Bentley Releases Tax Returns, Credit History and Ethics Reports

Republican gubernatorial candidate Dr. Robert Bentley said he’s got nothing to hide and he can prove it.

Bentley, who is the only candidate that has vowed not to take a salary until the state returns to "full" employment, which is a jobless rate of 5 percent, released his tax returns, credit history and ethics reports Tuesday.

"Can we elect men and women to do the right thing...my answer is an unequivocal yes we can," he said.

Bentley said if he is elected governor, he is committed to releasing the same information every year he is in office.

He also pledged no member of his family would ever profit from his office. Current Gov. Bob Riley has been criticized because his son-in-law is a partner in a law firm that gets millions of dollars in state contracts.

But Bentley said that has pledge is not about Riley, but every past governor who used their office to help a family member, or lobbyist profit from that connection.

"I’m not from a political family and I’m not backed by political interests," he said. "The only special interests I will serve is the people of Alabama."

In addition to releasing his own financial and ethics records each year, he said he would do the following if elected governor:

-- Eliminate no bid contracts and require all companies bidding for state business to disclose all campaign contributions its made

-- Limit lobbying expenditures by mandating online reporting of all money that lobbyists spend on elected officials

-- Push for legislation that makes all political party funding transparent.

Bentley is a retired dermatologist and state legislator.

-- posted by Markeshia Ricks