IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Theresa Petry, (314) 807-7077
Still Needs to Address Back Taxes Before Sailing Away
(ST. LOUIS, MO.) June 28, 2010 – Congressman Russ Carnahan’s 42-foot yacht is now registered with the U.S. Coast Guard – just in time for the 4th of July holiday weekend. The U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Information Exchange shows the boat’s registration had expired September 30, 2008.
Only after the expired registration violation was publicly brought to Carnahan’s attention did the Congressman address the issue. First his campaign office responded using the excuse that Carnahan’s yacht was “inoperable.” It released a statement, (that is blatantly wrong) to the media claiming that “Illinois doesn’t have property taxes on boats and no registration is required if it is not operable.” (St. Louis Beacon, Jo Mannies, April 21, 2010) The St. Louis Post Dispatch didn’t just take Carnahan’s claims to be true, it investigated and reported that (registration) “…is required for vessels in state waters for two months out of the year.” (St. Louis Post Dispatch, Jake Wagman, April 21, 2010)
Carnahan must have known he was in clear violation of boat registration laws because on April 22, 2010 Coast Guard records show Carnahan’s boat was once again registered. Guess he didn’t want to get another citation for an unregistered boat. In 2004 the Missouri Water Patrol cited him for driving his unregistered yacht on the Mississippi River.
“This is more of the ‘I’m above the law’ mentality that too many Washington insiders have adopted. Carnahan didn’t disclose the LLC that owns his yacht, didn’t stay up-to-date on registrations, and continues to hide it across state lines to avoid property taxes – this type of backroom behavior is the worst. Carnahan is caught red-handed not disclosing the Chris-Craft Commander LLC and without any comment tries to quietly amend his financial disclosures. He is faced with a boating violation and again instead of coming clean and acknowledging it – Carnahan instead spins a story while secretly hurrying to “fix” it. The people of Missouri’s 3rd deserve and expect more,” said Theresa Petry, spokeswoman for Ed Martin for Congress.
Don’t expect Carnahan to cough up the back taxes he owes on his yacht anytime soon though. Missourians are struggling to stay afloat financially and pay their fair share of taxes yet Congressman Carnahan continues to skirt the law and evade state taxes by docking his boat in Alton, Illinois.
For more information about Martin’s background and the campaign, visit EdMartinforCongress.com, or follow him on Facebook and Twitter @ed4congress.
Theresa Petry
Press Secretary
“Ed Martin for Congress”
(314) 807-7077 (cell)
theresa.petry@edmartinforcongress.com
www.edmartinforcongress.com
I thinnk the boat is old news…isn’t personal property tax payable in St Louis where the owner lives and declares his property? The boat I thnk is just there because that’s where the water is for it. Carnahan wrote awhile back and answered that he paid the pers prop tax for ‘09 in February. I don’t want Martin’s race to be hung up on it because it makes it look like he doesn’t have anything much to say and that won’t be good in the long run. It will be a close race so I don’t want the boat thing to ruin it. comes back to bite you. I’ve been watching elections since before Martin was even born and there is other stuff to talk about than a damn boat!