JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. _ U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill and her Republican rival, Attorney General Josh Hawley, released their tax returns Wednesday.
McCaskill, a Democrat, reported an adjusted gross income of $266,096 in 2017, according to a copy of her federal tax return.
Hawley, who filed jointly with his wife, Erin, reported an adjusted gross income of $295,925. He reported earning $130,749, while his wife reported $165,587.
The release of the reports came a day after the Post-Dispatch reported that the two had been silent on whether they would make their returns public.
According to McCaskill's return, she reported her $174,000 salary as a member of the Senate. She also received $85,521 from pensions and annuities and received a refund of $9,337.
The bulk of Hawley's income came from his attorney general salary of $116,000.
In comments Tuesday in Columbia, McCaskill addressed the issue of not previously signaling her taxes would be released.
"Yeah, I have always released my personal tax returns and I'm sure we will," McCaskill told an audience during a stop in Columbia. "I have in every election I've run in."
There are no state or national requirements for people seeking office to release their tax returns. But it has become a commonplace move for transparency in presidential campaigns, except for Republican Donald Trump during his 2016 campaign for president.
Hawley, who is being backed by Trump, would not criticize the president for keeping his returns secret.
"He ran. He won," Hawley said. "President Trump has been elected. He won in the state by 20 points."
But he said McCaskill should release more than the two pages of her individual return. Hawley released 60 pages, including schedules and deductions.
"What is she going to do? Is she going to level with the voters," Hawley said.
McCaskill is listed by Roll Call as the 24th wealthiest member of Congress, with an estimated net worth of almost $27 million _ and the wealthiest member who faces a tough campaign fight this fall.
But much of that wealth stems from her husband, housing developer Joseph Shepard, whom she married in 2002.
McCaskill and Shepard file their taxes separately.
Hawley pointed to reports that Shepard has made at least $230,000 by investing in a hedge fund with ties to the Cayman Islands, as well as a Post-Dispatch report revealing that Shepard had invested at least $2.25 million in tax breaks for conservation easements, a class of investments that the Internal Revenue Service has called into question and Congress is trying to restrict. McCaskill has supported those efforts.
In July, the Star reported that businesses tied to Shepard have been awarded more than $131 million in federal subsidies since the Missouri Democrat took office in 2007.
There is no evidence McCaskill played a role in directing federal funds to his businesses.
She voted for some _ and against other _ bills that funded the federal housing and agriculture departments, which in turn provide subsidies to businesses with federal contracts to provide low-income housing.
Hawley said McCaskill should release Shepard's tax return.
"The time has come for her to come clean for Missouri voters," Hawley said.
During her Columbia stop, McCaskill said, "I've never filed a joint return with my husband, from the time I met him. His stuff is really complicated and big, and mine is really simple and straight forward. I just never wanted to go there."
In 2016, a Post-Dispatch poll found that 68 percent believed candidates should be required to release their returns. By contrast, 21 percent said they should not, with 11 percent not sure, the survey found.
