Liberal talk show host Al Franken is a tax cheat extraordinaire, according to this report from the Star Tribune: DFL U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken, frontrunner in the race to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, owes $70,000 in back taxes in 17 states, where he earned income going back to 2003.
Franken on Tuesday told the Associated Press that he never intended to avoid paying taxes and that on the advice of his accountant, had paid taxes to the city and state where he lived.
Franken has been under fire since early March, when a Republican operative revealed that Franken had failed to pay workers' compensation and disability premiums for employees of his New York based corporation, Alan Franken, Inc., between 2002 and 2005.
New York state officials had tried to collect the back premiums for four years, resorting to a collection agency and even filing a summary judgment against Franken in state Supreme Court last May for $25,000.
Franken said he was unaware of the state's numerous attempts to contact him and finally was forced to acknowledge his error and make restitution earlier this month.
Hat tip: PowerLine. (Photo credit: Bruce Bisping, Star Tribune)
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