Texans for Individual Rights Calls on Sid Miller to Release 2012 Tax Returns
Houston, Texas (PRWEB) January 23, 2014 -- Texans for Individual Rights (TXIR), a conservative advocacy organization, is asking agricultural commissioner candidate Sid Miller to release his 2012 tax returns.
The request was made following recent revelations published by the Dallas Morning News that Miller, a defeated former member of the Texas House of Representatives, had taken possession of stock purchased with funds from his campaign. Miller told the Dallas Morning News that the stock transfer was to repay personal loans he made to his campaign. Further complicating matters, Miller failed to report the stock transfers on financial disclosure forms that may be required for such transactions.*
Miller has acknowledged that he charged his campaign a 10 percent interest rate on a $10,000 personal loan he made to his campaign in 2000, resulting in a personal profit of over $21,000 when the loan was paid in 2012.*
“Texans deserve politicians that are open and honest about their campaign activity,” said Mark McCaig, a Republican activist and spokesman for TXIR. “By publically releasing his 2012 tax returns, Lobbyist Miller can demonstrate that he respects the rule of law.”
The controversy is cause for concern for the former lawmaker turned lobbyist from Stephenville. Miller is currently engaged in a crowded Republican primary for Agriculture Commissioner. Additional questions about Miller’s profits have entered the race after McCaig filed a sworn complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission, which has been accepted and is currently pending.*
“The use of political funds for personal profit is one of the biggest taboos in politics,” McCaig added. “It’s amazing that a seasoned politician would think that such behavior is acceptable. We need our political leaders to be held accountable for their actions, especially when they might be improper.”
Any profits that Miller earned from the stock transfer would be subject to taxes. It’s currently unclear whether or not taxes have been on the transaction. According to McCaig, in a response to reporters about the issue, Miller made comments that question whether he did indeed pay taxes on the profit he made off the loan to his campaign.*
“I would’ve had to pay taxes on some of them and that’s money down the toilet,” Miller told the Dallas Morning News in January 2014.
Go to http://www.txir.org for more information about Texans for Individual Rights
*"Statewide hopeful Sid Miller shifted stocks from campaign account to personal use to pay off loans", Published: 01/12/2014, Link: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20140112-statewide-hopeful-sid-miller-shifted-stocks-from-campaign-account-to-personal-use-to-pay-off-loans.ece
About Texans for Individual Rights
Texans for Individual Rights is dedicated to promoting conservative principles through sound public policy. We strongly believe in limited government, personal accountability, and private property rights. We are deeply concerned with the recent trend of wealthy special interest groups who masquerade as conservatives promoting their agenda at the expense of Texas taxpayers, workers, and consumers.
Mark McCaig, Texans for Individual Rights, http://www.txir.org, +1 281-222-0585, [email protected]
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