Clintons Get Rich, Avoid Criticism by Paying Taxes, `Tithing' [View All]

[MethuenProgressive]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aFf1gT.S2w7I&refer=home

April 7 (Bloomberg) -- Hillary and Bill Clinton got rich in the seven years since they left the White House, and by paying plenty of taxes and giving a large chunk to charity, they may avoid the criticism expected with the release of such detailed financial information.

The Clintons, who earned $109 million in eight years, gave about 10 percent of their income to their charitable foundation and paid almost a third in federal taxes, forgoing many of the strategies such as trusts that wealthy people use to cut their tax bills.

The returns so far have yielded few surprises, and show the political sensitivity the Clintons have honed in the last three decades, where their every move has been scrutinized. The revelation of their new wealth is unlikely to hurt them unless details in the returns eventually lead to allegations of wrongdoing, political analysts said.

``You often hear about the affluent doing tax dodges, etc.; they were pretty honest about it,'' said Rhodes Cook, publisher of a non-partisan political newsletter. ``And that $10 million to charity, that's close to the biblical tithing.''

10.3 Million to charity!! God BLESS this generous family!