Yet another Obama administration nominee has a tax problem.
Reports the New York Times:
President Obama's
choice as chief of protocol for the State Department, a
position that carries the status of an ambassadorship, did not
file tax returns for 2005 and 2006, errors she corrected last
November.
The nominee, Capricia Penavic Marshall, has placed blame for
the problem on the Postal Service and on miscommunication
between her husband and their accountant.
Ms. Marshall, who was the social secretary in the Clinton White
House, notified the Obama administration about the late filings
before she was nominated on May 14. She has since provided
written answers to questions about the matter from Senator
Richard G.
Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Foreign
Relations Committee, which will hold a hearing on the
appointment next Wednesday. The post requires Senate
confirmation.
Tax issues have bedeviled several high-level Obama appointees
and cost the administration at least two of its picks.
Ms. Marshall may fare better because, after ultimately filing
the 2005 and 2006 federal and local paperwork, she was entitled
to $37,259 in refunds, according to data she provided to Mr.
Lugar.
What makes this one different from the other cases is the
fact that Marshall and her husband were owed substantial
refunds. Though it is curious that they didn't notice not
receiving their refunds two years in a row.
Oh well. It doesn't really matter since the job of
those in the administration is to raise taxes. It is the
rest of us who are supposed to pay them.
About the Author
Doug Bandow is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and the Senior Fellow in International Religious Persecution at the Institute on Religion and Public Policy. A former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, he is author of Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics (Crossway).