Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is not the only tax chisler Barack Obama has appointed to his administration. Obama's nominee for HHS Secretary, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, has amended his tax returns "for 2005, 2006 and 2007 reporting $128,203 in additional tax and $11,964 in interest":
The adjustments resulted from additional income for consulting services and the use of a car service, and reductions in charitable contribution deductions. Senator Daschle filed the amended returns voluntarily after Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate the senator to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Presidential Transition Team identified the charitable contribution issue and Senator Daschle self-identified the income adjustments.
So much for restoring trust and confidence in government. Rep. Eric Cantor said: "A pattern is developing. The pattern is solidified. It's easy for the other side to sit here and advocate higher taxes because -- you know what? -- they don't pay them."
Meanwhile, yesterday IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman shared a Harlem stage with accused tax cheat Rep. Charlie Rangel:
Commissioner Douglas Shulman and other officials yesterday urged New Yorkers to get the most out of their tax returns. Asked about appearing with a pol who's being probed for failing to pay taxes, Shulman said, "He's one of the leaders in this country on tax policy issues. I work closely with him every day, and I'm honored to be on this stage with him." Rangel had no comment.
The House Ethics Committee continues to flounder with its investigation of the embattled Ways & Means Committee chairman:
Nobody's home at the House ethics committee that's supposed to be investigating Rep. Charles Rangel. The panel created on Sept. 24 to probe the Harlem Democrat's alleged ethical lapses has been virtually disbanded, after meeting only twice in four months on the matter, The Post has learned.
The five alleged ethical breaches by Rangel which the House committee purportedly is investigating are his failure "to declare rental income on a beachfront villa he owns in the Dominican Republic"; his "use of four rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem; his use of congressional stationery to solicit donations for an academic center named in his honor at City College; his storage of a vintage Mercedes at a House parking garage; and a $1 million pledge to the Rangel Center from an oil-drilling company that benefited from Rangel-sponsored tax legislation."
Apparently Rangel is getting a complete pass on other alleged ethical breaches raised in the press:
Critics also wonder why the panel has not officially taken up alleged ethical issues recently uncovered by The Post, including the 78-year-old congressman's use of a tax credit on his DC home while he was living in New York, and his attendance at Caribbean junkets sponsored by lobbyists. Also missing are allegations that Rangel solicited donations from insurance giant AIG for his City College center.
Rangel was one of four Democratic Congressmen who launched a political campaign in May 2006 to derail a federal racketeering prosecution against class action law firm Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman LLP and several of its partners. Notwithstanding the efforts by Rangel and others, the indicted partners subsequently all pleaded guilty, and the law firm agreed to pay a $75 million fine and employ a compliance monitor.
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