Earlier today, Senator Johnson appeared on WISN’s UPFRONT where he discussed the Congressional Integrity Project’s new report on his corruption and self-dealing. Specifically, the report found that Johnson’s wealth has grown by roughly 50% – 100% while in office.
In the interview, Johnson claimed that the stat is “completely false, my net worth has not grown by that amount.” He went on to claim that he has lost “huge sums of money.” Earlier this year, Johnson sold his share of his family’s businesses for as much as $25 million. Before Johnson helped push through a tax reform package that benefitted the wealthy, he had estimated that that investment was worth up to $5 million.
The analysis of Johnson’s wealth is based his own Senate Financial Disclosure Reports and have been corroborated by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
In response to Johnson’s claims Congressional Integrity Project spokesman Michael Czin released the following statement:
“For a decade, Ron Johnson has run his Senate office like a venture capital firm, and now that he has been called out, he’s pretending to be a victim. The fact is that Johnson went to Washington, DC a rich man – and while there he has pushed policies that have helped grow his fortune.
“When he ran for the Senate, he pledged to put his assets in a blind trust to avoid any conflicts of interest. He broke that promise. If he wants to start rebuilding trust, he should release his tax returns from his decade in office and let the people of Wisconsin draw their own conclusions. What is he trying to hide?”
For more information on the Congressional Integrity Project’s work visit: www.congressionalIntegrity.org. For the latest updates, follow @USIntegrityProj on Twitter.
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