NEW: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson says his finances make him "relatable." I reviewed 15 years of his finances and found it's hard for any American to understand—let alone relate to it. Here's a financial profile on the new Speaker, as much as we know
thedailybeast.com/mike-johnsons-…
Transparency advocate group End Citizens United (@StopBigMoney) just filed a House ethics complaint against Johnson, included in this piece, naming multiple apparent violations. But the inconsistencies we uncovered go even further
@StopBigMoney Johnson as an individual earner is in the top 10% of US households. Top 5% in his district, with one of the lowest costs of living. Yet he doesn't have a reportable bank account. He pulls income from a number of sources, and the nature of his work makes the income hard to trace.
@StopBigMoney For instance, Johnson's income on federal disclosures doesn't match his claims on state disclosures covering the same years.
@StopBigMoney In 2016, the year he ran for Congress, Johnson saw an *extra* cash influx of at least $115,000 — yet disclosed no reportable bank account
@StopBigMoney Johnson also ran a not-for-profit law firm that registered with the state of Louisiana and won $190,000 in attorney fees that year. But I couldn't find any federal tax filings from the group in IRS or nonprofit databases.
@StopBigMoney Many of the potential violations in the ECU complaint involve Johnson's wife, whose income sources are opaque. Her nonprofit mostly serves to generate her salary, but that salary is different from what Johnson has said it is. The group also didn't file tax returns for 2 years.
@StopBigMoney Johnson's wife also has a private company by a similar name. The company never appears on his disclosures. And its website promoted her as a hired speaker, charging fees. But if she made money from it, that's not on his disclosures, either.
@StopBigMoney But there's a lot more in the article, and a lot more to learn about Mike Johnson. I hope this shows how complex his income really is & why it's critical for the public to understand the financial interests behind the most powerful people in our country. thedailybeast.com/mike-johnsons-…
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