05.18.07
Rep. John Carter (R - Exxon Mobil) Misses Deadline For Annual Financial Disclosure
From this AAS article, GOP House members from Central Texas decline to release financial statements.
Each member of Congress must file a financial disclosure form annually by May 15 to the House Legislative Resources Center listing the member’s assets and liabilities and stock purchases and sales, as well as a ballpark estimate of wealth.
The center releases the forms 30 days after the forms are filed and after they have been vetted by the House ethics committee. Though many members release the records to the public at the time they file them, the offices of Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, and Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, said it hasn’t been their practice to release the documents early.
[…]
Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, had to file an extension for his records and didn’t have them ready to release, said spokeswoman Lindsey Willis. He now will have up to 90 days to get his information filed.
Last year, McCaul listed his wealth at between $13.3 million and $58.3 million, while Carter listed his wealth at between $824,000 and $4.5 million, and Smith listed his wealth at between $1.9 million and $8.5 million.
Hesitation to release the records might reflect the already contentious election season, said University of Texas government professor Bruce Buchanan.
“I can’t imagine why they would not (release the records), other than that they feel if they release them earlier rather than later, it gives more time for adverse publicity,” Buchanan said.
That’s right. With gas cresting $3.00/gallon and oil company profits at all time highs John Carter’s actions shouldn’t surprise anyone. It make sense that a member of Congress would stall letting their constituents see how much money they made off of their Exxon Mobil stock last year. It’s that or we have to believe that or that they’re just a bunch of incompetents that can’t get their paperwork done on time. Either way it’s not good.