How to Flush Out a Tax Cheat...
February 02, 2009
– Comments (1)
Nominate him to a cabinent post, I guess.
Notice that somehow, whenever these guys plead ignorance, it never results in an overpayment? Funny, that.
Apart from the EduCap issue, questions have come up over three tax issues involving Mr. Daschle: access to a car and driver provided by private-equity firm InterMedia Advisors LLP, valued at $255,256, that went unreported on his taxes between 2005 and 2007; $83,333 in consulting-service income from InterMedia that went unreported in 2007; and improper deductions for contributions to a foster-care charity.
Mr. Daschle paid $140,167 in late tax and interest payments on Jan. 2, after Mr. Obama nominated him.
Addressing the tax issues, Daschle spokeswoman Ms. Backus said, "He made a mistake. He identified a potential problem on his own, and when he confirmed the problem, he fixed it and told everyone immediately."
Mr. Daschle's supporters suggested there were simple explanations for the lapses in payments. They said InterMedia hadn't provided Mr. Daschle with a tax statement indicating he had to pay taxes on the car service.
"A lot of people would be surprised that if someone loans you a car, even over an extended period of time, that becomes a taxable event," Mr. Conrad said.
Please. A quarter of a million bucks worth of car service and you don't think that's a taxable event? $90,000 worth of pay, and you don't report that? We're talking about a guy who helped write legislation, a guy interested in taxing the "rich," except, of course, when that description includes him.
I hope his nomination gets bounced. "Leaders" who refuse to do their most basic civic duty -- to pay taxes -- especially on income that they've obtained only because they've milked their status as past "leaders," don't deserve a do-over.
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