U.S. Senate See Full Big Line

(D) J. Hickenlooper*

(R) Somebody

80%

20%

Governor See Full Big Line
(D) Phil Weiser

(D) Joe Neguse

(D) Jena Griswold

60%

60%

40%↓

Att. General See Full Big Line

(D) M. Dougherty

(D) Alexis King

(D) Brian Mason

40%

40%

30%

Sec. of State See Full Big Line
(D) A. Gonzalez

(D) George Stern

(R) Sheri Davis

50%↑

40%

30%

State Treasurer See Full Big Line

(D) Brianna Titone

(R) Kevin Grantham

(D) Jerry DiTullio

60%

30%

20%

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

(R) Somebody

90%

2%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

(R) Somebody

90%

2%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Hurd*

(D) Somebody

80%

40%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert*

(D) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Jeff Crank*

(D) Somebody

80%

20%

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

(R) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) B. Pettersen*

(R) Somebody

90%

10%

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(R) Gabe Evans*

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(D) Joe Salazar

50%

40%

40%

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
September 12, 2018 11:07 AM UTC

Local Media Shreds RGA's Latest BS Ad

  • 16 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

A new-ish ad running from the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) (above) attacks Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jared Polis for allegedly “not paying taxes” for a number of years, and stashing funds offshore in the tax haven of the Cayman Islands. Not paying one’s fair share of taxes is a common allegation made against wealthy political candidates on both sides, sometimes quite damagingly (see: Romney, Mitt).

But in Rep. Polis’ case, as the Denver Post’s editorial board did a surprisingly good job explaining yesterday, it’s a warmed-over hit job with no factual basis:

The television ad makes it sound like Polis has used clever accounting tricks, specifically off-shore accounts that shelter money from the IRS, to avoid paying federal income taxes.

The Denver Post’s reporters have never found evidence of such behavior in Polis’ lengthy financial disclosures required by Congress or in the tax documents he voluntarily disclosed when he ran for Congress in 2008. [Pols emphasis]

The Denver Post’s Jon Murray reported that in the four years spanning 2001 to 2005, Polis reported “a net loss of income.” Murray noted that in other years “Polis paid more than $18.4 million in income taxes on more than $120 million in adjusted gross income.”

As for the ad’s juicy claim that Polis stashed money in the Cayman Islands? The Colorado Springs Gazette’s Ernest Luning joins in the debunking:

As for any “offshore accounts to avoid paying taxes,” a Polis campaign spokeswoman pointed to reporting from 2008, when Polis acknowledged holdings in a company that also maintained a fund in the Cayman Islands for international investors, but said he never had any money in the Cayman fund.

During his run for Congress in 2008, Rep. Polis disclosed all of these financial details–documenting the growth of his personal fortune as well as the years in which he didn’t owe taxes due to investment losses. There was heavy scrutiny of those disclosures by Polis’ opponents in that race, and news reports that validated Polis’ version of all these uncontroversial events.

There’s been tremendous turnover in local media in the ten years between Polis’ run for Congress and his bid for governor, but the RGA made a big mistake in assuming nobody would remember that these details in Polis’ financial history had all been disclosed and questions resolved back in 2008. It’s another case of political operatives knowing an allegation is false, making it anyway, and counting on the new allegation getting more attention than the debunking. Call it “post-truth” politics, which have become the norm in the era of Cory Gardner and Donald Trump.

What we’re seeing here, much like the local media’s revolt against Walker Stapleton’s false ads in the primary or a similar case in 2016 where false and racist attacks against now-Sen. Rachel Zenzinger were audaciously recycled by Republicans–not to mention yesterday’s bizarre “black is white” botched attack on Democratic AG candidate Phil Weiser–is the knowing deception becoming too brazen for even the most complaisant voices to tolerate.

At long last, “post-truth” politics appears to be backfiring in Colorado. That’s a welcome development.

Tweet
Share

Comments

16 thoughts on “Local Media Shreds RGA’s Latest BS Ad”

  1. I hear there is this "internet" thing that allows people to look up prior publications. Wouldn't you think the RGA would have some enthusiastic young staffer around who could show people how to use the new-fangled thing?

      1. Logic fail.

        Medical tourism was already very profitable in 2009. 

        If Obamacare succeeds, it remains profitable. 

        If Obamacare fails it's even more profitable.

        For some reason, many conservatives (perhaps including yourself) forget that heathcare costs were rising by double digits annually before the ACA was enacted. Perhaps you can explain to us the benefits of the old system. 

        2. I can't think of anything beneficial in the old system. I'm bummed Obamacare failed, it was conceptually a great plan. But it did fail, and Polis invested in a sector that would profit more if it did, while playing a role in the actual policy development. Thats shitty and one can only wonder what his true motives were under the circumstances.

          Davie, are you telling me its not true? Tell me its not true.

            1. That's ok Davie. . you have the right to be wrong. 

               Westword said the same thing as Schweizer if that's a better source for you.  Weed on sale at laBodega too.

              You do realize you just conceded that you are happy Obamacare failed and found the old system beneficial with that snappy retort.. whos side you on?

              1. Hey, yall…Davie and  ajb just took on troll duty, Negev reporting with whacky right wing theories sourced from fringey sites from 10 years ago.  I don't really feel like helping him in his "smear Polis" mission tonight, either.

                It's "muddy the waters" , "truth isn't truth" time. It really doesn't matter how little There is there; the tactic is simply to confuse people into cynicism and thinking "All politicians are alike, all corrupt, makes no difference, bla bla. "

                So whatever, Negetevity, hopefully nobody else will take your bait tonight. Thanks for playing, though.

                1. Negetevity?  That stings, a low blow worthy of me!  Congratulations MJ

                  As for Obamacare, it is still a success, despite GOP efforts to destroy it.  Read the recent analysis of its success by Paul Krugman, who has one more Nobel Prize in economics than Negev does. Though probably a lot fewer guns..

                2. Negetevity? I like it! I bet that took a lot of thought.  Westword "fringy" is fringy left, mama, and it matches the fringy right article. Have you spent a moment researching the facts prior to troll duty? Polis's investments and political positions are facts, and the timing is suspect. The rest of the mud in the water you have added yourself. Put a (R) in front of a politicians name that did the same and you would be the first in line to critique. 

                   

  2. They knew the truth.  They also knew their lie would draw blood.   The modern Republican party would lie on credit when it could tell the truth for cash, as John Henry Faulk liked to say.

  3. The Gazette's editorial board has long strongly supported Stapleton's candidacy. Not surprisingly, it today repeated the misleading claim that Jared Polis filed no taxes from 2001-05. It failed to mention the actual facts stated two days ago by the Denver Post and Colorado Politics, as summarized above.

    https://gazette.com/opinion/editorial-polis-plans-to-soak-the-middle-class/article_be79cb90-b6f2-11e8-9a3f-bbfd0188ed2f.html

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Gabe Evans
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

123 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!