Roger Corbin was a founding member of the Nassau County (Long Island, New York) Legislature. He was arrested last year and accused of filing false federal tax returns and lying to agents of the FBI and IRS. He allegedly received $226,000 from developers—checks made out to “Cash”—and deposited them in his personal account. He then allegedly ‘forgot’ to include them on his tax return. He compounded this by then allegedly lying to government agents.
His attorney, Thomas Liotti, told the Associated Press that he will plead guilty to tax evasion on Monday. Mr. Liotti, a Democrat, was defeated in his re-election bid last fall.
Across the Hudson River, another politician is in trouble. Leonard Kaiser, the former Republican mayor of North Arlington, New Jersey, and the former executive director of the Bergen County Utilities Authority and the Meadowlands Commission, pleaded guilty to tax evasion. Mr. Kaiser’s wife also pleaded guilty to a similar charge.
Mr. Kaiser’s troubles stemmed from his 2002 re-election bid. Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser wrote checks from their 2002 campaign fund to Mrs. Kaiser for “salary.” However, New Jersey law doesn’t allow personal use of campaign funds, and the payments weren’t disclosed on campaign financing documents or on their tax returns. Given that the total income involved is $30,000, a minimal sentence is likely.
Public servants indeed.
I’m never surprised when a political figure gets into tax trouble any more.
“A democratic government is the only one in which those who vote for a tax can escape the obligation to pay it.” – de Tocqueville