BREAKING: Romney tax returns will be released to the public

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/09/05/hackers_claim_to_have_romneys_tax_returns.html

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

Thread title is misleading. A group of hackers claimed to have found some of his tax returns, but no solid or credible details are given.

[後援会]

http://www.businessinsider.com/hackers-claim-to-have-mitt-romneys-tax-returns-2012-9

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

http://www.businessinsider.com/hackers-claim-to-have-mitt-romneys-tax-returns-2012-9

Obviously it is fake, still funny though

[mondale84]

If only there were a patriotic group of Americans like this...

[minionofmidas]

Oh, come on. This is evidently genuine. If Romney's tax returns are not released by the end of the month, it will mean he has paid the ransom because he used to claim a tax credit for his purchases of underage sex slaves.

[Bacon King]

Just when I thought this season had jumped the shark, the writers throw an exciting curveball like this! What a tweeest!

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Just when I thought this season had jumped the shark, the writers throw an exciting curveball like this! What a tweeest!

Nah, I think this is just a red herring to get more views.

[Adam Griffin]

https://twitter.com/EamonJavers/status/243422013266485248

CNBC's Eamon Javers on Twitter: A #Romney spokesman tells me the campaign is aware of the claim that hackers stole his tax returns, and "authorities are investigating"

Someone is taking it somewhat seriously.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

This is worse than getting an email from a hot girl you have a crash on titled "I want to sleep with you tonight", just to see that in actual message, she wrote "just kidding".

[Likely Voter]

This is probably BS, However, If a WikiLeaks or other hacker group got his returns out, that would be the worse of all outcomes for Mitt. Whatever he has been hiding will be revealed and he wont get any credit for letting it out and being open and transparent.

Maybe this scare might actually convince Romney that he should get it out, otherwise it will be leaked anyway.

[Stranger in a strange land]

This is probably BS, However, If a WikiLeaks or other hacker group got his returns out, that would be the worse of all outcomes for Mitt. Whatever he has been hiding will be revealed and he wont get any credit for letting it out and being open and transparent.

Maybe this scare might actually convince Romney that he should get it out, otherwise it will be leaked anyway.

Actually I think it might help him because it would allow him to play the victim. Never underestimate the credulousity or short memory of the American voter.

[Torie]

Perhaps an IRS agent willing to commit a felony did the deed. Anyone who pulls tax returns at the IRS can be traced (when you look as an IRS employee at tax returns, you are logged), so if that happened, the revealer will be fingered. Unless of course, team Obama, just like LBJ and Nixon, has corrupted the IRS. 

[mondale84]

Perhaps an IRS agent willing to commit a felony did the deed. Anyone who pulls tax returns at the IRS can be traced (when you look as an IRS employee at tax returns, you are logged), so if that happened, the revealer will be fingered. Unless of course, team Obama, just like LBJ and Nixon, has corrupted the IRS. 

A man can dream...

Seriously though, if an IRS agent did that he or she deserves the Medal of Freedom for doing what the media has refused to do: properly vet the most secretive and unethical presidential candidate in US history.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Oh, come on. This is evidently genuine. If Romney's tax returns are not released by the end of the month, it will mean he has paid the ransom because he used to claim a tax credit for his purchases of underage sex slaves.

LOL. Or it's just fake. Either way, we'll never hear about it again.

[BigSkyBob]

Perhaps an IRS agent willing to commit a felony did the deed. Anyone who pulls tax returns at the IRS can be traced (when you look as an IRS employee at tax returns, you are logged), so if that happened, the revealer will be fingered. Unless of course, team Obama, just like LBJ and Nixon, has corrupted the IRS. 

Perhaps, but, the hackers claimed it was his accounting firm's records they accessed. That could just be a cover story.

[Bacon King]

I know that bitcoins are incredibly secretive and what-not, but is there any way to tell if these transactions have occurred? Even if this is a scam, I wouldn't be surprised if some gullible rich dude dropped money into the "release the tax returns immediately" account.

[Adam Griffin]

I know that bitcoins are incredibly secretive and what-not, but is there any way to tell if these transactions have occurred? Even if this is a scam, I wouldn't be surprised if some gullible rich dude dropped money into the "release the tax returns immediately" account.

Not really. Bitcoin addresses give no identifying information as to where or whom has access to it.  This is the real reason that governments haven't moved to shut it down or regulate it: they can't. Making the ability to determine who has the money becomes even more challenging, as the 'address' of each Bitcoin changes each time ownership changes. The new owner doesn't see the old address and vice-versa. I suppose it's possible that elite operatives within the SS, FBI or CIA could trace these down, but they are probably going to need some sort of identifying mark derivative from somewhere else (i.e.: a slip-up that leads to IP address being discovered).

EDIT: I may need to revise this. There are ways to see if a transaction has been executed to a specific address. If the receiving address is published already (anybody got it?), I know for a fact that you can determine if new Bitcoins (blocks) have been distributed to said address.

[Peeperkorn]

If a WikiLeaks or other hacker group

Wikileaks isn't a "hacker group".

[Bacon King]

EDIT: I may need to revise this. There are ways to see if a transaction has been executed to a specific address. If the receiving address is published already (anybody got it?), I know for a fact that you can determine if new Bitcoins (blocks) have been distributed to said address.

From the original pastebin text:

Bitcoin Address to Stop Release
1HeF89wMjC48bWNgWvVo7Wu3RaLW8XVsE8

Bitcoin Address to Promote Full Release
12AP6iCwRNFQqKLStH3A4b4hw3SL6RaNgB

[Adam Griffin]

EDIT: I may need to revise this. There are ways to see if a transaction has been executed to a specific address. If the receiving address is published already (anybody got it?), I know for a fact that you can determine if new Bitcoins (blocks) have been distributed to said address.

From the original pastebin text:

Bitcoin Address to Stop Release
1HeF89wMjC48bWNgWvVo7Wu3RaLW8XVsE8

Bitcoin Address to Promote Full Release
12AP6iCwRNFQqKLStH3A4b4hw3SL6RaNgB

Release it (1.24 BTC)
Stop it (0.35 BTC)