Dayton to release personal finance info

DFL gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton says he will voluntarily release a summary of his personal income tax information.

Dayton made the pledge Wednesday during a news conference related to senior citizen issues.

State law doesn't require such a disclosure, but the former U.S. senator and heir to the Dayton department store fortune told reporters that he will make his financial information available within two weeks.

"I'm not going to disclose the particular details. But within two weeks, I'll disclose a summary along the lines of what President Obama has disclosed and along the lines of President Bush disclosed before him, that outlines my income and the taxes paid," he said.

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Dayton said his political rivals should be held to the same standard. He's running in the Aug. 10 DFL primary against Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Matt Entenza.

Kelliher is the only other gubernatorial candidate to accept Dayton's challenge, saying after Dayton's news conference that she would also release a summary of her tax information.

Kelliher said it's important for Minnesotans to know where their next governor earns an income.

"I think it's important to have people know who's on their side, and if people are working Minnesotans, and I am. And I think people will see that."

Another DFL candidate, Matt Entenza, has declined Dayton's challenge, as has Republican Tom Emmer. Independence Party candidate Tom Horner says he'll consider it.