06/13/2002 Archived Entry: "MA GOV: Reich & Romney"

BOSTON -- The GOP is questioning whether Democrat Robert Reich has lived in Massachusetts long enough to run for governor, turning the tables on Democrats who challenged Republican Mitt Romney's residency.

This has been out for a couple of days now, but Reich is stonewalling, refusing to release his 1995 Massachusetts income tax returns which would show at which point during that year he returned to resident status.

Instead, Reich released a statement by accountant Anthony Russo of BDO Seldman that said Reich's 1995 tax return shows his date of residency beginning on Aug. 1, 1995.

That's not gonna do it. He's getting some pretty bad advice right now. If he wants to save his candidacy from going up in smoke like Romney's has, he'd better release those income tax returns. I smell a GOP legal challenge to Reich's candidacy with the state Ballot Law Commission coming up. Romney swingling wildly, and trying to tar O'Brien, that's desperation at work. For the Democratic establishment in MA, the residency flap has become a single stone killing two birds. Politicians not releasing their tax records in the 2002 season has been akin to kissing death.