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PIONEER PRESS: “MORE FUROR OVER FRANKEN’S TAXES”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | April 17, 2008
“Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken’s company owes about $4,000 in taxes in California and other penalties for failing to file corporate tax returns there.
The discovery Wednesday reignites controversy over whether Franken got caught up in the type of accounting errors that sometimes happen to small businesses, as the Franken campaign has claimed, or he purposely evaded regulations and lied about it, as Republicans have claimed.
Last month, Franken and his wife, Franni, paid a $25,000 fine in New York state for failing to pay workers’ compensation insurance there.
On Wednesday, it came to light that the Frankens’ business, created to deal with Al Franken’s income from various sources, stopped filing corporate tax returns in California in 2002 when the Frankens stopped doing business there. The Frankens’ accountant, Allen Chanzis, filed a letter with their 2002 return saying it wished to terminate its California business, but that didn’t officially dissolve the company.
Since there was no official dissolution, California Franchise Tax Board spokesman John Barrett said, the company owes at least the minimum corporation tax — $800 annually — for every year since 2002, as well as any fines and interest.” Source: Pioneer Press, April 16, 2008
Click here for the complete story.
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This post also appears on Blogs for Norm!, an online community and blog covering the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in Minnesota. The primary goal of Blogs for Norm! is to organize bloggers who support U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.
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19 Responses to “PIONEER PRESS: “MORE FUROR OVER FRANKEN’S TAXES””
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April 17th, 2008 at 9:59 AM
The Frankens’ accountant, Allen Chanzis, filed a letter with their 2002 return saying it wished to terminate its California business
doesn’t this kind of prove that Franken didn’t lie and intentionally try to defraud the government in this case? At most its an accounting error which Franken had no part of. Those of you with accountants, do they tell you everything they are doing? I’ve said this before, by why would Franken, who made 10s of 1000s of dollars per corporate speech, willing, knowingly, and purposefully defraud the government of what to him must be chump change. And because he is a stinking liberal isn’t a valid answer(Chestnut, Swiftey, Kahuna)
April 17th, 2008 at 10:07 AM
Yoni, of course he did not “intentionally” try to screw the government out of their fair share of his rants (aka speeches).
What this episode does show is a CONTINUOUS pattern of behavior that proves he is unfit for office. If Franken, with his Harvard education, can’t pay attention to details…why exactly should we trust he even reads a word of legidlation as a Senator? If he CONTINUOUSLY fails as a “businessman” to follow CLEAR business RULES, why should he be trusted in Washington DC?
And Yoni…there is a pattern here. Gloria Wise: “It wasn’t MY fault”. NY State Workers Comp: “It wasn’t MY fault”. California taxes: “It wasn’t MY fault”.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Hey, it’s all OK! Keith Ellison, who recently endorsed Al, pulled the same REPETITIVE shady crap. He couldn’t control his many own affairs responsibly either.
But, the liberal idiots elected him anyway. Ethics do not matter to democrats.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Here is another question.
Why was he having his payments made to a corporation instead of himself?
I though Al was concerned that some weren’t paying there fair share of taxes – why would he set up a company to reduce taxes?
I assume Al like other liberals who complain that we are not paying enough in taxes did not take any deduction so he could “invest” as much as possible in government.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Funny Sam, it never seems to work that way for liberals.
They do need their Lexus’s and other amenities liberals obviously deserve. 
Do you not know how much more they care than the rest of us? 
red girl, you could not be more right! The leftist of this state will elect anyone who claims to be a liberal no matter how shady their past has been.
Why just look at Osama, er I mean Obama.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:29 AM
“What this episode does show is a CONTINUOUS pattern of behavior that proves he is unfit for office.
Hey, if THAT is the standard, ol’ Smokescreen, R=Lapdog, shoulda resigned years ago.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:34 AM
[...] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptOn Wednesday, it came to light that the Frankens’ business, created to deal with Al Franken’s income from various sources, stopped filing corporate tax returns in California in 2002 when the Frankens stopped doing business there. … [...]
April 17th, 2008 at 10:41 AM
Hi IS a stinking liberal, but Yoni is right, that doesn’t really explain this.
It is a troubling pattern of behavior that Franken continues to run afoul of ethical and legal situations. Should he have swindled the New York children’s charity out of millions? No. Was it illegal? Probably not.
On the other hand, he’s got two state governments after him for failing to comply with the law. I’m sure he can settle the Calif. issue by rifling through his couch cushions for spare change. The New York issue is settled, but it’s troubling that he didn’t bother to provide workers comp and disability benefits for his employees. … aren’t those the type of requirements that liberals have demanded employers not only provide but increase for years?
If the “my dog ate my homework excuse” stops working, I’m sure it’s just “satire.”
April 17th, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Here’s what I find interesting in all this stuff. I am not suprised, and I understand why Dems stick with the sleaze, but it is interesting.
In 2006 in the 5th the Dems could have picked a reasonable and law abiding candidate in Tammy Lee and instead chose Kieth Ellison. Now, in 2008, there were other credible choices like Ceresi, who whatever you think of his liberalism, at least appears to be a decent guy and a life long Minnesotan who plays by the rules, yet the Dems are lining up behind a carpetbagging scofflaw.
I find it very intersting the Dems would not just throw Franken overboard. There must be 20 decent credible candidates the Dems could line up to run and give Coleman a run for his money. Why stick with the bum Franken. It makes no poliitcal sense. Why haven’t some of the DFL bigwigs got together and said, “no mas — we’re not going to ride this pony any more — he’s a joke, a carpetbagger, and an embarrassment”. ?????????? It’s all very interesting! No doubt there are all kinds of people who would be better for the party – Mike Freemen, Betty McCollum, Mark Dayton, even. Colin Peterson, Tony Sertich, Madam Speaker, — any one of these, even if very liberal would at least not be tax cheats and carpetbaggers. Are there no adults left in the DFL to put a stop to this silliness?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:05 PM
franken repeatedly broke the law
ellison repeatedly broke the law
both are extremists
liberals love them both
therefore, liberals = extremist criminals
math rules.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Was California trying to contact him for years too? I can understand an incompetent accountant messing things up but when the state sends you several notices over the years and you still claim ignorance…? California must have sent something to notify Al too. The state of New York had no problem tracking me down for a $75 moving violation yet Al knew nothing of the thousands her owed. Yeah, right. Al is just out and out lying and/or he is the dumbest SOB to ever get a Harvard degree.
Amen, MrMustang. I’ve posted this question here at least a dozen times before; Is anyone really going to vote for this unfunny clown? Add- incompetent business man.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Several people could do what Norm did. In the future they could switch party affiliation [DFL to GOP, GOP to DFL] and run against Norm.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Ethics do not matter to democrats.
Until it’s a Republican doing the same thing. Then it’s a “culture of corruption” and every Republican, simply because they’re associated with one bad apple, is guilty of the same thing.
When it’s their own guy, though, throw the accountant under the bus. Deny, deny, deny. Blame anyone but the guy who owns the company. Throw mud at those who bring it up. Deflect attention.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:47 PM
How the self-admitted cokehead Angry Al is still the DemocRAT leader is amazing. Just proves that the DFL has no ideas…
April 17th, 2008 at 1:33 PM
As I wrote on another post, just like clockwork! Both Twopud and el pres can only bring up Senator Coleman, but no defense for “their” guy.
Tee hee.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Red Girl, it has been that way since they got here.
Only twopudd and el pres = the same person.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:19 PM
Let them go on, Red Girl. Let them bring up Colman and T-Paw all they want. It isn’t like they are the poster children of the GOP anyway. Far from it!. So when Twopup and El P point out the short comings of two liberal GOP members I’m kinda like “What’ else you got?” It’s like the DFL family is full of mass murderers and for a defense they scream about my drunken half uncle.
What was Al’s degree in? Basket weaving? Sure as hell can’t be anything to do with business.
April 17th, 2008 at 6:21 PM
“MORE FUROR OVER FRANKEN’S TAXESâ€
Those four words sum up the situation. Meanwhile, Team Franken’s explanation goes on longer than the New York City phone directory and has more twists and turns than a water slide.
As I said before, political history shows that if the explanation is longer than the claim, the explaining party loses. Or, as the political saying goes: “If you are explaining, you are not gaining.”
April 19th, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Stonewall Jackson Says:
April 17th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
“MORE FUROR OVER FRANKEN’S TAXESâ€
Those four words sum up the situation.
4 words?;)