Sen. Bunning grills Geithner on taxes

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., said Wednesday Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner has shown "negligence toward the law" in his personal taxes.

Criticizing President Barack Obama's choice to head the U.S. Treasury at confirmation hearings before the Senate Finance Committee, Bunning said Geithner's admission that he underpaid $34,000 in self-employment taxes was "troubling because it reflects a degree of negligence toward the law he will be charged with enforcing."

Geithner told the panel he had made "careless mistakes" in the matter and apologized, but Bunning called the explanation unsatisfactory.

The Republican senator also took aim at the Democratic leadership of the Finance Committee, saying the confirmation hearing was "rushed, and my staff has had only limited time to access the relevant information."

Bunning urged the committee to interview further witnesses in Geithner's case, the Washington publication The Hill reported.