Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said he and his wife donated more to charity than they reported on their tax returns but it was not important to them to take the deductions allowed.
“[We] just didn’t report it because it wasn’t important for us to take the deduction,” O’Rourke told reporters in Virginia on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
O’Rourke released his federal tax returns from 2008 to 2017 earlier this week, showing he and his wife donated a small portion of their income to charity. The most recent filing showed they earned more than $360,000 in income and donated about $1,200 to charity.
“We’re trying to go back to some of these organizations” to see if they’ll say “how much we have donated,” he said.
During a campaign stop in Virginia on Tuesday, O’Rourke was asked by a student why her sister donates more to charity than he does when she makes substantially less than his family.
“I’ve served in public office since 2005. I do my best to contribute to the success of my community, of my state and, now, of my country,” he responded. “There are ways that I do this that are measurable and there are ways that I do this that are immeasurable. There are charities that we donate to that we’ve recorded and itemized, others that we have donated to that we have not. But I will tell you, I’m doing everything that I can right now, spending this time with you — not with our kiddos, not back home in El Paso — because I want to sacrifice everything to make sure that we meet this moment of truth with everything that we’ve got.”
