Romney: I Didn’t Even Know About That Bermuda Company!

[ProSense]

Romney: I Didn’t Even Know About That Bermuda Company!

Benjy Sarlin

Mitt Romney disavowed any responsibility for investments in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, saying his personal finances are part of a “blind trust” that’s out of his control. Democrats have seized on reports on the holdings, about which little is known, to demand Romney release more of his tax returns and related material.

“I don’t manage them, I don’t even know where they are,” Romney told Radio Iowa Monday of his investment portfolio. “That trustee follows all U.S. laws, all taxes are paid as appropriate, all of them have been reported to the government. There’s nothing hidden there.”

Blind trusts are common among politicians. According to an Associated Press report, records show Romney transferred 12,000 shares in the Bermuda company to his wife’s blind trust the day before he was sworn in as governor in 2003, a transaction that was not publicly disclosed at the time.

Romney said his Caribbean holdings were no different in terms of taxes than investing in, say, a foreign car company.

<...>

For the first time, President Obama on Monday personally joined Democrats in demanding Romney release his tax returns and clear up the nature of the companies in question.

“What’s important is if you are running for president is that the American people know who you are and what you’ve done and that you’re an open book,” Obama told a New Hampshire television station. “And that’s been true of every presidential candidate dating all the way back to Mitt Romney’s father.”

- more -

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/romney-bermuda-swiss-cayman-blind-trust.php

[flamingdem]

1. I guess it's fine with the MSM that we have a pathological

liar this close to the presidency.

[randome]

2. How is he lying?

I want to believe he is but where is the evidence?

[ProSense]

5. Well,

"I want to believe he is but where is the evidence?"

...he "transferred 12,000 shares in the Bermuda company to his wife’s blind trust the day before he was sworn in as governor" and didn't publicly disclose it. So there is no way to claim he didn't know.

Also: "Romney said his Caribbean holdings were no different in terms of taxes than investing in, say, a foreign car company."

Really? That's the mark of a liar. Buying a Fiat is not the same as hiding money offshore.

Mitt is a despicable liar.

[randome]

21. Just playing devil's advocate here.

But is anyone going to be interested in something that happened in 2003 when he transferred shares to his wife?

And who is to say that he knew what the shares amounted to when he transferred them? There is plausible deniability here, at least for the Republicans who will always see their latest 'hero' in the best possible light.

And what he said about his Caribbean holdings isn't a lie, it's just another stupid remark. Nothing we can hit him over the head with since he's already immune to stupid by virtue of being a Republican.

Unless this somehow leads to a smoking gun, I don't see it being of much use to Democrats.

[CanonRay]

27. The smoking gun: He got amnesty from IRS for the Swiss account

I'd bet the farm on it. That's why he'll only release one year of returns...he's hoping he can stall until they do the billion dollar media blitz, win/steal the election, and bury the story when he's Pres the same way Bush buried his National Guard AWOL story.

[riderinthestorm]

30. There's no plausible deniability at all. He says he didn't know about the account

Yet he transferred $$ to that account in Ann's name one day before he's sworn in? That's a pretty specific action and you can't tell me that he then simply "forgot" about it. I'm sure Ann and Mitt have conversations about "her" (cough) investments - she's not bound to secrecy with him about her financial matters.

[Arkansas Granny]

33. A lot of people are still interested in something that happened in 1961 when

they claim that Barack Obama was born in Kenya and not Hawaii as his birth certificate states.

Seriously, the dates won't be as important as proving a pattern of lies about his finances. It won't be the details that will matter as much as the overall perception that he is a liar.

[rfranklin]

6. See below...it is pretty well established that he lies about everything...

which is nothing estraordinary for a politician. However, he has no sense of shame when he is caught. He just goes ahead and lies some more.

[prole_for_peace]

8. Romney's so-called "blind trust" is run by his personal lawyer

and personal associate Bradford Malt. That's not exactly what is meant by "blind".

[democrat_patriot]

9. He refuses to release the returns; he is hiding something bad and lying about it.

If not, why is he hiding? Why is he covering it all up?

[uponit7771]

16. Romney said his father marched With Martin Luther King, this is enough for me. He didn't have to lie

...about something like that

[Kahuna]

37. Viola!!

[Spazito]

3. LOL, he can't even lie well...

"According to an Associated Press report, records show Romney transferred 12,000 shares in the Bermuda company to his wife’s blind trust the day before he was sworn in as governor in 2003..."

So, he knew before he didn't know. What he knew in 2003, he doesn't know in 2004.

[Igel]

11. Portfolios change.

The thing about blind trusts is that if you have any say over them, formal or informal, they're not blind.

Whether the lawyer is his personal lawyer or somebody he met once, if it was found that the lawyer was coordinating with his client he'd be brought up on charges before the bar.

What's fascinating is the assumption that a woman doesn't actually control assest in her name--or, apparently, at the very least always coordinates with the husband.

[Spazito]

12. Sorry, not buying it...

The transfer just ONE day before he was sworn in defies credibility, imo. As for "blind trusts", please, it is, all too often, less than blind.

A woman certainly can and often does control assets in her name, in this case you seem to be ignoring the central issue, that being Mr. Outsource/Offshore transferred HIS shares ONE day before being sworn in as Governor.

Portfolios do change but that has little to do with the central issue being discussed, imo.

[Dalai_1]

17. I agree completely

it is amazing no one has brought this contradiction to his attention...

[Spazito]

24. I don't think I have ever seen such an inept campaign...

either Mr. Outsource/Offshore is not taking their advice resulting in these kind of jawdropping statements or his campaign team is the worst team I have ever seen.

Either way, the debates are going to be VERY entertaining, lol.

[DevonRex]

38. You cooking and baking folk oughta come out

here more often.

[riderinthestorm]

26. What I think is fascinating is that he transfers funds to his wife who isn't bound to fiscal secrecy

presumably she and Mitt talk about the assets in "her" (cough) accounts.... There's no rule that prevents HER from discussing this with him.

And he conveniently transfers them to HER the day before he's sworn in? Really fishy....

Now he doesn't "remember" that Bermuda corporation? Riiiiiggghhht....

[coalition_unwilling]

4. As the Repigs might say, "If you don't have anything to hide, then why

wouldn't you release your returns?"

Oh, that logic only applies to left-wing activists concerned about warrantless wiretaps.

[CanonRay]

7. This guy knows where every friggin penny, pound and peso is at.

It's closer to him than his kids.

[JBoy]

10. "Blind trusts are common among politicians"

I'm confused - Romney's been saying ad nauseum that he's a businessman, not a politician.

[spanone]

13. and he wants control of the usa???

[flamingdem]

22. He'll forget about lots of things if he gets that priviledge

and according to Wapo, a questionable poll has him tied with Obama, retch.

[Botany]

14. Mitt has been living off the interest from these accounts and yet he does not know about them?

[Fumesucker]

15. Ahh.. The old "Sergeant Schultz" gambit..

[Aerows]

18. He didn't know about

the abortion medical waste disposal company, or the Backroom.com sex site investment either.

For a man portrayed as methodical and relentlessly informed about his assets, he sure doesn't know very much.

But let's just sweep it under the carpet, because he's a Republican, and they can do no damn wrong.

He's a fake, a phony and a person that lies as easily as breathing.

EDIT: Oh. I forgot Solamere, the company he and his son were intertwined with that turned out to be a ponzi scheme. He's still, to my knowledge, under investigation for that, but no one in the MSM brings it up. It takes the dredging up of court records by citizens to even get it on the radar.

[DevonRex]

39. I was gone for a month. A sex site? Omg.

Mormons don't hold with such things. I know. I have a Mormon family members. The women would be horrified. Mortified even.

[Aerows]

41. Yes, via Goldman Sachs

This isn't something made up out of the air.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/03/ann-romney-trust-goldman-sachs-backpagecom_n_1399204.html

I hate sending people to huffpo, but it's still the truth. He has a LOT of investments he's "unaware" of.

Here's another good one: http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/11/01/316040/romney-solamere-ponzi/

[DevonRex]

43. Thanks. I'll pass those along. Tagg did a Ponzi

scheme and lied about it! OMG. The whole family is crooked. I had hoped it was just psychodad. But nope. It's the whole bunch.

[progressivebydesign]

19. what a liar! He put it into his wife's name.. they HAD to sign off on that.

And it was named for a lighthouse in Mass... so it's just a coincidence???

[ananda]

20. So.. ermm

We are to trust blindly in someone who puts his trust in blind trusts.

Hey ho ...

[Blue Owl]

23. How Reaganesqe of him, to not recall...

n/t

[lib2DaBone]

25. When you have so much money that it doesnt matter.....

Mitt feels your pain......

[Politicalboi]

28. Go Ron Paul!

LOL! This Saturday I hope the Paulbots fuck everything up for Rmoney.

[mchill]

29. If he doesn't know about it

Then he can't be paying his full tithing to the LDS church. Shame.

[Marr]

31. I'm so disgustingly rich, I have million dollar companies I don't even know about!

Also, give me a tax cut!

...?

[JHB]

32. So what, Mitt? Your trustee isn't the guy running for president.

Maybe you should hold yourself to a higher standard? Nahhh, why bother with that? You're just after what's due you, right?

[DallasNE]

34. That's Not Remotely Believable

Why would a blind trust simply change ownership from husband to wife on a large account the day before Romney is sworn in as Governor? The only purpose for this is to shield Romney from certain disclosure requirements for the office he was about to be sworn into. There was not an investment advantage, which should be the only criteria the blind trust uses. This shows the trust is not so blind and that Romney was a hands-on guy when it came to managing his financial affairs. And that is what is believable and what Romney refuses to address truthfully.

[Aerows]

42. He has ALWAYS

been portrayed as very cautious, very hands-on. That's why this, his investment in the abortion waste disposal company, and the sex site is obvious that he knew about it. He just likes plausible denial, but he really can't based on his own actions.

[mac56]

35. "I did not have sex with that woman!"

[krobar659]

36. Weird Willard

I don't know whether or not he lied about it. What I do know, as time goes on, is that this guy is weird. He puts on a law enforcement officer's uniform, throws a red light on his white car, and pulls people over on the highway. Weird Willard puts on a fireman's uniform, runs into a restaurant with a fire extinguisher yelling "Where is the fire?" Organizes a mob to go cut a classmate's hair because he just can't have that at his school. Look at what he did with the family pet dog.

Bottom line is this...there is something seriously wrong with this guy and I think that he needs professional help.

Not only is this guy out of touch with your average middle class Americas, Willard Mitt Romney is out of touch with reality.

I think that the American people need to seriously think twice before electing this guy President.

[Motown_Johnny]

40. Need Some Wood?

http://www.slipups.com/items/25605.html

^snip^


During the second presidential debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry (10-8-2004), John Kerry was asked a question about how America could remain competitive in manufacturing. During the answers and rebuttals between Senator Kerry and President Bush, the following exchange took place:

KERRY: The president got $84 from a timber company that owns, and he's counted as a small business. That's how they do things. That's just not right.

BUSH: I own a timber company? That's news to me. Need some wood?

A funny exchange, intended to make Kerry look like a liar and/or an idiot. Only one problem...yes, the President does, in fact, own a timber company.