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If you ever wondered whether it was possible for a member of the House of Representatives to make decent money while in office, check out former Congressman Scott McInnis‘ tax forms. Only you can’t do that because he’s not releasing them to the public. He did allow a Denver Post reporter to look at his forms—but not copy them. The Post’s story shows that when McInnis, a Republican now running for governor, entered the House in 1993, he had assets between $372,000 and $1 million, on top of a $133,600 salary. When he left Congress 12 years later, his assets were between $1.5 million and $5 million.
In the following fours years, McInnis, a partner at the Hogan & Hartson law firm, and his wife, Lori, reported income of $2.9 million. Want to know more? Few other details are available because McInnis declined to release them to the Post and turned down an interview request. McInnis’ primary opponent, Dan Maes, also isn’t releasing his tax records.
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Meanwhile, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, the Democrat running for the job, has released tax returns going back to 1985, when he was an out-of-work geologist, according to 9News. Then, as Hickenlooper and some partners built the Wynkoop Brewery and other pubs, Hickenlooper struck it big. In 2007, Hick’s restaurant holdings sold for about $6 million. “When I made a decision to go into public service, I accepted there would be a certain level of transparency,” Hickenlooper says. Both Hickenlooper and McInnis are generous givers, according to reports.