Obamas Donated Less Than 1% of 2000-2004 Income
The Obamas' donations to all recipients totaled $2,350 in 2000, $1,470 in 2001, $1,050 in 2002, $3,400 in 2003, and $2,500 in 2004. They also paid federal taxes totaling $311,044 during the same period on their $1.2 million of income.
The Obamas' biggest gift in 2005 and 2006 combined was $31,000 to Atlanta-based CARE, an organization fighting global poverty.
The Obamas' biggest gift in 2005 and 2006 combined was $31,000 to Atlanta-based CARE, an organization fighting global poverty.
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By Ryan J. Donmoyer and Julianna Goldman
March 25 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle gave $10,772 of the $1.2 million they earned from 2000 through 2004 to charities, or less than 1 percent, according to tax returns for those years released today by his campaign.
The couple earned more than $2.6 million in 2005 and 2006, combined, after the Illinois senator published a bestselling book in 2005. They donated $137,622 over those two years and made their church, Trinity United Church of Christ, one of the biggest beneficiaries of their philanthropy, donating $27,500. Obama is under scrutiny for his ties to the church because of comments made by its senior pastor.
The Obamas' charitable giving history was revealed as he became the first presidential candidate to release his tax returns for the decade and called on his rival for the Democratic nomination, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, to do the same. Obama didn't release his 2007 return today.
``Releasing tax returns is a matter of routine, and we believe that the Clinton campaign should meet that standard and meet that routine standard now,'' said Robert Gibbs, Obama's communication director.
Bill Burton, a campaign spokesman, said the Obamas gave as much as they could afford.
``As new parents who were paying off their large student loans, giving $10,000 to charity was as generous as they could be at the time,'' Burton said.
Before April 15 Howard Wolfson, Clinton's communications director, said the campaign would release her tax information before April 15, the filing deadline for individuals. Arizona Senator John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, hasn't released his tax returns.
Presidential candidates aren't required to release their tax returns, which by law are confidential. Most have chosen to do so since the early 1970s.
In 1998, then-Vice President Al Gore was criticized for donating only $353 to charity in 1997 despite earning $197,729. Gore, who was the 2000 Democratic nominee for president, responded by pointing to a history of philanthropy, including more than $50,000 in royalties from his book, ``Earth in the Balance.''
The Obama's giving pattern is consistent with that of most other Americans, said University of Georgia Professor Russell James, who has studied the issue.
`Par for the Course'
His analysis of more than 56,000 survey respondents from 1995-2005 found that 89 percent of donors give 2 percent or less of their after-tax income to charities, including their churches. Americans who earn more than $150,000 on average gave about 2.2 percent of their income.
``It's not shocking,'' James said of the Obamas' philanthropy. ``It's about par for the course for Americans.''
The Obamas' donations to all recipients totaled $2,350 in 2000, $1,470 in 2001, $1,050 in 2002, $3,400 in 2003, and $2,500 in 2004. They also paid federal taxes totaling $311,044 during the same period on their $1.2 million of income.
The Obamas' biggest gift in 2005 and 2006 combined was $31,000 to Atlanta-based CARE, an organization fighting global poverty.
The Obamas also gave $13,107 to the Congressional Black Caucus in 2006 as well as $5,000 to the Muntu Dance Theatre, where Michelle Obama serves on a capital campaign committee with Bob Nash, a deputy campaign manager for Clinton.
To contact the reporters on this story: Ryan J. Donmoyer at e-mail rdonmoyer@bloomberg.net; Julianna Goldman at jgoldman6@bloomberg.net/ Last Updated: March 25, 2008 15:20 EDT
March 25 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle gave $10,772 of the $1.2 million they earned from 2000 through 2004 to charities, or less than 1 percent, according to tax returns for those years released today by his campaign.
The couple earned more than $2.6 million in 2005 and 2006, combined, after the Illinois senator published a bestselling book in 2005. They donated $137,622 over those two years and made their church, Trinity United Church of Christ, one of the biggest beneficiaries of their philanthropy, donating $27,500. Obama is under scrutiny for his ties to the church because of comments made by its senior pastor.
The Obamas' charitable giving history was revealed as he became the first presidential candidate to release his tax returns for the decade and called on his rival for the Democratic nomination, New York Senator Hillary Clinton, to do the same. Obama didn't release his 2007 return today.
``Releasing tax returns is a matter of routine, and we believe that the Clinton campaign should meet that standard and meet that routine standard now,'' said Robert Gibbs, Obama's communication director.
Bill Burton, a campaign spokesman, said the Obamas gave as much as they could afford.
``As new parents who were paying off their large student loans, giving $10,000 to charity was as generous as they could be at the time,'' Burton said.
Before April 15 Howard Wolfson, Clinton's communications director, said the campaign would release her tax information before April 15, the filing deadline for individuals. Arizona Senator John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, hasn't released his tax returns.
Presidential candidates aren't required to release their tax returns, which by law are confidential. Most have chosen to do so since the early 1970s.
In 1998, then-Vice President Al Gore was criticized for donating only $353 to charity in 1997 despite earning $197,729. Gore, who was the 2000 Democratic nominee for president, responded by pointing to a history of philanthropy, including more than $50,000 in royalties from his book, ``Earth in the Balance.''
The Obama's giving pattern is consistent with that of most other Americans, said University of Georgia Professor Russell James, who has studied the issue.
`Par for the Course'
His analysis of more than 56,000 survey respondents from 1995-2005 found that 89 percent of donors give 2 percent or less of their after-tax income to charities, including their churches. Americans who earn more than $150,000 on average gave about 2.2 percent of their income.
``It's not shocking,'' James said of the Obamas' philanthropy. ``It's about par for the course for Americans.''
The Obamas' donations to all recipients totaled $2,350 in 2000, $1,470 in 2001, $1,050 in 2002, $3,400 in 2003, and $2,500 in 2004. They also paid federal taxes totaling $311,044 during the same period on their $1.2 million of income.
The Obamas' biggest gift in 2005 and 2006 combined was $31,000 to Atlanta-based CARE, an organization fighting global poverty.
The Obamas also gave $13,107 to the Congressional Black Caucus in 2006 as well as $5,000 to the Muntu Dance Theatre, where Michelle Obama serves on a capital campaign committee with Bob Nash, a deputy campaign manager for Clinton.
To contact the reporters on this story: Ryan J. Donmoyer at e-mail rdonmoyer@bloomberg.net; Julianna Goldman at jgoldman6@bloomberg.net/ Last Updated: March 25, 2008 15:20 EDT
posted by jillosophy at 3/25/2008 03:53:00 PM
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