn story....won't work. Too bad these taxes will surely spur more questions afterwards. Who knew the kitchen sink was a boomerang.
WOW !!!

Where are all the vile, hate spewing Obama supporters now !!  Did Obama give nearly 10% of his income to charity?  NOT !!
Glad to see that the Clintons who entered office with a net worth of about $200,000 have done well.

It’s only fair considering how many Americans prospered during the Clinton years – you do recall the 22 million jobs created during his tenure, the lowest unemployment rate in history and the budget surplus don’t you?

Now maybe the Obama supporters can stop their whining and get their candidate to release his records from the years he spent as an IL state legislature that nobody can seen to find.

Yes we can…change…hope …ugh.  

You Obama supporters are as nuts as the anti Clinton right wing and Obama CANNOT win without the support of the 12 million people like me who voted for Hillary.  So should Barack Obama be the democratic nominee in November, I an seriously considering sitting this election out.  

So be Warned:

No, he can’t … (not without the more than 12 million who have voted for Hillary)


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