Tax Problems Surface For Trade Rep. Nominee Kirk

Photo: U.S. Trade Representative-designate Ron Kirk . (Lawrence Jackson/Associated Press)

From The Washington Post:

Former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk, who is President Obama's nominee to be the U.S. Trade Representative, failed to pay almost $10,000 in taxes during the past three years because of a series of mistakes, the Senate Finance Committee announced today.

Kirk's errors involved honoraria from speeches, on which he should have paid taxes; the cost of sports games, for which he deducted too much; and improper treatment of
accounting fees on his income taxes. Kirk has agreed to file amended returns.

The news about Kirk's mistakes comes as tax-related issues have become a topic of great sensitivity for the administration, following incidents with several high-profiled appointees whose nominations were threatened or derailed because of tax mistakes.

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My Comment: It seems that those who pay their taxes are the exception in this cabinet.

Update: Not Another One! Now Trade Rep Pick Has Tax Issues -- TPM

Crooked Politicians Are Not The Only Ones Who Avoid Taxes. Many Of Their Supporters In The Entertainment Industry Are Guilty Of The Same Thing

Bono and Barack Obama

Tax Protesters Rattle U2 With Hypocrisy Jibes -- Times Online

The band's rooftop BBC gig is upstaged by a small group of protesters

The campaign to embarrass the members of U2 over their tax avoidance is getting its boots on.

Following a demonstration outside the offices of the Department of Finance in Dublin on Wednesday, campaigners continued their crusade on Friday in London.

During an “impromptu” gig by the band on the roof of the BBC headquarters, a small group of demonstrators staged a seemingly spontaneous protest berating the band for exploiting a tax shelter in the Netherlands.

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My Comment: Bono lobbies politicians to give more money to Africa and other destitute nations .... but do not tell him that he should pay his taxes.

Self-Dealing Omitted: Rep. Grace Napolitano Pays Herself $200,000 In Interest On '98 Loan

Photo: Grace Napolitano (Image from The Washington Post)

From News Busters:

The Democrats campaigned to take over the reins of the majority in Congress by promising to "drain the swamp" of a "culture of corruption" by the Republican Party. Examples of Democratic corruption or self-dealing go largely unnoticed. For two weeks now, the national media has ignored a Los Angeles Times report that Rep. Grace Napolitano has paid herself more than $150,000 in interest on $150,000 she loaned herself in her initial 1998 House campaign. (The Whittier Daily News later amended that figure upward to $205,922.) With the exception of the Hannity show on Fox News, no one else in the national media has noticed. Andrew Zajac reported on February 14:

Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (D-Norwalk) has collected tens of thousands of dollars in personal income by charging double-digit interest on money she lent her campaign 11 years ago and soliciting donations from Washington lobbyists at "debt retirement" fundraisers.

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My Comment: This is a sweet deal. Be a loan shark to yourself, and collect the money from your campaign contributors.

White House Mum As Foes Rip Carrión

Photo: Adolfo Carrión

From The New York Daily News:

The White House stayed silent Sunday night on a Daily News investigation into developers' big-money donations to Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, who is President Obama's new urban policy pointman.

The News' probe of Carrión's cozy ties to developers with major Bronx construction projects provoked outrage from the politician's critics, but didn't stir a peep from the White House.

"We have no comment," White House spokesman Nick Shapiro said.

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My Comment: Adolfo Carrion represents Chicago politics .... New York style.

Rep. Visclosky's Ties To Troubled PMA Group Run Deep

Photo: Rep. Pete Visclosky (Washington Post)

From Chicago Tribune:

WASHINGTON - He represents an area known for its rampant corruption, but Rep. Pete Visclosky has always had a reputation for staying above the fray.

That consensus is being challenged by revelations about the northwest Indiana Democrat's ties to a troubled defense lobbying firm.

PMA Group was once one of the biggest lobbying firms in Washington, specializing in securing defense earmarks for its clients. Now, the firm is disintegrating amid a federal investigation into allegations that its founder, Paul Magliochetti, a former top aide to Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., steered donations to lawmakers through sham donors.

PMA Group's top beneficiaries include Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds defense programs, and Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., who also sits on the defense appropriations subcommittee.

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Durbin: Race Factored In Burris Seating

U.S. Sen. Roland Burris (center) is surrounded by clergy members during a prayer service today to support him at the New Covenant Baptist Church on the South Side. (Tribune / Nuccio DiNuzzo)

From Chicago Breaking News:

Durbin, a fellow Democrat and Illinois' senior senator, noted that Rep. Bobby Rush, a Chicago Democrat, appeared at Gov. Rod Blagojevich's announcement of his appointment of Burris and used racially charged language to defend the appointment.

"My colleague from Illinois, Congressman Bobby Rush, made strong statements along those (racial) lines," Durbin said on WGN-AM (720). "They were painful and hurtful, and it became part of this calculation."

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My Comment: A rare admission to hear from a politician. Kudos to Senator Durbin.

Sen. Hatch's Secret Drug Firm Links

Senator Orin Hatch. Getty Images

From Washington Times:

Drugmaker money to Utah senator's charity escaped disclosure.

The pharmaceutical industry that long has benefited from Sen. Orrin G. Hatch's legislative efforts has directed large sums of money to a charity he helped found -- and still raises money for -- while also hiring the Republican lawmaker's son as a lobbyist.

Though Congress boasts that it is more transparent after passing new disclosure rules, Americans have had no way of knowing about the drugmakers' largesse to the charity, Utah Families Foundation. No way, that is, until a normally confidential tax filing was mistakenly released by the Internal Revenue Service to a nonprofit database last year.

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My Comment: If this was not a case of "conflict of interest", I would like to know why.