1 of 4 | Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney in Columbia, S.C., Jan. 21, 2012. UPI/Kevin Dietsch |
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MIAMI, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Mitt Romney's campaign gave conflicting signs Tuesday on whether the U.S. presidential hopeful would support ending a tax break that helped him become wealthy.
Romney Policy Director Lanhee Chen told reporters in a conference call Tuesday Romney might be willing to reconsider a tax break known as "carried interest" as part of a comprehensive tax overhaul. The break gives private-equity and venture-capital executives a relatively low 15 percent tax rate on much of their interest income.
Chen said Romney hadn't said recently whether he wanted to retain the carried-interest break. He spoke favorably of it in 2008, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Later in the day, Romney's campaign said the former Massachusetts governor and founder of private-equity firm Bain Capital LLC did not want to raise anyone's taxes, the Journal said.
Democrats, including President Barack Obama, have criticized carried-interest rules, but Congress has failed to repeal them.
Most taxpayers receive compensation as ordinary wages subject to rates as high as 35 percent.
Romney was to discuss Latin American policy at Miami's Freedom Tower Wednesday. The landmark building serves as a memorial to Cuban immigration to the United States.
Cuban-Americans make up Florida's largest Hispanic group, and more than 452,000 Hispanic voters are registered Republicans. Some 565,000 are registered Democrats, the Pew Hispanic Center says.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia was to discuss Latin America policy Wednesday at Florida International University, outside Miami.
Both candidates and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania were to participate in a "Meet the Candidates" forum at Miami-Dade College, co-sponsored by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The candidates were to be interviewed separately by Spanish-language U.S. TV network Univision.
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, the fourth major candidate still running for the GOP nomination, said he would not participate in the forum and had no Miami appearances scheduled Wednesday.
