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Columbus, Ohio – Ohio gubernatorial candidate Congressman Ted Strickland and wife Frances today released their tax returns from the preceding five years and a memo showing Strickland has returned tens of thousands of personal income and health benefits to the US Treasury.

The Stricklands agreed to share their tax returns with voters in response to an Ohio news media request to both gubernatorial candidates.

“I am committed to transparency and accountability in government,” Strickland said.  “I believe the voters have a right to know how much money the next governor of Ohio earns and how implementing a flat tax and cutting the capital gains tax would benefit him.” 

Voters already know that Blackwell became a millionaire while serving in public office. And while his salary is set by the state, Blackwell has refused to release tax returns that would reveal his other sources of income or how much he stands to make from his own tax proposals.

Also today, Strickland released a memo from the U.S. House of Representatives Members’ Services office.  The memo states that “official records of this office indicate” that Strickland, a member of Congress, “has consistently returned monies to the Treasury of the United States for the Member’s Costs of Living Adjustments (COLA) and the government contributions for health insurance.”  

From 1999 to March 1, 2006, Strickland returned $44,423.21 of his personal income and health benefits to the U.S. Treasury . 

Since his election to Congress in 1992, Strickland and wife Frances have refused to accept the health insurance benefits provided to Members of Congress as part of their benefits package. 

“I just don’t think it is right for me to accept the free health care members of congress get while so many of the people I represent go without access to quality care,” Strickland said.  “If all legislators had to go without health benefits, the country’s health insurance crisis would be solved overnight.” 

Today, more than 1.3 million Ohioans lack health insurance coverage, according to the Ohio Hospital Association. Of these uninsured, 4 out of 5 come from working families. 

Strickland, a longtime advocate of increasing the minimum wage, also has returned thousands of dollars in mid-term pay raises as a U.S. Representative from Ohio’s 6th District.