OLYMPIA – Democratic gubernatorial candidate Christine Gregoire, reacting to critical new disclosures about her GOP challenger, Dino Rossi, on Wednesday called on her rival to release his income tax returns and explain his business dealings and campaign claims.
The Seattle Times reported that two of Rossi’s real estate business partners were lobbyists who had business before the Legislature when he was Senate Budget Committee chairman.
The newspaper said his claims about private-sector management experience and “signing the front side of the check” are overblown, and that his prime campaign story about the state’s economic woes – a nephew who had to move to another state to find work – isn’t fully accurate.
Rossi defended himself, saying he’s proud of his real-world experience and has no intention of changing his campaign materials and stump speech. He said Gregoire would like nothing better than to “change the subject” away from what he called her mismanagement of the Attorney General’s Office.
Rossi called a news conference on Wednesday to produce a former investigator in Gregoire’s office, Karl Parrick, who said Gregoire’s office forced him out because he was so successful in investigating cases of patient abuse that opened the state to huge liability bills.
“I don’t question my opponent’s concern for vulnerable patients,” Rossi said. “What I do question is her management and her priorities.”
Gregoire seized on the Times account to accuse Rossi of “fudging the facts.” Rossi should immediately release his tax returns and explain himself, she said.
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