Romney campaign said thanks for the offer made by President Obama’s side to refrain from criticizing Romney’s transparency if he agrees to release five more years of tax return. But Romney dismissed the offer. Tax Return Deal

Matt Rhoades, Romney campaign manager, wrote a short email to Obama campaign manager Jim Messina to decline the offer. He added that it is clear that President Obama wants nothing but to talk about Romney’s tax returns instead of more important issues, such as improving the economy, putting Americans back to work, and curbing government spending. He said that if Governor Romney’s tax returns are the main focus of Obama’s campaign, then there will be enough time to discuss them over the next 81 days.

Obama’s campaign gave the offer after Romney said that he never paid less than 13 percent in taxes over the previous ten years. Messina wrote that asking for additional tax returns was not just to feed the Democrats’ appetite for more. He said that if Romney release five years of return, Obama’s camp will not criticize him for not releasing more. He promised not to do so in ads or in other public communications for the rest of the presidential campaign.

It is noted that Messina didn’t offer to refrain from criticizing the contents of Romney’s tax returns, if ever he would release them. That is what Romney’s camp has expressed concern about. Romney’s wife Ann said that releasing more tax returns would give his opponent more ammunition and claimed that they would not be releasing more.

Mitt Romney told reporters outside a South Carolina airport that he looked at his taxes over the past ten years and found out that he never paid less than 13 percent. He said that in the most recent year, he paid around 13.6 percent.