"Mistaken" tax breaks for Rep. Roy Blunt, wife under review

[babylonsister]

Tax breaks for Rep. Roy Blunt, wife under review
By DAVE HELLING
The Kansas City Star


U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt and his wife are reviewing records to see if they mistakenly received tax breaks on a Washington, D.C., property.

Records show the Republican from Springfield, who is running for U.S. Senate, may have erroneously received a homestead exemption for a $1.6 million residence in Georgetown.

District of Columbia law allows a residential property owner — in this case, Blunt’s wife, Abigail — to deduct $67,500 from the assessed value of a home if it serves as the owner’s primary residence.

Tax records reviewed last week showed the homestead exemption had been applied to the home, resulting in an estimated tax break of about $575 this year.

Both Blunts, however, claim Missouri as their home, so the exemption shouldn’t apply.

But a Blunt spokesman said D.C. officials mistakenly allowed the exemption, and produced a letter from a councilman backing up that claim.

“The Blunts asked my office to see that the exemption … was removed,” wrote Councilman Jack Evans. “Both the Blunts and I were assured this has been done. I deeply regret that the assurances to the Blunts were not followed up on correctly.”

The letter is dated Thursday, two days after The Kansas City Star asked Blunt’s campaign about the exemption. It states that the Blunts asked to remove the exemption in early 2004.

more...

http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics/story/1125967.html

[L. Coyote]

1. Rep Roy Blunt (R-MO): Ties To The Special Interests, Big Tobacco, UPS, Jack Abramoff

Blunt's Ties To The Special Interests Including Jack Abramoff
Roy Temple - 08/15/2005 - http://www.firedupamerica.com/royspecialinterests

Blunt is notorious for his ties to the special interests in Washington. His behavior has proven embarassing to fellow members of the GOP caucus on more than one occasion.

Just days after ascending to the #3 leadership post in the House, Blunt got caught slipping in a special provision to benefit Phillip Morris, a longtime contrbutor to Blunt, and the employer of his then-girlfriend, Abigail Perlman.

He has also be caught up in scandals involving Westar, and has numerous ties to the scandal-plagued DeLay fundraising operation.

Blunt has also been know to do major favors for UPS, and has received large contributions and other favors in return.

In addition, Blunt has performed numerous official acts that favored Jack Abramoff and his Indian gaming clients.

* Blunt Has A Liaison To K Street On His Official Staff - http://www.firedupamerica.com/node/407
* Blunt's Ties To And Favors For Jack Abramoff - http://www.firedupamerica.com/node/409
* Blunt's Ties To And Favors For Phillip Morris - http://www.firedupamerica.com/phillip_morris
* Blunt's Ties To And Favors For UPS - http://www.firedupamerica.com/blunt_and_ups
* Gregg Hartley - http://www.firedupamerica.com/gregg_hartley
* Blunt, Inc. - http://www.firedupamerica.com/bluntinc

========================================
Blunt's Ties To And Favors For Jack Abramoff
Roy Temple - 01/08/2006 - http://www.firedupamerica.com/node/409

Rep. Roy Blunt has performed numerous official favors for GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff ... three letters to the Department of Interior. In one case, he was joined by the entire GOP House Leadership ... requested a GAO study ... benefitted an Abramoff tribal gaming client.

On the same day Blunt joined Rep. Wolf in calling for the GAO study, Wolf sought a six-month moratorium on tribal recognition by the DOI, which would have benefitted those tribes who already had casino operations, as did Abramoff's clients.

NOTE: Excellent Timeline Graphic PDF file linked from page.

[L. Coyote]

2. Blunt Not Fit for Leadership in a Reform Era ... Corrupting Big-Money Politics

Public Citizen: "Blunt Not Fit for Leadership in a Reform Era"

Jan. 13, 2006
http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2111

Rep. Blunt Not Fit for Leadership in a Reform Era, Represents More of Corrupting Big-Money Politics, New Public Citizen Report Shows

Blunt Has Strong Ties to Lobbyists and Indicted Rep. Tom DeLay, Doled Out Favors to Campaign Contributors, Accepted Corporate-Funded Travel and More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Roy Blunt ... is unfit for leadership because he represents more of the same corrupting, big-money politics that the American public has become disgusted with and that many reformers in Congress are trying to clean up, a new Public Citizen report shows.

The report, Rep. Roy Blunt: Ties to Special Interests Leave Him Unfit to Lead, details how much money Blunt has collected from lobbyists and corporate political action committees (PACs), the favors he has done for contributors, the trips he or candidates he has paid expenses for have taken on corporate jets, and how members of his staff have gone to work for major corporations that later donated thousands of dollars to Blunt’s political committees. The report also delves into the unsettling nature of Blunts’ ties to the fundraising apparatus of indicted former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) and admitted felon and former super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. ........

Added Frank Clemente, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division, which produced the report, “Rep. Blunt’s tenure in Congress has been marked by exchanges of favors between himself and special interests and a deep embrace of lobbyists. He is an architect of today’s sleazy, big-money politics, not the agent of change that Congress so desperately needs right now to regain credibility with the public.”

Main findings of the report are: ..........
===============================================

REPORT: http://www.citizen.org/congress/govt_reform/ethics/congethics/articles.cfm?ID=14852

[s-cubed]

3. He's one of Sibel Emonds' rogues gallery. n/t

[gratuitous]

4. I'm of a couple of minds on this

My first thought is, "A measly $575, pay it back with penalties and interest, and let's move on." Multi-millionaires like the Blunts fudge things like this all the time, they can afford it, the tax code is confusing, on and on.

My second thought is, "Hmmm, what would be the repressive right's reaction? And is Rep. Blunt sufficiently reactionary that he's earned a little tat for his tit?" Bring the hammer down, make him grovel, and blunt his effectiveness (no pun intended).

My third thought is, "Well if we let this go without a little poutrage, surely it will earn Democrats a little leeway in the future when a similar situation pops up." Then I remember that I shouldn't be drinking quite so early in the morning.

Clobber him.

[babylonsister]

6. For all the brouhaha that was made of Dems who

made mistakes on their tax returns, I'm with you. Clobber him.

[Ian David]

5. They FORGOT that tax fraud was illegal. n/t