In an interview with the liberal Huffington Post, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid alleged that Mitt Romney paid no taxes for more than a decade—and that his father, the long deceased George Romney, would be embarrassed by his own son.
The unsubstantiated allegation about Romney’s taxes was based on what Reid described as the recollection of an unnamed Bain investor. Reid admitted he did not know if the claim was true, but aired it anyway.
"He didn't pay taxes for 10 years! Now, do I know that that's true? Well, I'm not certain," Reid told the Huffington Post. "But obviously he can't release those tax returns. How would it look?"
Reid went on, "His poor father must be so embarrassed about his son," referring to George Romney’s decision to release 12 years of tax returns during his run for president.
Senior Romney adviser Kevin Madden called the statements troubling.
"(It is) troubling and disappointing that Senator Reid would cite Governor Romney's father, George, as part of a personal attack against the governor," Madden told the Huffington Post. "We have many substantive disagreements with the senator and his policies, but using insults about a father-son relationship is a step too far."