Tim Pawlenty faces tax return scrutiny as Romney VP choice nears

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/03/tim-pawlenty-tax-vice-presidential


Tim Pawlenty's background is seen as a political antidote to Mitt Romney's life of privilege. Photograph: Matthew Cavanaugh/EPA


The touting of Tim Pawlenty as potential running-mate for Mitt Romney has reignited questions over his refusal as governor of Minnesota to release tax returns during a scandal over payments from a company owned by a close political ally.

Democrats have been digging into a web of allegations from nine years ago which involved Pawlenty's use of a shell corporation to shield $60,000 in payments from a telecommunications group during his election campaign that were not declared to the state's campaign finance board. The money came from a firm run by a prominent Republican strategist. Pawlenty had until recently been a board member.

Opponents accused Pawlenty of accepting an unethical and possibly illegal salary to campaign. The scandal widened because the telecommunications group making the payments was exposed for scamming customers, many of them elderly.

Pawlenty is touted as a leading candidate to be Mitt Romney's running-mate in part because his background is seen as a political antidote to Romney's life of privilege. He is the working class son of a truck driver, who knows adversity after his mother died while he was a boy and his father lost his job.

[BeyondGeography]

1. No worries, Timmie, easy comps

[Kalidurga]

2. ooooooooops wrong dirt...

If Romney wants to force someone to be his running mate he has to have dirt on them in the form of a sex scandal or video of them watching a Tim Robbins movie, extra points if Susan Sarandon is in it.

[railsback]

3. Romney has no choice

but to pick someone else who also doesn't want to release their tax returns. T-Paw looks like the obvious choice.