Kim Schrier Releases Tax Returns, Challenges Opponents to Do the Same

On the transparency tip. Courtesy of Kim Schrier Campaign

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Today Kim Schrier, the leading Democrat in the race to fill Dave Reichert's seat in Washington's 8th District, released her 2017 tax returns.

Schrier filed jointly with her husband. Their total income last year amounted to $210,041. In addition to combined wages of $146,384, the couple earned $62,162 from dividends and $1,451 from capital gains.

The returns show that last year the couple made more than twice the median household income in the district, which is nearly $80,000.

The couple claimed $34,638 in itemized deductions ($15,753 for medical expenses, $12,416 in state and local taxes, $8,779 on mortgage interest, and $13,443 in charitable donations) and $12,150 in exemptions for a total taxable income of $163,253. They were taxed $26,227, but after including federally withheld taxes they overpaid $4,827 last year.

They own stock in Apple, Cisco Systems, Applied Materials, and Dell. They also donated clothes and household wares to Eastside Baby Corner and Goodwill and gave nearly $10,000 to Gowing Charitable Fund, an account Schrier uses to contribute to charities. Schrier's spokesperson sent a list of charities supported through this fund last year, which included Habitat for Humanity, Youth Eastside Services, Washington Environmental Council, National PKU Alliance, Village Theater, American Jewish Committee, College Success Foundation, Greater Tomorrow Children's Fund, Holocaust Center for Humanity, and Mountain to Sound Greenway.

In a statement, Schrier reasserted her pledge to refuse corporate money during the campaign and said she was releasing her returns "to show the people of the 8th district what they can expect from me as a representative: full transparency and truthfulness."

She also slams GOP candidate Dino Rossi for refusing to release his tax returns during all three of his statewide races despite requests from journalists and Gov. Christine Gregoire to do so.

“Like President Trump, my Republican opponent Dino Rossi has a history of refusing to release his tax returns – in 2004, 2008, and 2010. I call on my opponents from both parties to follow my lead and release their 2017 tax returns and refuse corporate PAC contributions," she writes.

Yesterday The Stranger asked for tax returns from the top three Democrats in the race, and also from Rossi. Neither Rossi nor Jason Rittereiser's campaign responded to my request. A spokesperson for Hader said he needed to consult with the campaign manager before releasing anything.

The Stranger also requested tax returns from Schrier going back to 2015, but the campaign hasn't responded directly to that request.

Schrier currently leads the Democratic field in terms of fundraising, hauling in nearly $1.1 million dollars so far. Rossi has raised nearly twice that, drawing large donations from Koch Industries and the Koch-adjacent Club for Growth.

Schrier's announcement follows tax return releases yesterday from Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the six-year incumbent representing the 5th District, and her Democratic challenger, former Washington Senator and Washington State University chancellor Lisa Brown.