Some political traditions in Kentucky are useful, while others are outdated and serve no valuable purpose. The tradition of political parties roasting each other at Fancy Farm Picnic, for example, seems to give hardly anything to the citizens of Kentucky, other than maybe a chuckle when one politician actually tells a funny joke.

But one political tradition in Kentucky is in place for good reason, and that is the tradition of gubernatorial candidates releasing their tax returns. Democratic candidate Jack Conway has already done this, but Republican candidate Matt Bevin has not, and doesn’t seem to have any plans to do so.

Some might argue this tradition is unnecessary, and that it invades the candidate’s privacy. But those running for public office should understand that public officials are held to a higher standard of ethics than the average person, and therefore are more subject to public scrutiny. This means public officials don’t always get to enjoy the same level of privacy as the average citizen.

Of course there is no law requiring Bevin to release his tax returns, it is ultimately his choice. But he came into this race with his eyes open, knowing full well this would be expected of him.

Bevin’s history as a businessman has already been subject to criticism, as Kentucky Democrats have lambasted him for accepting government bailouts and owning a business that was property tax delinquent multiple times.

Lexington Herald-Leader political writer Sam Youngman said former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney faced similar criticism, but Bevin’s decision is unusual for a gubernatorial candidate in Kentucky.

Whether or not Bevin is truly guilty of shady business dealings is up for debate, but he is not doing himself any favors by not making plans to release his tax returns. If his records are clean, then he should have nothing to worry about. But if he continues to disregard this political tradition, what other conclusion can we come to other than that he is untrustworthy?

The same goes for independent candidate Drew Curtis, who is also a career businessman rather than public official. Curtis said in an interview with the Kentucky Kernel that he plans to release his tax returns though he has not set a timeline. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later, as Curtis owes the same level of  transparency to the people of Kentucky.

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