1990: Kerry Seeks Investigation of Senate Opponent for Failing to Disclose Tax Returns

Boston Globe Archives | November 4, 1990 | Steve Marantz

[nwrep]

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) yesterday requested that the Senate Ethics Committee investigate the failure of Republican challenger Jim Rappaport to list his positions in a real estate partnership and a development firm on a financial disclosure report required of Senate candidates.

The Globe reported yesterday that Rappaport neglected to list his position as a director of Charles River Park Inc., which developed luxury apartments downtown, as well as his partnership in Commonwealth Reservoir Park Ltd., which owns a 188-unit apartment building on Commonwealth Avenue worth at least $17.2 million.

"How much is James Rappaport hiding, and why is he hiding it?" said Kerry yesterday, speaking in front of his Boylston Street campaign office.

"Let's just say what we already know -- James Rappaport has been engaged in a systematic cover-up of his own past," said Kerry. "Because he knows that if the public knew the full story about his past business dealings, his candidacy would be D.O.A. -- dead on arrival.
The people of Massachusetts deserve answers now. . . . They deserve to know the truth about James Rappaport, about his taxes, his residency, his business dealings, and the apparent financial misconduct of his campaign."

[nwrep]

PING

[steveegg]

FResearch Service BTTT.

[PRND21]

The people of Massachusetts deserve answers now. . .

How about the People of the United States...hypocrite.

[OXENinFLA]

NICE FIND!

[wingster]

Good! Let Kerry wallow in this mire. It isn't very stately and is yet just another example of a campaign that has its wheels spinning in the mud.

[Dante3]

Kerry is psychologically unfit.

[twigs]

We know that Kerry is hypocritical, but I think that this is really different than Teresa not revealing her taxes. Rappaport is the candidate and apparently, is required to reveal what he did not by law. Teresa is not the candidate and is not required to reveal anything. [I would, however, like to see her contributions to foundations that support Kerry or bash Pres. Bush revealed.] This presents the appearance of an impropriety, but it isn't. And I think that Kerry is probably counting on the cooperation of the media to not turn it into the appearance of impropriety.

[A. Morgan]

BINGO!

[Owen]

When you come up with a great find like this, email it to the RNC so they can hit the news cycle with it before the Kerry campaign monitoring this site can see it and craft a response for whenever the RNC does make an issue of it.

In other words, the RNC or major media outlets need to see this stuff 6 hrs before we do.

[Integrityrocks]

I've been over at DU for about an hour looking for anything on the subject of Teresa's tax return issue. I didn't find one word in any of their forums. Do you think they are so embarassed they can't find a way to defend this or think is is such a non-issue they aren't discussing it. Has anyone else seen their take on the subject?

[steveegg]

Teresa is not the candidate and is not required to reveal anything.

Slight problem with that interpretation; she is the spouse of a candidate, and as such, Ketchup Boy generally has access to a portion of what she makes (I hesitate to say half because I'm not up to speed on Massachusetts law or the details, of any, of any prenuptual agreement they reach).

[Owen]

It's not Teresa's returns that matter, btw. It is Kerry's tax returns from the 90's. The National Review scoped them out and they show essentially zero charity during periods when Bush was very generous. Track it down at the NRO site.

[HOYA97]

You must have Lexus-Nexus!!!!8-)

I said it before and I'll say it again...You are good!!!

[steveegg]

In other words, the RNC or major media outlets need to see this stuff 6 hrs before we do.

The RNC seems to have been unusually-quick on the uptake this election cycle. As for the "major media outlets" getting advance access, I must strongly disagree with them getting advance access. Since ABCCNNNBCCBSPMSNBC are the electronic media arm of the Ketchup Campaign, and three are elements over at Fox that would immediately filter things back to McAwful and company, giving them early access gives them time to prepare a pre-sponse.

[G L Tirebiter]

There is no pre-nup on the American people's right to know.

[twigs]

I believe that they file individual tax returns. And they signed a pre-nup. IIRC, she cannot legally underwrite any part of his campaign. What DOES need media attention is her contribution to groups that support Kerry and/or undercut Pres. Bush. It may not be illegal, but it is certainly unethical and deserves to be revealed in the public forum. Kerry is really pressing the edge to criticize Rappaport, although he legally has a point. I would like to see his action here motivate someone like a Rush, O'Reilly or a Hannity to look deeper into Teresa's purported causes

[twigs]

I couldn't say. I really don't understand DU. I've just started checking over there when I've finished reading what I want over here. I've read little that I would even consider partially intelligible.

[marlon]

No what really needs attention is that if he signed a prenup and has no access to her money and if she can't give him any of her money for the campain then who is going to pay the loan back that he took out on "his half" of the Beacon Hill mansion?