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COLEMAN FOR U.S. SENATE PRESS RELEASE: “GAO REPORT RAISES NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT FRANKEN’S CORPORATION: IS AL FRANKEN PART OF THE PROBLEM OF THOSE NOT PAYING TAXES SINCE AT LEAST 1998″
By Michael B. Brodkorb | August 12, 2008
ST. PAUL – The following statement is from Cullen Sheehan, campaign manager for Coleman for Senate, regarding a new GAO report that about U.S. corporations not paying federal income since at least 1998.
“With today’s news about many U.S. corporations not paying federal income taxes from 1998 to 2005, and given Al Franken’s record of not paying income taxes in at least eighteen states, we’re calling on Al Franken to disclose today whether or not his corporation paid its federal income taxes since at least 1998. In addition, we’re calling to him to answer other unanswered questions about his failure to pay taxes in at least eighteen states since at least 2003: Will he finally let his CPA talk publicly about the gaps that remain in Al Franken’s own tax problems? Is the reason Franken won’t tell Minnesotans about his taxes prior to 2003 because he may be one of those corporations that failed to pay taxes since 1998? It is time for Al to finally be honest with Minnesotans about why he didn’t pay his taxes and what other tax bills are still outstanding. Minnesotans deserve the truth.â€
About The GAO Report
“Most U.S. and foreign corporations doing business in the United States avoid paying any federal income taxes, despite trillions of dollars worth of sales, a government study released on Tuesday said.
“The Government Accountability Office said 72 percent of all foreign corporations and about 57 percent of U.S. companies doing business in the United States paid no federal income taxes for at least one year between 1998 and 2005.
“More than half of foreign companies and about 42 percent of U.S. companies paid no U.S. income taxes for two or more years in that period, the report said.†(“Study says most corporations pay no U.S. income taxes,†Reuters, August 12, 2008)
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40 Responses to “COLEMAN FOR U.S. SENATE PRESS RELEASE: “GAO REPORT RAISES NEW QUESTIONS ABOUT FRANKEN’S CORPORATION: IS AL FRANKEN PART OF THE PROBLEM OF THOSE NOT PAYING TAXES SINCE AT LEAST 1998″”
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August 12th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
I can’t wait to ask Cullen if he’s as upset about Norm’s landlord bein’ a tax cheat as he is about Franken payin’ the wrong states.
Make sure to give plenty of advance notice for Team Smokescreen’s next presser, will ya, Michael?
August 12th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Wow, incredible distraction! Of course, Al Franken still has paid tax on every penny he earned.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Isn’t the bigger problem that Congress, in which Coleman was a part, has allowed corporations to get away without paying billions (trillions?) in taxes because of loopholes they have been creating?
This seems a heck of a lot more important than whether Franken didn’t pay some of his personal taxes.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I wasn’t aware that Norm’s landlord was a candidate for Senate. Otherwise, it’s not Norm’s problem or mine. In other words, irrelevant – as usual.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Norm’s landlord is Chair of the Host Committee for the RNC’s National Convention. That makes it the GOP’s problem – oh, and ol’ Smokescreen’s too.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Norm’s no more responsible for his landlords garbage bill than you are. Just because you say so sure doesn’t make it so.
On the other hand, Angry Al’s a candidate for United States Senate. We expect him to be honest about HIS taxes, HIS business dealings and HIS word. So far HE hasn’t been honest, HE’s cheated on his taxes, HE’s put his employees in danger by not paying workers comp and HE’s gagged the only people who can explain what happened – HIS accountant.
For once, Tommy Boy, be intellectually honest. Deep down under that ample gut it’s there, I know it.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
“Norm’s landlord is Chair of the Host Committee for the RNC’s National Convention. That makes it the GOP’s problem – oh, and ol’ Smokescreen’s too.”
Stupid.
This is why the DFL is screwing up. Dumb counter attacks to dumb GOP attacks when instead the GOP can be beaten over the head on the issues.
Under Coleman’s watch, Congress has passed loophole after loophole for corporations that have left billions (if not trillions) off the table in terms of federal revenue. Now we face record deficits. Coleman’s response? Not try and fix the problem (which, incidentally, he ADMITS in this press release is a problem). It’s to demand that Franken’s CPA speak up about Franken’s personal taxes.
Now that’s responsible governance.
August 12th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
PD, you need to understand something. Tommy does not understand the issues. His only purpose in life is to attack because it makes him feel important. Unfortunately he is what he is and will never be more than a small time DFL attack puppy trying to be somebody important. It is truely a sad situation…
August 12th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
“Of course, Al Franken still has paid tax on every penny he earned.”
Shouldn’t be a problem to disclose his tax records then. Let’s see them books.
August 12th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Well, then. Since Norm has never even been accused of anything, he should have no problem getting things rolling by releasing all of his financial data first.
August 12th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Average Joe, I know it’s difficult for you to follow, but try.
Ron Carey and the GOP criticize Franken, over Franken’s tax problems. Meanwhile, GOPer operative Jeff “Landlord” Larson, has a tax problem. republiCon Ron and the GOP say nothing about the log in their eye, while ranting rabidly about the mote in Franken’s.
This, of course, explains the hypocrisy of the GreedOverPrinciples party, wherre “Do as we say, not as we do” is the unwritten motto.
And how I found out about Larson’s cheating on his property taxes was easy: when the story broke that Norm sometimes would pay a pittance for “rent”, and one time actually paying in furniture, I thought: “I wonder if Larson hasn’t paid his property taxes.”
And I went to the District of Columbia’s website, and found he was claiming a Homestead Exemption he wasn’t entitled to, which means he was cheating.
So I turned him in.
August 12th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Tommy, proof would be nice. It’s not like your a habitual liar or anything but you have really stretched the truth at times. I can believe you “turned him in” but the question comes is did the goverment there find that he cheated. So far all we have is your opinion. One other item Tommy, is this guy running for the Senate or is Norm Coleman? I know for a fact that Al Franken didn’t pay his taxes but is Norm somehow responsible for this guy? If he is then I guess that makes Angry Al responsible for you being an idiot, right?
August 12th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
for starters this report is a bunch of crap with its misleading statistics. note they state most corporations pay no taxes despite trillions of dollars in sales. income taxes are not paid on sales, they are paid on profits. you can have billions of dollars of sales and have losses–i.e. citibank, jpmorgan, bear stearns, delta, northwest, etc., etc.
second, most small corporations, including one i own, elect subchapter “s” status which means you get taxed on your personal return, not at the corporate level. for the libs this means that if your corporation earns $100,000, your corporation pays nothing in taxes, but you report the $100,000 on your personal return and pay taxes on it, similar as though you were a sole proprietor.
the gao really stinks when they release misleading reports like this.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
ansel nailed it. This report is crap. Somebody put the GAO up to this.
August 12th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Ansel and MoN,
So Coleman is wrong that this is a “problem?”
Either it’s a problem, or Coleman just doesn’t get our tax system or the report.
August 12th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
to plymouth dem, in my opinion you are correct.
could there be a problem? yes
is there a problem, in general? no one knows based on this report.
is there a problem with franken’s returns? yes
what the gao reported and franken’s problems are like comparing apples and oranges. franken did not file returns, both for his corporation and individually in numerous states. that has nothing to do with corporations not paying taxes on sales. it has everything to do with tax evasion which is not the case here.
i do not want to get into a lengthy tax debate, but there are two issues in taxes: tax avoidance which is perfectly legal; tax evasion which is illegal. an example of tax avoidance would be utilizing accelerated depreciation to lower your income. an example of tax evasion is what franken did by not paying required taxes.
August 12th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
ansel nails it again.
PD- you are a disingenuous hack, no better than Tommy Johnson, or that Leroy dipshit.
August 12th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
Wow! Republicans are concerned about corporations that don’t pay their fair share of taxes?
August 13th, 2008 at 7:17 am
Ya know, ansel, here ya are, on a perfectly good discussion, and then ya blow it. Fortunatley for you, I’m here to help – so I’ll edit your post to make it accurate:
an example of tax avoidance would be utilizing accelerated depreciation to lower your income. an example of tax evasion is what LARSON did by not paying required taxes.
You see, ansel, Franken hasn’t been accused of NOT paying taxes (except by the Lying Liars in GreedOverPrinciples party leadership, and their brain-dead bootlickers); Franken didn’t pay the correct states – for which is was correctly assessed penalties and interest by the states he didn’t pay, but Franken gets a refund from the states that were overpaid.
Jeff “Landlord” Larson, Chair of the Host Committee for the RNC’s National Convention – “right” here, in River City – on the other hand, claimed a Homestead Exemption on the Washington DC property Norm (allegedly) crashes at, while employed as a lapdog (and cheerleader, too!) for the misAdministration of Bush The Lesser.
Franken = tax mistake; Larson = tax cheat.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:15 am
“ansel nails it again.”
Again, I don’t think you get it both ways. If this is a question of tax avoidance vs. tax evasion, then Coleman’s press release has nothing to do with Franken. How can an accusation of tax evasion (which is what Coleman is claiming) have anything to do with the GAO report which you classify as tax avoidance issues.
Either way, Coleman is the hack not me. He’s trying to wave his hands to distract the voters from what could be a serious revenue gap caused by a series of loopholes and tax breaks to corporations by trying to respin the old Franken tax problems.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Well, I think ansel is correct in that corporations are under no obligation to pay anything over the minimum required LEGAL tax due, and I completely agree with his argument about using every legal tax strategy legally available to do exactly that.
Doint that is complying with the rules, and that is all that is required of any one/any corporation.
Claiming a Homestead Exemption one is NOT entitled to, is NOT complying with the rules, and that’s why Jeff “Landlord” Larson is a tax cheat.
He’s also Chair of the Host Committee for the RNC’s National Convention, which is appropriate: a tax cheat in charge of a gathering of the GreedOverPrinciples party.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I doubt Flounder would have called for senator Johnsons resignation for homesteading two homes in MN , laws dont apply to libtards
August 13th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Wade, you don’t get it – it’s the Minnesota GOP who claimed Franken wasn’t fit to serve, because of Franken’s shoddy paperwork.
Well, if that’s true, why is republiCon Ron still the Chair of the State GOP, and why is Jeff “Landlord” Larson still Chair of the Host Committee for the RNC’s National Convention?
Your party raised the issue, and then hypocritically ignore the issue when it applies to your own.
Which is just one more reason why GOP now stands for GreedOverPrinciples.
August 13th, 2008 at 11:07 am
So Flounder are you saying that is Dollar Bill Jefferson a pubbie?
Pot kettle etc.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Wade, you STILL don’t get it.
The reason Dollar Bill is still walking, and not confined at a ClubFed, is the misAdministration of Boy Blunder blew the prosecution.
Which should surprise no one, as there is very little Boy Blunder And The Plunderers touched that they haven’t broken.
Dam, you got a case of the dumb(cheney) goin’ today, Wade. Wake the (cheney) up, will ya?
***
Supreme Court refuses appeal from Dept. of Justice in Rep. Jefferson case
Submitted by crew on 31 March 2008 – 11:46am. Speech and Debate clause William Jefferson
Major decision in from the U.S. Supreme Court today — a decision not to review the appeal of the U.S. Department of Justice stemming from the case of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA). When the Court of Appeals ruled in Jefferson’s favor, CREW stated it was “a decision devastating to the investigation and prosecution of congressional corruption.” With today’s action, the devastating decision stands:
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday dealt the Justice Department a major blow in its case against Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) in a decision that could make it more difficult for the government to investigate other members of Congress.
The Supreme Court denied a Justice Department appeal of a lower court ruling that aspects of the FBI raid on Jefferson’s Rayburn office violated the Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause.
***
Now, you know the misAdministration (cheney)ed up, when this Supreme Court rules they (cheney)ed up.
“Facts are stupid things.”
Uncle Ronnie said it; Wade lives it.
August 13th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
obviously several of the libs on this blog do not understand the homestead credit. you can rent a portion of your property and still have it as your primary residence, thereby qualifying for the homestead credit.
second point, tax evasion is generally defined as knowingly, or should have known, that you were required to pay taxes and did not. i don’t see how franken avoids that definition, especially since he did not correct his errors until after he was “caught”. also, i don’t believe it was paid to the wrong state when it came to workers compensation taxes, and california corporate taxes. i have also heard from a couple of lib friends that franken had paid these taxes to minnesota and therefore, minnesota did not suffer any loss. let’s see this was primarily for years before 2005–franken wasn’t a resident of minnesota was he?
August 13th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
ansel, Larsen acknowledged in The National Journal that he never intended to live at his W.D.C. property; that he never intended to Homestead it.
Yet he took the Homestead Exemption.
And he’s the Chair of the Host Committee for the GOPC’s National Convention.
So, how can republiCon Ron stand in front of a micropone, at a press conference he called, to call Franken unfit to serve because republiCon Ron called Franken a tax-cheat, when at THE VERY SAME TIME Jeff Larson was cheating the District Of Columbia by taking a Homestead Credit he wasn’t eligible for?
Easy – republiCon Ron is a hypocrite.
August 13th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Tommy, again I ask you, what office is Mr. Larson running for? Al is running for the US Senate and does not deserve anyones vote because of what he did. He can only represent people like himself – the same people that I assume are his supporters.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
i do not see where larsen is being investigated other than the email you sent to the d.c. assessor saying he should be investigated.
if larsen improperly homesteaded two properties (one in MN and one in DC) then he should be investigated. keep in mind that since the home is in the names of both larsen and his wife, either of them can homestead the property.
if the homestead is worth anything like it is in minnesota, then its not worth much, although that should not be the determining factor as to whether someone has violated tax laws.
the argument that norm is receiving favorable rental terms should be answered by the senate ethics committee, not some hacks back here in mn. since the senate is run by dems i would assume if this is some big scandal they will no doubt hold hearings before the election–if not, it is a non-issue.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
“Average Joe, I know it’s difficult for you to follow, but try.
Ron Carey and the GOP criticize Franken, over Franken’s tax problems. Meanwhile, GOPer operative Jeff “Landlord†Larson, has a tax problem. republiCon Ron and the GOP say nothing about the log in their eye, while ranting rabidly about the mote in Franken’s.”
Tommy’s fascinated by playing the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
rePete, and I tell you again: Jeff Larson is highly visible as the Chair of the Host Committee for the GOP National Convention.
How can you allow a tax-cheat to be Chair of such a visible event?
Here’s the answer: you’re a party of hypocrites; trying to hold Franken to a standard your own party members are unable and/or unwilling to meet themselves.
ansel, here’s the deal on Norm’s rent: whether or not the rent is “fair market” is rather subjective, and a basis for argument. What is not arguable, is that norm’s rental unit has it’s own electrical meter; there are two electrical meters to the property. And I know, because I just broke this story.
Therefore, there really are two questions that are very important:
1 – In what name is the billing account for Norm’s rental unit in; and
2 – who is paying the tab.
So now it’s ‘fess up time, for Norm. And not only does he need to show a bill in his name, he needs to show a cancelled check, too.
August 13th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
“How can you allow a tax-cheat to be Chair of such a visible event?”
Is this a serious question? Or is it a statement to validate the serious questions about your sanity, Tommy?
August 13th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Chestnut, you’re base.
And thanks to base like you, the DFL will likely have a veto-proof majority in the House and Senate!
Jeff “Landlord” Larson has a property tax problem, and now ol’ Smokescreen has got an electrical meter problem. All before the National Convention!
No thanks are necessary; the knowledge I’m doin’ a heckuva job makin’ bad days for Larson and Coleman worse, are thanks enough!
August 13th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Flounder,
Don’t pat yourself on the back too hard. I’ve never even heard of this except from you here at MDE.
Wow, you are quite the little reporter there Flounder. I’m sure one of the networks or cable outlets is beating down your door.
What a complete clown!
August 13th, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Tommy, so then Larson is not running for office. Then I guess its a non-issue. Come back when he is running for office and someone besides a 9th rate wannabe has something on this supposed tax issue. You really are a silly little fool Tommy.
August 13th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
rePete, Larson is an official with the GOP; Chair of the Host Committee for the GOP National Convention – and he’s a perfect example of why GOP now stands for GreedOverPrinciples.
And Rash Disptick, the reason you haven’t heard about these problems is El Druggo doesn’t tell you about them. And there’s one thing Rush says that IS true – and that it’s Rush’s job to talk and your job to shut the (cheney) up and listen.
Pay attention, Rash. You might learn something.
August 13th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
By Tommy’s logic, if he had once shook hands with Bill Clinton, then Tommy’s guilty of sexual misconduct.
August 14th, 2008 at 6:58 am
Only in your world, Chestnut.
Here on terra firma, reasonable people understand republiCon Ron criticizing someone for shoddy paperwork is the height of hypocrisy.
Here on terra firma, reasonable people understand republiCon Ron criticizing someone for tax problems while Davis and Larson got tax problems is hypocrisy, pure and simple.
So simple, that the fact you don’t get it shows what a simpleton and bootlicker you really are.
August 14th, 2008 at 8:42 am
If you’re standing anywhere Tommy, it’s certainly not terra firma.
Go back to your game of six degrees of Kevin Bacon. I’m sure you can find a wonderful world of connections that will help you determine who masterminded the Hindenburg conspiracy.
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