Another Tax Cheat in Obama's Cabinet

Feb 9 12:54 PM US/Eastern
ELKHART, Ind. (AP) - The questions for Barack Obama from a crowd in Elkhart, Ind., aren't all friendly ones, and they aren't all about the stimulus plan.
Obama responded to one question Monday about the tax problems faced by some of his high-level nominees, saying the nominees had made "honest mistakes."

But he also said his administration doesn't want to send a message that there are "two sets of rules"—one for his administration, and one for everyone else.

Two nominees, including Tom Daschle, who was in line to be secretary of Health and Human Services, withdrew from consideration. But Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was confirmed.

Obama also reiterated that the ethics rules he's imposed on his administration are seen as the "highest standards ever."
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Cincy Fan 44 wrote:I just hope those that asked "un-friendly" questions are prepared for an anal probing ala Joe The Plumber...

floridafun wrote:i think the dems were so relieved their vetting didnt find any affairs or hidden illigitimate kids or prostitutes or homophobes hiding their homosexuality that they thought some silly tax stuff wasnt such a big deal, in comparison to the last 8 years

WASHINGTON – Ron Kirk, nominated as U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama administration, owes an estimated $10,000 in back taxes from earlier in the decade and has agreed to make his payments, the Senate Finance Committee said Monday.

LTRT wrote:Trade nominee Ron Kirk agrees to pay back taxes
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090302/ap_on_go_pr_wh/kirk_taxes_7

WASHINGTON – Ron Kirk, nominated as U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama administration, owes an estimated $10,000 in back taxes from earlier in the decade and has agreed to make his payments, the Senate Finance Committee said Monday.

"Oops, I'm up for a cabinet post, better pay my taxes"

Cincy Fan 44 wrote:This is just getting ridiculous! How many black eyes can the Obama Admin take?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The person Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner wanted as his chief deputy withdrew from consideration Thursday, dealing a setback to the agency as it struggles to address the worst financial crisis in decades.

Annette Nazareth, a former senior staffer and commissioner with the Securities and Exchange Commission, made "a personal decision" to withdraw from the process, according to a person familiar with her decision.

The decision followed more than a month of intense scrutiny of her taxes and multiple interviews. No tax problems or other issues arose during Nazareth's vetting, said the person, who requested anonymity because Geithner's choice of Nazareth was never announced officially.

CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, has withdrawn his name from consideration for surgeon general, the network and the White House announced Thursday afternoon.

The announcement comes after FOXNews.com reported that Gupta had misgivings about the offer from President Obama and was expected to refuse the position.

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer said on air Thursday afternoon that Gupta decided that he wants to continue with his medical career and his job at the news network.

3-(c) From this day forward, unless the Attorney General with appropriate consultation provides further guidance, officers, employees, and other agents of the United States Government may, in conducting interrogations, act in reliance upon Army Field Manual 2 22.3, but may not, in conducting interrogations, rely upon any interpretation of the law governing interrogation -- including interpretations of Federal criminal laws, the Convention Against Torture, Common Article 3, Army Field Manual 2 22.3, and its predecessor document, Army Field Manual 34 52 issued by the Department of Justice between September 11, 2001, and January 20, 2009.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius recently corrected three years of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes after finding "unintentional errors"—the latest tax troubles for an Obama administration nominee. The Kansas governor explained the changes to senators in a letter dated Tuesday that the administration released. She said they involved charitable contributions, the sale of a home and business expenses.

Sebelius said she filed the amended returns as soon as the errors were discovered by an accountant she hired to scrub her taxes in preparation for her confirmation hearings. She and her husband, Gary, a federal magistrate judge in Kansas, paid a total of $7,040 in back taxes and $878 in interest to amend returns from 2005-2007.

....Sebelius and her husband took deductions for mortgage interest that they weren't entitled to. The couple sold their home in 2006 for less than what they owed on the mortgage. They continued to make payments on the mortgage, including interest. But since they no longer owned the home they weren't entitled to take deductions for the interest. The same thing happened with a home improvement loan. Sebelius said they "mistakenly believed" the payments were still deductible.