Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to President Barack Obama, avoided questions from The Daily Caller about her typical work schedule and her opinion of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s accusation that Mitt Romney didn’t pay taxes for ten years.
Reid said of Romney, “He didn’t pay taxes for 10 years! Now, do I know that that’s true? Well, I’m not certain. But obviously he can’t release those tax returns. How would it look?”
Jarrett appeared on a panel at the U.S. Education Department’s Bullying Prevent Summit with Cynthia Germanotta, Lady Gaga’s mother. After the discussion, TheDC asked Jarrett to describe “a day in the life of Valerie Jarrett” as the presidential election heats up.
“Well, today I had a terrific time at this conference. This is something that Cynthia and I have been planning for months. It’s a way for us to keep the spotlight on an issue that’s very important to the president and the first lady, not just because of their roles as president and first lady but as parents,” Jarrett told TheDC.
“So, it’s something that I care passionately about and I think anyone with a child or who cares about our young people wants to be able to be here and engage in this so it’s great.”
TheDC also asked Jarrett about Reid claiming that Romney cannot release additional years of his tax returns because he did not pay taxes for 10 years.
“You know what? The only thing I’m here to talk about today is how we’re going to end bullying and if you’d like to have a conversation on that topic, I could talk to you for another hour,” she responded.
When TheDC followed up, asking if she thought it was wrong for Reid to make accusations without any evidence, Jarrett kept walking with her Secret Service detail and staff.
Romney accused the White House last week of being behind Reid’s accusations, which he called “untrue, dishonest and inaccurate.”
According to the official White House website, Jarrett’s salary was $172,000 in 2011.
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