Zach Wamp, Republican candidate for governor, Wednesday challenged all of the other candidates for governor to be fully open and transparent now about any potential personal or business holdings they could have while serving as the state’s next chief executive.
Representative Wamp issued his challenge while releasing five years of his personal tax returns to the Tennessee Newspaper Network, a new cooperative venture between several of the major daily newspapers in the state. Representative Wamp exceeded the media’s request for three years of personal tax returns by releasing five years and by also including a personal financial statement itemizing all of his family’s detailed financial information.
The text of Representative Wamp’s statement and letter to Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News Sentinel, who served as the representative for the Tennessee Newspaper Network’s request, follows in full:
November 25, 2009
Mr. Tom Humphrey
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
P.O. Box 190614
Nashville, TN 37219-0614
Dear Tom:
As a candidate for governor, I am happy to respond to your request on behalf of the Tennessee Newspaper Network to provide copies of my recent federal tax returns for your review and questions.
And like my good friend Bill Gibbons, I am actually including five years of tax returns rather than the three years you requested.
But in addition, I am also adding a detailed financial statement disclosing all of my family’s personal holdings, assets, debts and net worth.
I also pledge to continue to release my personal tax returns and personal financial statements each year that I serve as Governor of Tennessee.
My intent in going above and beyond your request is be as open and transparent as I can be with the people of Tennessee about any personal or business financial holdings that could present any potential conflicts of interest while I serve as governor.
Today, I am calling on all of the other candidates for governor from both parties to do as I have done and not only release five years or more of their personal tax returns, but to also release an itemized personal financial statement of all of their financial assets, debts, business interests and personal holdings. I consider this to be very pertinent information so the people of Tennessee can see whether there are any potential conflicts of interest the candidates will have in serving as our state’s next chief executive.
Public service for me has never been about acquiring more money or power. It has always been about having as big and positive of an impact as possible for those I have been elected to serve. My focus as Tennessee’s next governor will be to serve and support the hopes and dreams of the hard-working men and women of Tennessee in every county of our great state.
Please let me know if you have any questions. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Sincerely,
Zach Wamp