Spratt’s Tax Troubles
By FITSNews || U.S. Rep. John Spratt under-reported the value of his Washington D.C. home by hundreds of thousands of dollars last year – and also had to pay a late fee and interest charges for missing a payment deadline.
According to financial disclosure information filed with the House Ethics Commission last year, Spratt claimed that his Washington, D.C. home was worth between $500,001 – $1 million. However, according to the District of Columbia Property Tax Service Center, Spratt’s property (located at 3701 Porter Street, NW) has a total value of $1.4 million.
The story was originally broken this week by Roll Call, a Capital Hill-based media outlet.
Spratt also paid a $606.55 late fee and $90.98 in interest after belatedly filing his taxes a year ago, according to documents obtained by FITS.
The fourteen-term Democrat has said that he will amend his financial disclosures to take the discrepancy into account, but that didn’t stop critics from linking his personal financial mismanagement with the broader fiscal disaster that’s taking place in Washington, D.C.
“Is it any wonder the nation’s balance sheet is deep in the red when Nancy Pelosi’s own Budget Chairman can’t even manage to accurately report his assets as required by law?” asked National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Andy Seré. “While we’re pleased that John Spratt is finally correcting the mistake on his financial disclosures, the more important question for South Carolinians is if he’ll ever fix the mess he’s made of the budget.”
Indeed, as we have noted in numerous previous posts, Spratt has veered wildly to the left in recent years.
According to a recent voting analysis published by the Washington Post, Spratt has cast his lot with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership in Congress 97.8% of the time during the 111th Congress. That tally includes key votes in favor of President Barack Obama’s $787 billion bureaucratic bailout, a “cap and trade” energy tax increase and most recently, Obama’s socialized medicine plan.
(See the Congressional record of Spratt’s votes in favor of those items by clicking here, here and here).
Spratt is also leading the fight to raise the U.S. debt limit to a ridiculous $14.3 trillion, and has recently voted in favor of another $150 billion bailout of state bureaucracies.
Running opposite Spratt this year is GOP State Sen. Mick Mulvaney, one of the few fiscal conservatives in Columbia, S.C. who’s voting record lines up with his rhetoric.
Mulvaney is one of only a handful of state lawmakers to earn an “A” grade from the S.C. Club for Growth in that organization’s recently-released legislative scorecards. He’s also currently leading the fight to block the implementation of ‘Obamacare’ in the Palmetto State.
Comments
By Liberty For Me on February 5th, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Wait!!!I think I feel a tear coming on.The next horrible news will be Clyburn was caught embezzling or Nancy Graham was caught on Main street trying to sit on fire hydrants.
By hans on February 5th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
All are Democrat politcians crooks?
By freddie guy on February 5th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
If you want to be Fair and Balanced, please report on the Mulvaney Boondoggle?
http://ilboondoggle.blogspot.com/
Mulvaney is has robbed the taxpayers in his District for Years!
Fred
By fitsnews on February 5th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Ah, the IL boondoggle.
It is funny you mention that b/c we have been in the process of investigating that site’s claims this week.
Stay tuned!
-FITS
P.S. – And we’re not trying to be patronizing, but you did see our masthead didn’t you?
By countryboy on February 5th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
So Freddie Guy, do you work for Spratt in DC, York, or just where exactly?
By Go Cocks! on February 5th, 2010 at 5:03 pm
This is totally irrelevant “news”. There is no financial gain to under reporting the value of the condo. Hence, it does not have the slightest whiff of corruption, just sloppiness in an area that is of minimal importance. Paying taxes late? Who on this board hasn’t at least once in his or her adult life? You pay the IRS a minimal fine and no harm is done, unless you pull a Wesley Snipes and try to evade million dollar tax bills for multiple years.
With regards to the debt ceiling, the adults in the House and in the Senate had better damn well raise the debt ceiling. If not, the U.S. has a technical default on Treasury debt and it suddenly becomes much less attractive to big investors and international sources of capital. Once the debt ceiling is dealt with, the adults in Congress then need to get busy reducing the deficit. This is where the real work has to be done. The debt ceiling issue is just political grandstanding by whomever is the minority party at the time.
By 5 Dist Indy on February 5th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Was that the same boondoglle that the DEMOCRAT chair of County Council said was a bunch of lies about Mulvaney?
Freddie, can you tell us why you think you will be more successful in that smear campaign in this election than you were last time?
By countryboy on February 5th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
By the way, I don’t give a rats rear about Spratt’s problem with the IRS. What I do care about is his voting with Nancy Pelosi 97.5% of the time in direct contrast to what the majority of district voters want. Spratt is gonna find out this ain’t San Francisco. Nor do I give a rat’s rump about some smear campaign against Mulvaney on a blog.
By Julian S Harrison on February 5th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
I don’t care Rep or Dem just sign a legal Document stating how you will vote for the people and abide by that. We have dealt with political trash for years and years. You recycle that political trash or you throw it out. What is the big deal? Wiggle room is killing this country. We need FIRM leaders. Problem is we have no leaders. The best you could possible say is America’s problems, they are working on it. Well what about the stuck gas pedal? Toyota is fixing that and staying open late to do it. The best the Political trash can do is say we are working on it? Outrageous! For one I can not wait anymore. I Julian S. Harrison will fix the problem in Washington! Can I get a little help here? http://goooh.com
By Julian S Harrison on February 5th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
I don’t care Rep or Dem just sign a legal Document stating how you will vote for the people and abide by that. We have dealt with political trash for years and years. You recycle that political trash or you throw it out. What is the big deal? Wiggle room is killing this country. We need FIRM leaders. Problem is we have no leaders. The best you could possible say is America’s problems, they are working on it. Well what about the stuck gas pedal? Toyota is fixing that and staying open late to do it. The best the Political trash can do is say we are working on it? Outrageous! For one I can not wait anymore. I Julian S. Harrison will fix the problem in Washington! Can I get a little help here? goooh.com
By freddie guy on February 5th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
I just want to be sure that all sides are represented in this deal. Obviously, Will has taken every opportunity to take swipes @ Spratt.
I wonder if he is willing to swing both ways?
5 Dist Indy:
Do you mean the same Chairman that was pandering to Mulvaney to get a Magistrate’s position? It worked!
Fred
By OhNoNotAgain on February 5th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
There are a couple of boondoggles laid at Mulvaney’s feet. Only one has been denied by Lanc. County Council chair. But that’s the only one that really involves possible tax supported bonds or something like that. The others are just questionable land deals, I think
I’ve been a big supporter of Spratt and have said he’ll beat M.M. like a drum.
But this just makes me sign.
Maybe he’s committing some kind of version of political suicide by cop. This is stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.
I love the record you tout for MM. He’s cast the right votes. But what has he done?
I didn’t get an answer the last time I asked a question in a thread. This “leading the fight to prevent Obamacare implementation” is a stunt. But if you want to count that, fine. But what else has he done, given his vast experience in the legislature, other than jump ship to another arm of the General Assembly?
By freddie guy on February 5th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Fits:
Thanks for acknowledging the issue. I actually have No idea if any of it is true. Most of the links on the website are busted… (that might tell us something).
Fred Hearts Spratt!!!
By No Way! on February 6th, 2010 at 12:16 am
This bastard is going home in the next election! A republican will take his place. That’s what you get when you go against the will of the people. South Carolina did not support the Pelosi style politics while Spratt licked her a_s! He’s the only one who will be left with a bad taste in his mouth.
By Calhoun Fawls on February 6th, 2010 at 2:25 am
Yawn. I don’t like Spratt. But, he paid the tax and the penalties. Who cares? You well paid guys know how to get paid for wasting time. This dog ain’t got legs, boys. Concentrate on his stimulus votes.
By James F. on February 6th, 2010 at 10:40 am
You are wasting your time on Spratt. He has almost as many so called conservatives in his district has he does liberals that will vote for him.. I suppose he knows where all the skeletons are hidden. He is an ultra liberal and is tied at the hip to Pelsoi,Reid and Obama. My understanding this may be his last term and Doug Jennings may run.
By 5 Dist Indy on February 6th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Mandy….er, i mean Freddie…no, the Democrat councilman was NOT the one Mulvaney appointed to the magistrate..it was another.
The one that Mulvaney appointed to magistrate…was the one who publicly fought with Mulvaney on an economic development issue.
So, let’s see:
You: baseless slanders
Mulvaney: Democrats clearing his name while he buries the hatchet to appoint a good man to the job
No wonder you lost last time. And will again.
By PasserBy on February 6th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
FITS:
I don’t see the problem; my house dropped 10-20% in value over the last year, in part due to the “amazing” efforts of the people in Washington – so what’s the issue that they tanked their own property values, too? Spratt’s house is probably worth 37 bubblegum cards, anyhow.
It does get me to wondering, though: For those areas that get property taxes based on the value(s) of the property, no wonder they’re shaking in their shoes about the next re-assessment: even more drop in tax revenue on the way. Maybe, just maybe, if the govt (fed & state) would figure out a way to actually encourage jobs we’d see some bounce back. I’m not holding my breath, though.