Self-serving Rick Scott wants Democrats and the media to back off investigating his hypocritical and conflict-ridden investments, because he knows it’s hurting his campaign. His latest tactic: pretend an attack on his unethical wealth is an attack on his family.
Unfortunately for Rick Scott, Florida reporters extensively covered his attacks against his opponents’ spouses:
- In 2014, Scott spent millions of dollars on an ad attacking Charlie Crist for not releasing his wife’ tax returns.
- In 2010, Scott attacked Alex Sink for not releasing her husband’s income or investments.
“Rick Scott will say or do anything to win office. This is yet another bad-faith lie from Scott’s campaign, who have proven they will lie about anything,” said American Bridge spokesperson Joshua Karp. “No one is attacking Rick Scott’s family. But I’m not surprised self-serving Rick Scott can’t tell the difference between his unethical wealth and a living, breathing family member.”
Check out Rick Scott’s own attacks in his previous elections…
2014: Rick Scott Blasted Charlie Crist For “Hiding Something” By Not Releasing His Wife’s Tax Returns
Rick Scott Ran An Ad Accusing Charlie Crist Of Hiding Something By Not Releasing His Wife’s Tax Returns. According to the Associated Press, “Republican Gov. Rick Scott’s campaign suggests in a new ad that former Gov. Charlie Crist has something to hide by not releasing his wife’s tax returns, while Crist said Wednesday that Scott is ‘hitting below the belt’ by dragging his wife Carole into a negative campaign ad. Scott last week released the joint tax return he filed with his wife Ann and called on Crist to do the same. The same day that Crist released tax returns for the three years since he left the governor’s office, the political committee working to re-elect Scott released a statewide ad criticizing Crist for not releasing his wife’s. ‘It’s outrageous. It is hitting below the belt,’ Crist said in a phone interview. ‘He has no honor, no decency. To drag my wife into a political ad is beyond the pale.’ Unlike the Scotts, the Crists file separate tax returns.” [Associated Press, 6/25/14]
Rick Scott Ad: “Millionaire Charlie Crist Refuses To Release His Spouse’s Tax Return.” According to the Miami Herald, “As Scott launched a new statewide TV ad criticizing Crist for not releasing tax returns, Crist released his past three returns, but not his wife Carole’s, and said he won’t. ‘What is Charlie Crist hiding?’ a woman narrator asks in the ad, paid for by Scott’s political committee, Let’s Get to Work. As Carole Crist appears briefly on screen, the narrator says: ‘Millionaire Charlie Crist refuses to release his spouse’s tax return.’” [Miami Herald, 6/25/14]
2010: Rick Scott Hit Alex Sink For Not Releasing Her Husband’s Financial Information
2010: Rick Scott’s Campaign Noted That Opponent Alex Sink Did Not Detail Bill McBride’s Income Or Stock Portfolio. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Campaign spokesman Jen Baker said Scott followed the state’s instructions in filling out the disclosure, noting that Democrat Alex Sink did not detail husband Bill McBride’s income or stock portfolio. But, unlike McBride, Scott’s spouse has been a principal contributor to her husband’s campaign, funneling $2 million from her trust fund toward a 527 group promoting his candidacy. The Scott family investment strategy is just one small string in his elaborate web of financial holdings, a portfolio that will be scrutinized ahead of the Aug. 24 primary. An attack from gubernatorial rival Bill McCollum sent the Times on a circuitous and fascinating hunt this week.” [Tampa Bay Times, 7/3/10]
July 2010: Rick Scott’s Opponent Alex Sink Released Five Years Worth Of Tax Returns And Five Years Of Her Husband’s Tax Returns, While Rick Scott Refused To Do So Despite Promising To In June. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “Democrat Alex Sink today released five years worth of her tax returns and five years of her husband, Bill McBride’s returns, and called on her Republican rival Rick Scott to do the same. Scott’s promised to release his tax returns in June but has still not made them available. His campaign said this week that he filed an extension and his is still completing all the paperwork and therefore they would not make them available until the end of September or early October.” [Tampa Bay Times, 7/17/10]
Published: Aug 8, 2018