41 Obama White House aides owe the IRS $831,000 in back taxes -- and they're not alone

Over the years a lot of suspicion has built up across the country about Washington and its population of opportunistic transients coming to see themselves as a special kind of person, somehow above average working Americans who don't labor down in that monument-strewn former swamp.

Well, finally, an end to all those undocumented doubts. Thanks to some diligent digging by the Washington Post, those suspicions can at last be put to rest.

They're correct. Accurate. Dead-on. Laser-guided. On target. Bingo-bango. As clear as it's always seemed to those Americans who don't feel special entitlements and do meet their government obligations.

We now know that federal employees across the nation owe fully $1 billion in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.

As in, 1,000 times one million dollars. All this political jabber about giving middle-class ...

... Americans a tax cut. Thousands of feds have been giving themselves one all along -- unofficially. And these tax scofflaws include more than three dozen folks who work for the president with that newly decorated Oval Office.

The Post's T.W. Farnum did some research and found that out of the total sum, just 638 workers on Capitol Hill owe the IRS $9.3 million in back taxes. As in, overdue. The IRS gets stiffed by the legislative body that controls its budget. How Washington works.

Now, back taxes have been a problem for the Obama-Biden administration. You may recall early on that Tom Daschle was the president's top pick to run the Health and Human Services Department. But it turned out the former Democratic senator, who was un-elected from South Dakota in 2004, owed something like $120,000 to the IRS for things from his subsequent benefactor that he just forgot to pay taxes on. You know how that is. $120G's here or there. So he dropped out.

And then we learned this guy Timothy Geithner owed something like $42,000 in back taxes and penalties to the IRS, which is one of the agencies that he'd be in charge of as secretary of the Treasury. The fine fellow who's supposed to know about handling everyone else's money. In the end this was excused by Washington's bipartisan CYA culture as one of those inadvertent accidental oversights that somehow never seem to happen on the side of paying too much taxes.

And under Geithner's expert guidance the U.S. economy has been, well, wow! Just look at it.

Privacy laws prevent release of individual tax delinquents' names. But we do know that as of the end of 2009, 41 people inside Obama's very own White House owe the government they're allegedly running a total of $831,055 in back taxes. That would cover a lot of special chocolate desserts in the White House Mess.

In the House of Representatives, 421 people owe a total $6,524,892. In the Senate, 217 owe $2,774,836. In the IRS' parent department, Treasury, 1,204 owe $7,670,814. At the Labor Department, where Secretary Hilda Solis' husband had some back-tax problems before her confirmation, 463 owe $7,481,463. Eighty-one workers for the Federal Reserve System's board of governors owe $1,076,733.

Over at the Justice Department, which is so busy enforcing other laws and suing Arizona, 1,971 employees still owe $14,350,152 in overdue taxes.

Then, we come to the Department of Homeland Security, which is run by Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona who preferred to call terrorist acts "man-caused disasters." Homeland Security is keeping all of us safe by ensuring that a brave Dutch tourist is aboard every inbound international flight to thwart any would-be bomber with explosives in his underpants.

Within that department, there reside 4,856 people who owe the tax agency a whopping total of $37,012,174.

And they're checking our pockets for metal and coins?

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo credit: Pete Souza / White House

Comments

[Grant]

It's all Bush's fault!

[Sailordude]

I'm guessing that they are playing the system. Down the road they will be brought up for collections and negotiate a smaller sum to pay. Wish I had the guts to try that, I bet it works! It is a sham though and it shows a lack of moral character on our governments part. I bet they are all liberals too because you know a conservative would be banished and fired if it came to light they owed taxes.

[Jack Meyhoffer]

Typical "limousine liberals." They like to dictate how everyone else should be paying more taxes to support all the freeloaders who participate in the numerous "gubment" programs they dream up. Yet, when it comes to them paying, they aren't so forthcoming. Example, John Kerry and his new yacht (which he refused to moor in MA because the sales tax would have been astronomical).

[fmcfm]

Some DC Guy said, " ...there are TONS of Illinois plates commuting with me, every day. Even though Virginia law requires residents to immediately register their cars in Virginia and pay their car tax, not one of Obama's folks appears to have bothered to do so. "

The hard-pressed citizens of this country need to see a video of that posted to YouTube.

[Irish2DaBone]

LOL ...
You gotta laugh at this point since the tears have dried up the past 19+ months.
Reminds me of the President's early weeks in the WH where how many of his initial cabinet nominees (7-8?) were discovered to have other such issues? Isn't that when he started naming his 200+ Czar's into positions not requiring any legislative oversight and vetting? You know, people like Van Jones.

Please tell me our Stimulus $$ won't contribute to bailing them out as well while we the law abiding taxpayers pay-off their debt? How many new IRS positions were created to track who's paying what, into what for Healthcare? Maybe we need to thoroughly vet those new IRS agents... we certainly don't need more "foxes guarding the hen house" now, do we?

[iowabill]

The 41 White House/Administration employees owe an average of $20,270. There are millions of Americans who don't earn that much in a year

[cheryl]

Yes, I'm sure some republicans didn't pay their taxes either, but didn't Obama promise HOPE and CHANGE and LIGHT and GOODNESS and HONESTY and stuff like that? Hummmmm?

[thegratefuldad]

But they care!!!!!

REVOLTUION!!!!!!

Thanks for the wake up Obama

[AuntieTaqiyya]

Wow! How truly refreshing! An actual thoughtful, rational and logical reporter at the LA Times! (Or am I dreaming--no byline on this article.) I may just return to reading this pathetic rag again...Yes Kiddies, something is rotting in Denmark; The Dem-contolled Congress--populated by the free-loading Political Royalty--have been snarfing at the American Taxpayer trough for far too long! Vote the stinking, corrupt, arrogant, greedy, hypocritical incumbants from office this November. Take back America! Turn the bums out, and prosecute their corpulent arses (along with their opportunistic aides). Stop political affirmative action for politicians and their minions! Apply all rules and laws equally!!!

(AM responds: Thanks for joining us on The Ticket. On this blog, the bylines are at the bottom. Nice to see you and so many others over here. Hope you'll return often. You can be refreshed as often as you visit. :--)) )

[thegratefuldad]

Thanks for the wake uo

Obama you were perfect!

I think Americans have woken up......

Give me Liberty or give me DEATH

I'l fight you all the way....you (OBama) and your party suck

[paul]

Raise your hand if this article surprised you. This is the most corrupt administration ever. When will people wake up and admit they were lied to during the election?

If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth. - some socialist

[Jana Rooke]

As my grandmother always said, "It is VERY EASY to spend other peoples money."

[Em K]

How come the IRS hasn't attached their wages, put liens on their homes like they do to the rest of us, set up a monthly payment, this is outrageous. This needs to be put in every news channel with the names of those that owe back taxes.

(AM responds: Well, as noted in the item and above response, it's illegal to publish info from ANYONE'S tax returns. But the IRS knows who they are obviously.)

[RoBoWayne]

"

Sorry to disappoint all you folks who think this is somehow a Democratic thing. It has been true in every administration that White House staff and Federal employees in every agency owe back taxes. THis is a report that is issued every year. Those of us who work at the IRS can be fired for it but it's not a firing offense in the rest of the government.

Posted by: marcyone "

Bingo Bango, WRONG!
"Federal employees in every agency owe back taxes", yeah ESPECIALLY DEMOCRAT Federal Employees.
Do YOUR research and you'll find that these "I forgots" are 85% DEMOCRATS!
For someone that "works for the IRS", you surely aren't lying, are you?
I think you are.

[Henry]

Thank you for reporting on this.

(AM responds: And thanks for being here and taking the time to leave such a message. Much appreciated. Spread the word please.)

[JohnLeeHooker]

Explanation: they're either stupid and/or thieves. Wait, they're politicians, never mind

[Missouri Citizen]

Federal and state employees who do not pay their taxes should be terminated. There should be an exception made for taxpayers who have set up a repayment plan with the IRS and are honoring that agreement. Otherwise, don't let the door hit you in the butt on your way out!

[kathy]

Surprise, surprise!........I guess it's that "FREE OBAMA MONEY" some of his supporters bragged about during his campaign. He really came through for his buddies, just not the rest of the Nation. He really is looking to take this Nation down.

[RigidPrinciples]

It doesn't matter if 100% of the people vote to infringe on our individual, inherent rights. It doesn't matter if SCOTUS upholds unconstitutional legislation. Laws that are repugnant to the Constitution are void, and are not to be followed.

Too many folks believe We the People live in a democracy, which is nothing more than tyranny by many. We the People live in a Republic, where the major difference from a democracy is the people cannot vote to infringe on our individual, inherent rights.

All of our individual, inherent rights are derived from our individual, inherent right to own property, beginning with our own bodies. The Constitution acknowledges the existence of our individual, inherent rights. Therefore any legislation that infringes on that topmost right in the hierarchy, our individual, inherent right to own property, is clearly unconstitutional.

The 16th amendment is clearly unconstitutional.

You can't have *both* a construct which acknowledges the individual, inherent rights of Homo sapiens, and then have amendments to those constructs which infringe on the individual, inherent rights of Homo sapiens.

Your property is just that. It is your property. Your body, your home, your land, and the fruits of your labor are all your property, and therefore it is completely under your jurisdiction. If it wasn't completely under your jurisdiction, then you wouldn't truly own it.

If you would like to keep the fruits of your labor, it is entirely up to you. You have complete jurisdiction over your property, as there is simply no one else to ask. Who would you ask if you could keep your own property ?

[Homer]

Let's not forget Charlie Rangel who is the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee; the person in charge of writing tax law.

[Darrel]

Time for a revlolution. Vote THEM ALL OUT! EVERY INCUMBANT - OUT AND DEMAND TERM LIMITS.

[john galt]

My how the world is changing, with the L.A.Times now casting doubt on the integrity of comrade Hussein and his minions. As if this could not get better, or worse depending on your viewpoint, Hussein was a picture of total incompetence today in his news conference. Guess his ear prompter was on delay,or every word was checked before he uttered it. Comrade Hussein really needs to go back to having no news conferences and stick to golf, very expensive vacations, separate from Michelle's over-the-top extravaganzas, when possible, and fund raising, all at our expense.

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Let them eat cake.

[Gary Halt]

For all the crooks in Washington and other Goverment offices.
all are nothing but comen thiefs. They steal from the poor and they get rich. Why don't we take a page from thier book and all of us quit paying taxes. If they paid what they owed and investagate Goverment Programs such as the food stamp program and A.F.D.C. this Country could reduce the defict by billons of dollars. I here storys of people getting 1300 a month in food stamps and selling them for 50 cents on the dollar so they can buy beer and drugs. These elected officals are no better these people. Its high time we vote them out of office and start over and try to get it right this time. And if not keep on untill we do. Stand up America for what is right. Gary

[Al Gore Weather Whhore]

It's no wonder that all these liberals seem like soul-less puppets; everyone's got some 'dirt' on everyone else.

[tim]

WOW I"m soooo surprised

[HardWorkingAmerican]

Like everything else in Obama's house, it's screwed up and he has no idea how to fix it - even the simplest of problems. Dare they recieve a letter from the IRS like us working folks would if we are behind in our taxes!

[Bob]

"In the Senate, 217 owe $2,774,836."

I hope this is a typo since there are only 100 members of the Senate. But I would be interested in the correct number.

I would also be interested in knowing if the number of representatives is correct at 421, since there are only 435 total in the House. Surely all of them are not tax evaders.

(AM responds: The elected senators and House members are only a fraction of the employees of those institutions.)

[Jeronimo Dan]

I wonder how it would go over if all of us real taxpayers just didn't file any tax returns next year?

[S & J Wallick]

Why aren't they in jail. I would have been.

[Peru1]

The Timmy Geithner and Charlie Rangold method of paying one's taxes must be quite popular in Washington.

[Dadman]

I'm sure most of the money is owed. But last year the IRS filed a tax lein for unpaid payroll taxes from a company my wife and I sold in 2006. It was an IRS error. That said, the list should be published and in the executive branch, the president should make it plain that these accounts must be cleared. Individual congressmen would then be under pressure to do likewise.

[Gary Halt]

Stand up America its time we vote all these crooks out of office and hold them acountable for thier actions. If we could collect from all of them and stop all the fraud in Goverment programs such as food stamps and A.F.D.C. and medacare we could put Billions back and reduce the defict in no time. So stand up America and vote these Idiots out of office. The only way we can beat this is fight back and prosicute these people who are nothing but crooks.

[David]

@ Staunch Liberal: There's a sucker born every minute........today it's YOU.

[Eric the Chartruse]

I'm a lazy federal employee who wishes he didn't have to pay taxes. Unfortunately, many of those who work in Oz (inside the beltway) do think they have a divine mandate to ignore everyone else and that somehow living near the crime capitol of America makes one smarter, wiser and above the law. People in my department have gone to federal prison for charging $2500 on their government credit card, so please don't think this is ubiquitous among government employees. The capitol should be moved and everyone currently working there not informed where it went.....

[Jim]

That is over twice the President's annual salary of $400,000.

Considering that:
a) normal employers are legally responsible for knowingly hiring undocumented workers, &
b) the President's salary is paid by tax payers

Maybe the best solution would be to deduct back taxes that go unpaid by any Presidential appointee from the President's salary? If they are that worth having as part of the Executive Branch, the President should have no issue with rectifying the situation...

[erica]

Don't we have special student loan forgiveness programs for federal employees and particularly capitol hill staffers? These should be revoked for all who are tax deliquent.

[Fishsnot]

Wait a second, let me understand this, our sons and daughter, our aunts and uncles, our mothers and fathers ARE fighting overseas in some godless country SO that those POLITICAL NON-TAX PAYING LOWLIFES can run for offices, be elected and RAISE MY TAXES????

[Consultofactus]

This is nothing but proof of racism against the Obama administration - these people are being singled-out because Mr. Obama is black. The astro-turf Tea Party movement is no doubt behind this. It is also proof of man-made global warming. The fact that these staffers haven't paid their taxes can be traced back to Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. If Haliburton, BIG Oil and BIG Pharma didn't have so many lobbyists on K Street in the hip-pocket of the Republican Party of NO may be these people would have paid their taxes. By not paying their taxes these staffers actually saved the lives of polar bears. Glenn Beck actually told these people NOT to pay their taxes if they wanted to stop oil drilling in the Gulf! >>>> So ends your free preview on tonight's MSNBC commentary....

[Ted Gambogi]

At some point in time maybe even liberals will set down their Kool Aid and see Obama and his henchmen for what they are?

[Gary]

This administration and Congress are particular repugnant.

[drew]

The royalty of the ruling class collect taxes, not pay them.

[Dump Box]

Shocked I tell ya!
They haven't run out of other peoples money...yet

[Dump Box]

I think it's time for a tax-payer revolt - and stop paying our income tax! That will drain the swamp!

[James]

Our Administration is a complete disgrace.

[J. Galt]

This is exactly why there are serious problems with the system. If EVERYONE simply paid 10% on what they bought, problem solved. This would mean pension cut backs and layoffs for government workers, but why would that be complicated? The government has hired millions more that were needed, and they raided the public with trumped up pensions and benefits. Time to cut back the size of government to conform to our Constitution or our currency will be debased and EVERYONE will be poor. Washington seems to think they can get away with this, but so did the King and Queen of France.

[novegin]

one more reason for a flat tax

[bladyblah]

No big surprise ... they don't care.

[Califoma]

This is the state of our Nation. So many Americans regardless of where they work are in debt. Tax debt is just part of that, when families first have to think about food, shelter, clothing and transportion. Granted corrupt workers always start with a corrupt system and corrupt people at the top. But our nation is really in trouble. Adding more taxes is insane, when many can't pay what they already owe. We must extend Bush's Tax cuts and elect people in office who promise smaller government so small and medium businesses can get moving again. Oh and repeal Healthcare, we can't afford more gov. bureaucrats to run another system into the ground. Our lawmakers should have been focusing on jobs all along. New York already has a 50% increase in homeless, what about LA?

[Goodgold]

It will be interesting to see if the Lame Stream Media picks up on this. I'm amazed the LA TImes did.

(AM responds: Don't be surprised. We've been here over 3 years doing this. Glad you found us. Please spread the word. Thanks again.)