[Video]: Mark Penn & Ann Lewis on the Tax Release Two-Step

Last night at the Ohio Democratic debate BSB had the chance to chat with Mark Penn, Clinton campaign strategist, and Ann Lewis, Clinton campaign senior consultant. Of course, we talked about the favorite question on all Ohioan's minds - when's Hillary Clinton going to release her tax returns?

As you watch the video one thing becomes abundantly clear. The clinton campaign does not want to release those returns - not one bit. In fact, everytime the Clinton campaign was questioned about Hillary's returns, as they were during the Democratic Debate, they instead changed the subject to Barack Obama and Hillary's Senate financial disclosures. The campaign tried to push the line that the mandatory senatorial disclosures should be enough. However, as you can see by looking at Hillary Clinton's senate financial disclosure forms, not nearly as much is as specifically disclosed as on a tax form ('05 Senate form, '06 Senate form). In fact, at one point Penn even ambiguously stated they would release the forms - but gave no time frame. The fundamental question here was whether they would release the tax returns in time for Ohio voters to examine them before they vote on Tuesday. While Penn never said it directly, it's pretty clear by his conduct the answer is a resounding no. While questionable finances hang out there like Hillary's $5 million loan or Borat-gate, this situation raises new and troubling questions.

(Video)

BSB: Mark, do you think she adequately responded to calls she release her tax documentation before the Ohio primary.

Mark Penn: Well, I don’t know – as she said, a call down for a couple of days I think Senator Obama has only released a single year. She has 20 years of released tax returns plus senate disclosure forms

Ann Lewis: You know, I don’t know about Ohio, but let me do it this way. Since I personally have not begun to do my tax returns for this year, and I suspect most Ohio voters are a lot like me, which is they still begun to think they have to pull all their records. I’m not sure how much time they’ll spend looking at anyone else’s tax returns over the next three days

Mark Penn: What she said is she would do it during the primary season. Uh – she agreed to do it.

BSB: We don’t need to know as Ohio voters where Hillary Clinton got the 5 million?

Ann Lewis: No, that’s not what I said. You asked me about her tax returns.

BSB: Let me ask you another question, do Ohio voters deserve to know where that 5 million dollars came from?

Ann Lewis: I think, they can look at her –

Mark Penn: I didn’t; hear from Senator Obama that he was going to release all the rest of the years of his tax returns.

BSB: Can you tell me where I can find the 5 million dollars

Ann Lewis: You – have you looked at the Senate filings?

BSB: I have.

Ann Lewis: Go look at the Senate filings, go back and look at the sources of income, then if you have questions direct them to the campaign, we’ll say here’s this source of income, here’s that source of income.

BSB: But I’m asking the campaign right now, don’t Ohio voters deserve to know this information?

BSB: Do you think the people of Ohio deserve to see Hillary Clinton’s tax returns before they make a decision on Tuesday so they know where the money came from?

Mark Penn: Well, I think they can ask for Barack Obama’s tax returns as well. I think again Barack Obama has not released tax returns.

BSB: So you do not think the people of Ohio deserve to know this information before they vote on Tuesday?

Mark Penn: I think she said she would be releasing it and and the people of Ohio can go through her senate disclosure forms which thoroughly detail things…

BSB: So Ohioans won’t know this information before they vote?

BSB:Before they vote on Tuesday

Ann Lewis: And I would say to you if Ohio voters are curious about this source of information, I would hope they would look at first the senate filings that are already emerged that they can look at tomorrow because they are public documents that have been filed with the secretary of the senate?

BSB: So Ohio voters don’t deserve to know?

Ann Lewis: That is not what I said. Do you always answer your own questions?

BSB: I just want to know if Ohio voters deserve to know this information before they vote on Tuesday?

Ann Lewis: Ohio voters deserve to know all the information that is available to them which is why I recommend that they look at her public filings in the senate which are already on record from the last 5 or 6, year – ever since she’s been in the senate –so I guess that would now be 7 years, then if they have additional questions.

BSB: Will that 5 million dollars be in there?

Ann Lewis: That is the source of income for her and her husband over the last 6 years so yea it’ll be in there

BSB: Thank you.