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America's Tax Cheating Politicians

by The Daily Beast

More than 3,000 federal tax crimes were referred for prosecution in 2010, and a few of them happened have an elected official as the defendant. With Tax Day coming up, The Daily Beast scours the records to find whether Democrats or Republicans have the worse tax problem.
With Emancipation Day pushing this years tax deadline to Monday, filers will have a few extra days to complete and review their IRS forms. And if those who havent completed their taxes yet also hold public office, theyre going to want to be extra careful.

Gallery: Americas Tax-Cheating Politicians

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Tax scofflaws throughout the years.

While most politicians uphold their public duty with integrity, a few are sometimes brought down not by their deeds, but by their taxes. As Al Capone found out in the 1930s, if authorities dont have the evidence to convict on corruption or other more serious charges, they can always turn to tax returns. Thats because taxes have to be paid on all income, regardless of source. Since Tax Day will be the talk of the weekend, The Daily Beast scoured hundreds of news reports going back to the 1990s to find which political party can claim the most tax offenders. We came up with a list of 25 politicians who have been embroiled in tax scandals over the past two decades. We devised the following points system to rank them: 3 points for each felony tax offense. 1 point for each misdemeanor tax offense, or official ethics conviction. .5 point for each felony tax indictment. .25 point for each misdemeanor tax indictment. And, because a Congressional tax scandal garners more negative attention than a mayoral tax scandal, we also took the level of public office into account: 1 point for a state legislator or mayor. 3 points for a U.S. representative, statewide official, or federal lobbyist. 5 points for a governor or presidential nominee.

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Finally, because come sentencing time the courts tend to favor defendants who plead guilty, we knocked off a point for the scofflaws who pleaded guilty. Ties were broken by the amount of taxes owed, if determinable, or by fine levied. The verdict? Turns out Republicans have the bigger namesJack Abramoff, Randy DukeCunninghambut Democrats have the most tax scandals by a margin of 18 to 7. The offenses encompass a spectrum of cases and officialsan indication that no public official or office is immune. Theres Jerry Fowler, former elections commissioner of Louisiana, who funneled state dollars toward a voting machine company in which he had an interest. Bill Campbell, former mayor of Atlanta, who knowingly owed the IRS more than $60,000. And former U.S. treasurer Catalina Villalpando, whose signature was on U.S. currency from 1989 to 1993and owed the IRS more than $45,000. Republicans and Tea Partiers tend to shout the loudest when it comes to tax reform, and theyre also the most law abidingwhen it comes to paying their taxes, anyway. Research by Clark Merrefield Like The Daily Beast on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates all day long. For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.

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Politics , Us News , Republican , Democrat , Rankings , Irs , Tea Partiers , Tax Day , Jack Abramoff , Tax Crime , Tax Cheats , Catalina Villalpando , Randy "duke" Cunningham

Slippery Tax Moves from America's Most Powerful Collapse Replies

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Master of Muppets
yup, the party of tax and spend, the party that has never met a tax it didn't like, the party who thinks they should get the majority of what you've worked your entire life for instead of your heirs upon your death, the party of everyone needs to pay their fair share but themselves, the party of tax the rich except for their rich buddies.... the democrats. yea, were all shocked.
1:56 am, Apr 15, 2011
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Margot707
A similar survey regarding illicit affairs had the self righteous big-government-inyour-bedroom GOP leading the pack. For both sides, it's much like the ones who are the most anti-gay getting caught with their "baggage boys" while on vacation paid for by the tax payers.
9:46 am, Apr 15, 2011
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galeso
It is common for top politicians of the party that holds the presidency to get more lenient treatment. Looks like that may be the case here. And not one tax hating Libertarian in the bunch :-)
10:23 am, Apr 15, 2011
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pauluap
hmmmmmm,, No mention of Charlie "Rangel"
11:19 am, Apr 15, 2011
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citivas
Actually he was on their list.

3:40 pm, Apr 15, 2011

Earnrespect
pauluap> No mention of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Maxine Waters and her husband, and no metion of Timothy Geithner either................>>>>
5:35 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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citivas
Earnrespect, Rangel was on the list and Jackson, Sharpton and Geithner are not elected officials which was the focus on the article (did you read it?). If Waters has tax troubles maybe she just didn't qualify in the top list. They had to draw the line somewhere. The list has more dems than GOP people, including all of the top 7 spots, so its hardly trying to bias for that party...
7:02 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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PamB12
Mupp----turn off Limbaugh. Your reguratation is word for word from his vomit each day!!! Spend????? Which President spent more than any other President in history-----George Bush. TAX? When Clinton raised taxes modestly back in the 90's, the Economy flourished! The deficit turned into a surplus. Jobs were created to record highs. Warren Buffet the only rich man out there complaining that he does not pay enough tax!!! Is he a Rightie??? Not hardly. Me thinks you should go play with Elmo, and leave the thinking to the big folks!!! ps, isn't Abramoff making pizza somewhere now? And Duke Cunningham---just another wimpy sobbing Rightie. The Republican Party---Culture of Corruption, Party of Shame.
4:49 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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bigking12345
turbo timmy leads the way and don't forget rangel, they all suck, both parties and the entire system. When a loser from a broken home who's dad was an alcoholic who killed people when he was drunk driving and mom a communist, one with zero skills and who is always the dumbest guy in the room can rise to president we have a huge problem.
9:16 am, Apr 15, 2011
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Granite Sentry
Wow, they really had to stand on their heads to get some Republicans in there. Why not just be straightforward and say GOP violations count for three times the points as Dems? www.granitesentry.com
9:45 am, Apr 15, 2011
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PrinceMyshkin
One point to remember here is that all of these people have their taxes prepared by professional accountants. I doubt it is a matter of deliberate cheating as much as it is that the regulations are so complex and are interpreted so many different ways, often diametrically the opposite by different auditors, that almost anybody with complicated taxes can be audited at any time for perfectly reasonable tax forms. That's one of the reasons why the IRS regulations have to go. They're not even internally consistent.
11:24 am, Apr 15, 2011
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star_tracer
hhhhmmmm -- interesting link elsewhere on Beasty....... http://www.ehow.com/how_6781398_tell-someone-sociopath.html?utm_source=o utbrain&utm_medium=test11
11:50 am, Apr 15, 2011
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Johnnyappleseed
Princess...Yah!, sure, the tax preparers fault for sure.
1:26 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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PrinceMyshkin
Pay attention, johnny. The tax laws are so complex and the enforcement so erratic and contradictory that you don't need to do anything wrong to get into trouble. Even if you're right, the cost of fighting the IRS is so great that you're usually better off paying, even if your accountant and your lawyer are certain you could win the appeal.

1:45 pm, Apr 15, 2011

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YearsLaterXXI
Prince and this is the land of the free, the equality,and hope and dreams.Democracy.Go up against a corporation if they want your buss or want you out of the way.Even if you are right, there should be funds for the persons in this country to be able to defend themselves. the rich and wealthy and powerfull can withstand all. Instaed of wasting and tthrowing all money everywhere.,slowly the gap between the halve and have nots gets wider.This list is all they got?Normal persons cannot fight anybody.
4:13 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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PrinceMyshkin
A good example is that this year I was disallowed a complicated exemption on a return from four years ago and assessed $1200. My tax accountant says we could win the appeal easily, but that the IRS would likely audit four or five year's returns and the time she would spend defending them with me would cost far more than $1200. There is no doubt about my exemption being correct, but I would have to be very idealistic indeed to spend three or four times as much defending it. I just grit my teeth and wrote them a check. Now, if they had to pay my expenses when they were wrong, I'd go through the appeal. Obviously, I'd have to be a masochist to do so.
2:35 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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PrinceMyshkin
Oh yes, and the state would do the same thing when I asked them for the money back as well.
3:09 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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stevor
How did Obummer's cabinet (including the czars and previous cabinet members) rank?
3:41 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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acknchip
This is amazing. You owe the IRS a dime and they'll hunt you down as a fugitive, however politicians can cheat, steal, lie and nothing ever happens. What a country we live in.
3:42 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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YearsLaterXXI
acknchip still,maybe the greatest Although ,now many all over the world do not want to leave for the US. Other countries are growing thriving and full of patriotism.This country is becoming the land of the wealthy,and in other countries the lower classes are the ones imrpoving with jobs opportunities training salaries ,from our american corporations.And yes presidents and all politicians from both parties get away with all. and if caught,they get a reprimand and keep insurance retirements healtthcare,benefits connections.
4:25 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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Rhett6
What we need is a simple flat tax,no exemptions,no complex rules,no complex forms,everyone,corporations,etc pays a simple flat percentage of income. BUT would the tax accountants,tax lawyers, IRS employees,et alia ever allow such a law to pass..............................most unlikely. We are our own worst enemy.
3:47 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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PrinceMyshkin
Makes sense, Rhett. That's why it is so unlikely.
4:24 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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philtraywick
Completely agree. Well said!
4:30 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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DrEvil
This isn't a list of just who is currently serving in public office. Jack Abramhof is in the list and a lobbyist is in prison.

The title of the article is America's Tax Cheating Politicians. "More than 3,000 federal tax crimes were referred for prosecution in 2010" But how many of those people are still occupying a public office this April 15th? And getting paid with tax payer money?
3:49 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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me_am_legion
They didn't mention Republican Sen. Stevens.
3:53 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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squaylox
Hypocrites. Let them eat cake. Bullcake.
4:03 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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WinstonChurchill
Where's Tom Daschle? Where's Tim Geithner? Where's the others from the current administration?
4:19 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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YearsLaterXXI
How about,those falling asleep on the job. ??The elite and preferential treatmentt of politcicians these past 30 years is disgusting and they have set horrandeous standards.On top ruined this country and gotten away with llc and companies and investments foreign and unethical in other fam memebers names.Yes the smartest and the brightest,lead this country.They have their own clubs both parties and trully sad,for the everyday,hard working struggling american.And Nothing changes nothing gets done,and they are the same
4:30 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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PamB12
Abramoff MORE than made up for the amount of Democrats!!! How long was he in Prison for???? All that corruption---so little time!!!
4:50 pm, Apr 15, 2011
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