Mitt Romney Staples CEO Divorce Testimony Transcripts Unsealed (VIEW TRANSCRIPTS)
After Gloria Allred and Boston Globe won the request to unseal complete transcripts of Mitt Romney's testimony for Staples founder Tom Stemberg's divorce trial, the documents have been posted online for public view.
View the unsealed transcript of Mitt Romney's testimony here
Allred announced her "October Surprise" that Romney lied under oath on Wednesday. Allred helped uncover that the GOP presidential candidate made statements to help undervalue Stemberg's early stock in Staples to help him cheat his then wife in their divorce settlement.
The testimony was given in Norfolk, Mass. Probate Court on October 7, 1991. Romney was examined by Joseph Walsh, the lawyer for Maureen Sullivan-Stemberg, in a suit against her ex-husband. The judge ruled for Tom Stemberg, the early founder of Staples.
The transcripts show that Romney was asked how he became friends with Stemberg. Romney said a venture capital businessman from another firm "mentioned to me a gentleman named Tom Stemberg had a business plan to commence an office supply chain and was looking for capital to fund that."
"I told him I didn't think it was a very good idea, but I'd look at it," Romney added.
Romney said he believed that Staples had only a 25% chance of survival, which is considered a surprise statement considering both Romney and Stemberg's major investment in Staples at the time.
Romney's testimony affected Stemberg's ex-wife's share in the divorce settlement, and she ended up with less than what she felt she deserved. Weeks after the divorce was finalized, Romney and Tom allegedly went to Goldman Sachs and cashed in their Staples stock and ended up with a fortune.
Romney's lawyer Robert Jones told Time Magazine that his client has nothing to hide. "This is a decades-old divorce case in which Mitt Romney provided testimony as to the value of a company," said Jones." He has no objection to letting the public see that testimony."
Time will tell if the unsealed documents will affect Romney's presidential campaign.
