Questions raised about Nikki Haley's 'sudden wealth' as she hides her tax returns: report

As she closes the gap in the polls between herself and Donald Trump, former Gov. Nikki Haley's bid to become the Republican Party's 2024 presidential nominee is facing more scrutiny — including on a recent 11-month period where she made an estimated $2.5 million.

According to a report from the Washington Post, Haley stepped down as Trump's U.N. ambassador in late 2018, not long after a process server attempted to serve her with papers at the United Nations building over the foreclosure of her parents’ lake house on which she was listed as a defendant.

What followed, the Post reported, was the former lawmaker trading on her high-profile to cash in through paid-for speeches, though details of what said are vague and there are questions about all of her sources of income.

That is because she has yet to release her income taxes — something she has demanded of others.

The report from the Post's Issac Stanley-Becker noted, "In an 11-month period, ending January 2023, she earned about $2.5 million from paid speeches alone, delivered to banks, other businesses and advocacy groups, according to her disclosure. That’s more than she earned in combined salary during the eight years she spent as governor and then a presidential Cabinet member."

The report stated that the Haley campaign has danced around questions about her paid appearances, with Stanley-Becker writing that a "Haley spokesperson said the campaign does not have transcripts of Haley’s paid speeches because most took the form of question-and-answer sessions. Haley also has not released her recent tax returns. The spokesperson said she intends to but did not respond to questions about when."

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That contrasts notably with Haley in 2016 demanding, "Donald Trump, show us your tax returns!” while also dragging his 2016 presidential opponent Hillary Clinton into the attack by complaining, "We have two presidential candidates that refuse to disclose information: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump."

The Post's Stanley-Becker adds, "Haley’s reversal of fortune sheds light on inconsistencies between her public posturing and personal finances. She has touted her background in accounting yet faced penalties for failing to pay taxes on time, according to state records and news reports. She has demanded transparency from political adversaries yet veiled some aspects of her own sudden wealth while not always maintaining bright lines between her public role and private life."

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