A public poll released on Monday has incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu with a commanding 30-point lead over her challenger, Josh Kraft. But, in a sign that Wu is not one to quit while she’s way ahead, she issued a broadside against her opponent the very next day, calling on Kraft to follow through on an earlier campaign pledge to release his tax returns.
In a press conference in front of the John F. Kennedy Federal Building— home to the local branch of the IRS— state Sen. Lydia Edwards and other Wu allies in lambasted Kraft for “keeping voters in the dark.”
Wu later added: “Josh should honor our democratic process and share the information on his taxes, corporate filings, and family and real estate trusts that he benefits from, as he promised he would.” She added that she has done so throughout her political career as a councillor and mayor.
Wealth aside, Kraft’s potential conflicts of interest on pressing issues like his father’s and brother’s proposal to build a pro soccer stadium in Everett are fair game in this election cycle.
It’s puzzling why Kraft’s otherwise well-funded and managed campaign has failed to do so already.
On Tuesday, Kraft’s campaign told WBUR that the candidate has not yet filed his 2024 tax returns. Instead, he secured a six-month extension, which is not uncommon, particularly for people with extensive and complex investment portfolios.
And yet that does not explain why Kraft hasn’t just released filings from 2023 of previous years to give the electorate an understanding of his dealings. The voters should have that information in hand before the preliminary election, which for all practical purposes, starts with early voting on Aug. 30.
Kraft should release the 2023 tax filing without further delay.
