RPOF to Jennings: Release the tax records

RPOF Communications Director Erin VanSickle on Christine Jennings' records on her campaign's failure to pay payroll taxes: “Christine Jennings is right – the public deserves answers. First and foremost the citizens of CD-13 deserve to know about the thousands of dollars in payroll taxes she withheld from her workers and never paid to the Federal Government,” VanSickle said. “If Jennings has the audacity to request that Congressman Buchanan release his financial records, then she needs to come clean with the voters and assure taxpayers that she will no longer steal from their pockets to fund her campaign.”

Comments

[Boca Grande]

Failure to pay employment taxes is theft. That money was taken from the employees.

[Rockabilly]

A lien filed for unpaid payroll taxes is public record. I don't know if anybody has checked. Complying with federal withholding laws is pretty basic task of anybody who has employees. For a candidate for public office to fail in this obligation is damaging.

[Jon]

Mistakes happen sometimes. From what I can tell, that was Christine's one and only. I think it was a bigger deal when Vern Buchanan had a half million dollar lean put against him a couple of weeks ago because it was part of a pattern of abuse. Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vern_Buchanan

[Lou]

From my days of playing politico (early 90s), I always saved enough to get through the winter and then paid taxes (which were never withheld or paid by the candidate) in the spring - filing as an independent contractor. Sorry, I digress.

Pertaining to the issue at hand, I can offer two comments with certainty:

One, campaign finance is a tricky science - easy for anyone to make a mistake. If there's a lien against Candidate Jennings, then perhaps she is guilty of just that - a mistake.

Two, when I look over Congressman Buchanan's record - I see no mistakes.

7:13 - Uhhh, yeah. Wikipedia? For Real? Real credible source there.

Can these guys give it a rest already. The Buchanan v. Jennings fight is sooo old, nobody cares anymore.

[Jon]

Studies from MIT and Harvard show that Wikipedia is more credible then most printed sources. What isn't creditable is when you dont sign your name to your posts... it just shows your a political hack working for a campaign. Here is another article from one of the most respected sources in DC showing a pattern of unethical and illegal behavior from Vern Buchanan. http://www.rollcall.com/issues/53_144/news/25501-1.html

When R's do something questionable it's always spun by the liberal wackos as malicious and intentional. When a D's does something similar those same people describe it as a "mistake". This is one example; Dodd's "loan" is another. I won't even get started on their messiah's home loan and racist church. Hypocrites

Jon (If that is your real name) - Are those studies done by MIT and Harvard posted on Wikipedia?

[Scott]

Shady deal after shady deal... the news stories add up so do the links below. I think with the weight of all the evidence crushing down on Vern Buchanan people are just going to start asking more questions.

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080614/NEWS/806140307/1661

http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/31870

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20051006%2FBUSINESS%2F510060664%2F-1%2FAUTOS&template=printart

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061031/NEWS/610310410

Jon was also right, be a man and sign your names to your posts. Someone should look up IP addresses here

[David]

I don't know if anyone actually looked at the Wiki that "Jon" linked to, but it is pretty interesting stuff.

Apparently Vern has tax issues dating back to the 1990's based on a (seemingly shady) deal when he was in charge of American Speedy.

Oh well, I guess when you have over $5 million that you can invest into getting a seat in congress a few tax problems are no big deal...

Jon and Scott - Not listing your name is the exact same as you not listing your last name.

[Christopher S. Brudy]

What's in a name, anyway.
We should set up a "T" account, with Christine on the left and Vern on the right.
Then we can list all the financial "mistakes" or "shenanigans" or "scams" on one side or the other. Which side is going to have the longer list? Which items are mistakes or oversights, and which ones are of obvious design?

We should stick to the facts and leave the name calling, innuendo, and hatred to the extremists.