Tax Cheat Escapes $100 Million Repayment

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Tax Cheat Escapes $100 Million Repayment
By MATT APUZZO
Associated Press Writer

March 27, 2007, 6:54 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Poorly written Justice Department documents cost the
federal government more than $100 million in what was supposed to have
been the crowning moment of the biggest tax prosecution ever.

Walter Anderson, the telecommunications entrepreneur who admitted
hiding hundreds of millions of dollars from the IRS and District of Columbia
tax collectors, was sentenced Tuesday to nine years in prison and ordered
to repay about $23 million to the city.

But U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said he couldn't order Anderson
to repay the federal government $100 million to $175 million because the
Justice Department's binding plea agreement with Anderson listed the
wrong statute.

Friedman said he could have worked around that problem by ordering
Anderson to repay the money as part of his probation. But prosecutors
omitted any discussion of probation -- a common element of plea deals
-- from Anderson's paperwork.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-tax-scofflaw,0,3423244.story

[williesgirl]

1. Our Justice Dept is a disgusting joke - the entire top 2 layers should be removed. recommended

[ORDagnabbit]

2. www.freedomtofascism.com

go watch it.

[BrokenBeyondRepair]

28. an eye opener

www.freedomtofascism.com

[youngdem]

3. Anyone doubt this was done on purpose?

Especially after learning about the pressure put on the US Atty negotiating the latest issues involving the tobacco settlement.

[cyberpj]

5. Not me. And not anyone else with a working brain. nt

[anotherdrew]

4. I want to say this is unbelievable, but hell, this is to be expected from these crooks

now... how do you suppose the accountability party is going to handle this 9 digit mistake?

[daleo]

6. Was this guy a Bush crony?

Would a small time drug dealer get off if the wrong statute was cited?

[ShockediSay]

9. From the top down, it seems the "Justice" Dept. is out to build a Republican majority

permanently

[formercia]

10. I wonder how much of a donation he gave to the GOP

to get that little favor. It reminds me of Big Oil not having to pay royalties on federal leases because someone conveniently left it out of their new contract.

accident my ass.

[truthisfreedom]

7. Follow the money.

[Joe Bacon]

8. Love those Activist Judges from the Federalist Society!

Yep, this is another case of IOKIYAR, where a Republic Party Member is let off the hook!

[onenote]

22. which repub got off the hook?

Is ANderson a repub? Link?

[Robson]

11. US Attorney got the word on this from Bush via Monica and Gonzales.

The US Attorney in charge of prosecuting this case must have been told to lay off or get fired, and it might be one of those reasons for Monica Goodling to take the 5th .

Some interesting and pertinent comments about our Mr Anderson and how the super rich are able to skirt filing and paying thanks to Bush policies that have cut IRS auditing and enforcement.

http://www.curevents.com/vb/showthread.php?t=71987

[lonestarnot]

12. What crap. I thought clerical error was ... nevermind.

[gratuitous]

13. Excusable clerical error only applies in death penalty cases

Or other cases where poor or outcast persons are in the dock; a clerical error to the benefit of a wealthy defendant is dispositive.

[lonestarnot]

31. Is that just on the plea paperwork? Because clerical error is a rule of the Court and a pleading

can be amended for that. I am not an attorney and that is not legal advise. Just an I think that is so.

[MissMillie]

14. So there's a justice that SHOULD be fired for poor performance...

don't ya think?

[rainbow4321]

15. (DOJ) Error costs government $100 million (in biggest tax prosecution ever;)

Source: Dallas Morning News

Poorly written Justice Department documents cost the federal government more than $100 million in what was supposed to have been the crowning moment of the biggest tax prosecution ever.

Walter Anderson, the telecommunications entrepreneur who admitted hiding hundreds of millions of dollars from the IRS and District of Columbia tax collectors, was sentenced Tuesday to nine years in prison and ordered to repay about $23 million to the city.

But U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman said he couldn't order Anderson to repay the federal government $100 million to $175 million because the Justice Department's binding plea agreement with Anderson listed the wrong statute.

Friedman said he could have worked around that problem by ordering Anderson to repay the money as part of his probation. But prosecutors omitted any discussion of probation – a common element of plea deals – from Anderson's paperwork.



Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/washington/stories/032807dnnattaxcheat.2885d8c.html

---

Biggest tax fraud case ever and DOJ doesn't dot i's and cross t's??

[wakeme2008]

16. If I would bet on this, I would guess Walter Anderson gave well to

Bush and the Repug party... Just guessing.

[onenote]

21. and you'd lose your bet ...you can look these things up

The only contributions that Anderson is listed as making on opensecrets.org are to a PAC called "Voters for Choice/Friends of Family Planning".

While this seems to be a particularly poorly managed PAC (donating only a small percentage of the money it raises to political candidates), Opensecrets.org indicates that virtually 100% of the PAC's contributions over the past 5 election cycles have gone to Democratic candidates.

[DCKit]

17. An intentional error, perhaps?

The DOJ wasn't incompetent under Clinton.

[soothsayer]

18. oops. (wink wink)

[Robbien]

19. IRS appears to be the only department left trying to do its job fairly

The Just Us department just plays GOP footsie.

[damntexdem]

20. A mistake? Yeah, right!

Just like the "mishandling" of Prosecutorgate. Just like the "heckuva job" on Katrina response. It's not some anomalous 'mistake,' it's just par for an incompetent course.

Looks like someone in the Justice Department is in line for a Medal of Freedom. ;-)

[onenote]

24. let's see: arrested in 2005, sentenced to 9 years, and $23 million fine

Yet, he got off easy.


BTW, the judge that made the ruling was appointed in 1994.

Take off the tinfoil. This was a major fuck-up by an incompetent DOJ, not some conspiratorial move.

[hippiechick]

23. ... instead they come after me for a $900 deduction error.

:mad: Bastards.

[onenote]

25. the guy got nine years and a $23 million fine

You still want to trade places with him?

[hippiechick]

26. well, if he owed $100M and only had to pay $23M ...

... that's about 20%. I'd have been ok with the same arrangement, or approximately $200, even though they are/were entirely in the wrong.

I provided them documentation to support my deduction - a freakin' CHILD SUPPORT ORDER signed by a family court judge in WI - and they STILL wouldn't back down.


So, thank you for your opinion but your snideness is misinformed and inappropriate.

[onenote]

27. so you'd take the nine years in prison (i.e. same arrangement)?

What exactly is "misinformed" about my opinion?

[catgirl]

30. Halve that

Most convicted criminals do half the time. And he'll probably
get a reduction for good behavior. My bet is he'll get out in
3-3 1/2 years.

[KansDem]

29. $100,000,000? Why, that could fund 9.09 hours of the Iraq War!

At $11,000,000 an hour...

This is an outrage!!!