Mitt Romney Asked VP Candidates For 10 Years Of Tax Returns: Report

Mitt Romney, the GOP presidential nominee, has refused to follow in the footsteps of his father and mentor George Romney and release 12 years of tax returns to the American public. So far, he has released his 2010 tax returns and an estimate for his 2011 returns; the campaign plans to release his full 2011 returns before the November election.

Romney's standards appear to be considerably stricter when it came to vetting his vice presidential contenders.

According a "knowledgeable source" who spoke to Daniel Klaidman of The Daily Beast, Romney asked the individuals he was considering as his VP to submit 10 years of tax returns to his campaign.

"The requirement was consistent with the past practices of both Republican and Democratic campaigns," said Klaidman. "Indeed, in 2008, Mitt Romney turned over 23 years of taxes to John McCain’s campaign when he was under consideration to be the Arizona senator’s running mate."

Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul replied, "We do not discuss the VP selection process."

In August, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty told ABC's "This Week" that he had been considered as a possible running mate and that he had to submit "several" years of tax returns. "Several" generally means three or more -- more years than Romney has made public.