"Over the course of his nine years in office, Mark Kirk has never released his tax records, leaving his constituents in the dark," Giannoulias said. "That needs to change immediately. As part of the responsibility that comes with seeking a place in the U.S. Senate, the people of Illinois should have an opportunity to examine and review our tax files."

 

Despite holding office for more than nine years - 3,348 days - Congressman Kirk has never released his tax records for public examination. Illinois history shows there is a precedent for U.S. Senate candidates releasing their tax records. Both Barack Obama and Jack Ryan released their tax records during the 2004 election cycle.

 

In November 2009, Giannoulias publicly released his own tax records dating back to 2006 - the year before he took office.

 

"I've been committed to transparency, releasing my own tax records for review, and I expect Mark Kirk to do the same," Giannoulias said. "I banned pay-to-play in the Treasurer's office and refuse to take contributions from corporations and federal lobbyists, because I'm only interested in working for Illinois' families. It's high time Mark Kirk backs up his talk about transparency with real action. The people of Illinois deserve nothing less."