Gingrich yet to name income sources

 WASHINGTON – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich beat his main GOP presidential rival, Mitt Romney, to the punch by releasing his most recent tax return. But Gingrich still hasn’t revealed how he earned most of his $3.1 million.

 The 2010 tax return made public last week shows that $2.4 million – more than three-fourths of Gingrich’s income – came in payments he regularly received, in addition to his salary, from different businesses he ran before announcing his candidacy for president. Those businesses managed speaking engagements, appearance fees, consulting work, book and video deals and paid positions that Gingrich held in other groups.

 Gingrich, who has demanded more transparency from Romney, doesn’t identify where the money came from, including amounts he received from his consulting business. He also doesn’t list some of the salary he reported on his tax return on a financial disclosure filed last year after launching his campaign.

 The Associated Press requested details about Gingrich’s income and the identities of who paid him for his services. The campaign has not decided whether it will release further information about Gingrich’s income, spokesman R.C. Hammond said.

 Other GOP presidential candidates, including Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, have provided details of such income. Romney’s financial reports filed last year and his 2010 tax return released this week specify groups that paid him for appearances and how much he received.

Associated Press