MOGOP: Did Russ Carnahan Break the Law?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2010
Contact Jonathon Prouty
573-636-3146

Did Russ Carnahan break the law?
As yacht-gate enters third week, possible legal problems looming

JEFFERSON CITY—With the City of St. Louis facing unprecedented budget shortfalls, Congressman Russ Carnahan has admitted that he has not paid St. Louis City personal property taxes on his unregistered 42-foot yacht.  Carnahan moved the yacht from Missouri to Illinois, where yachts are exempt from personal property taxes.

Now, new questions are arising about whether Carnahan broke the law when he signed his 2009 St. Louis City Personal Property Tax Return.

The language found on the document, which Carnahan was forced to sign, clearly states that it is against the law to purposefully move personal property out of state to avoid taxes:

“I/We do hereby certify that the foregoing list contains a true and correct statement of all tangible personal property made taxable by the laws for the State of Missouri which I owned or which I had under my charge or management on the first day of January 2009. I further certify that I have not sent or taken or caused to be taken any property out of this state to avoid taxation. (Sec. 137.360 R.S.Mo)”

“Did Russ Carnahan break the law when he signed a legal document declaring that he was not avoiding Missouri personal property taxes—when he actually was?” asked Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party. “While Missourians struggle to stay afloat financially and are pinching pennies to make sure they can support their families and pay their fair share of taxes, Carnahan is skirting the law and not paying his fair share.  Residents of the 3^rd District are still awaiting a truthful explanation about his evasion of Missouri taxes.”

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