Clinton releases tax returns, urges Trump to do same

WASHINGTON — Hillary and Bill Clinton earned $10.6 million last year, according to a tax filing released by her campaign Friday that sought to pressure presidential rival Donald Trump to disclose his tax returns.

The filing shows that the Clintons paid a federal tax rate of 34.2 percent in 2015. The bulk of their income — more than $6 million — came from speaking fees for appearances largely made before Hillary Clinton launched her campaign last April. They gave more than $1 million to charity.

The release is part of an effort to undercut Donald Trump’s character by questioning the celebrity businessman’s record. Trump has refused to make his filings public, saying they’re under audit by the Internal Revenue Service and that he’ll release them only once that review is complete. All major U.S. presidential candidates in modern history have released their returns.

Clinton frequently mentions Trump’s returns as a way of underscoring how his economic plans would benefit his personal interests and questioning whether he’s as wealthy as he claims. A lower income would undermine his image as a successful businessman.

Democrats believe Trump’s returns could be treasure trove of politically damaging information. They want to see his tax rate, charitable giving, and business dealings with foreign governments.

“Here’s a pretty incredible fact: There is a non-zero chance that Donald Trump isn’t paying (asterisk)any(asterisk) taxes,” Clinton tweeted, just minutes after releasing her own returns.

Clinton’s campaign also released 10 years of years of returns from running mate Tim Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton. Over the last decade, the couple has donated 7.5 percent of their income to charity, the campaign said, and paid an effective tax rate of 25.6 percent last year.

Along with the taxes, her campaign released a web video featuring Republican leaders saying that Trump should make his filings public.

The Clintons have disclosed returns for every year dating back to 1977, in part due to laws that mandate public officials release returns and her previous presidential run. She put out her most recent eight years of tax filings last summer along with her health records.