STEPHANOPOULOS: The Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid made a pretty explosive charge this week: He said that Mitt Romney hasn't paid taxes in 10 years.
SEN. HARRY REID: The word’s out that he hasn't paid any taxes for 10 years. Let him prove that he has paid taxes, because he hasn't.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Now, you know, Sen. Reid’s only source there is an anonymous Bain investor that he won't reveal. Is it appropriate for the democratic leader in the senate to make charge like that with no more evidence than anonymous source?
REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: I don't know who Harry Reid’s source is. But I do know that Mitt Romney can clear this up -- Mitt Romney could clear this up in ten seconds by releasing the 23 years of tax returns that he gave to John McCain when he was being vetted for vice president. Or even 12 years of tax returns that his own father said was appropriate because one year of tax returns, like he’s released, could just be for show.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But it's one thing to say --
REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Let's not forget a week ago, Mitt Romney said, in response to a reporter's question when asked if he had ever paid a rate below 13.9 percent that he would check and get back to us. I’m glad that I wasn't holding my breath waiting for Mitt Romney to get back to us on answering that question, because he still hasn't responded whether he's paid a lower tax rate.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But he has denied that he hasn't paid taxes for ten years. I take your point that it would be right to show more tax returns. At the same time, I don't believe you would say it’s okay to make a charge like that—10 years of no taxes—with no evidence.
REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Like I said, I don't know whose Harry Reid source was, but I do know that this is a question that has swirled around Mitt Romney for this entire campaign. I do know that he could clear it up just like that, lickity-split, by releasing his tax returns, which every major president candidate has done except for Mitt Romney. I do know there are massive questions about why he has a Swiss bank account, why he has investments in the Cayman Islands, a Bermuda corporation that he transferred to his wife’s name one day before he became governor of Massachusetts. Those are questions when you're running for president of the United States, that the American people deserve answers to--why is Mitt Romney refusing to answer them? Why is he refusing to show the American people what he was willing to show John McCain 23 years of information on? There's got to be an answer.
STEPHANOPOULOS: I take it from your answer you're not going to repudiate Sen. Reid's charge?
REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Everybody is be responsible for saying the things that they have information on, Harry Reid says that he has a credible source, I know that this question is not just generated by Harry Reid. It's been asked by countless reporters.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Congresswoman, do you stand by Harry Reid's charge?
REP. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: what is he hiding? I stand by the fact – George, I stand by the fact that I believe, like the overwhelming majority of voters believe which the polls all show, that Mitt Romney owes us more than one more year of tax returns, owes answers to questions about his overseas investments. Owes us answers to why he's decided to invest in foreign countries as opposed to investing in the United States. Owes us answers to questions about why as head of Bain Capital he shipped jobs overseas. Why does he have a tax plan that actually continues tax incentives for shipping jobs overseas when President Obama has a plan to incentivize companies to bring jobs back here. Those are the questions that need to be answered, they weren't raised by Harry Reid. They were raised by voters, people who have a right to ask and Mitt Romney has yet to come clean.