Leading Democrat caught in tax evasion scheme
Democrats are constantly pointing their fingers at everyone else. They would have you believe they’re not corrupt at all.
But now a leading Democrat has been caught in an embarrassing tax evasion scheme.
Mortgage documents reveal that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) lives in a 3,420 square foot home in the Potomac, Maryland, neighborhood of Washington, D.C., as reported by CNN on Thursday.
For tax reasons, however, he lists his apartment in the Burbank, California, neighborhood of Los Angeles as his primary residence, therefore avoiding a $7,000 tax bill that he would have to pay from his yearly income.
Based on his “past comments, pictures shared on his public social media, and records,” CNN concluded that Schiff permanently resides in the state of Maryland.
Schiff, who first took office in Congress in 2000, listed the Maryland property as his principal residence in 2003, according to the deed. Schiff refinanced his mortgage four times between 2009 and 2012, and each time he declared that the property was his principal residence, according to the study.
“Los Angeles County deed records for Schiff’s Burbank condo, purchased in 2009, were notarized in Maryland. On one page of the deed, the state: California and the county: Los Angeles are crossed out and Maryland and Montgomery County are written in. The records also list Schiff’s Maryland home as an address the records are being returned to,” CNN reported.
Since the language of the homeowner’s exemption per California law is ambiguous enough to protect Schiff, there may not be anything illegal here. Moreover, it will not be a barrier to him being on the ballot in future elections.
A professor of political science at the University of Maryland Candace Turitto said, “On the merits, technically there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it,” and CNN reported that the Constitution requires only that the candidate have “inhabitancy in the state at the time elected.”
However, from a public relations standpoint, it might appear awful to California voters, especially because Schiff is in a three-way contest with two other well-known politicians.
“It might not mean anything to voters,” said Turitto, “but if one of these candidates can turn it into a larger argument about the quality of representation or integrity that Adam Schiff will display as a senator, it might work to create daylight in an otherwise tight primary campaign.”
Is @AdamSchiff’s primary residence really California, or is it Maryland?
It depends on which claim most financially benefits him.
The candidate for California’s Senate seat often claims Maryland, and it seems clear that’s where he really lives.https://t.co/cI0bRXlC81 pic.twitter.com/hBnzkIbh23
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 2, 2023
Schiff’s campaign, on the other hand, claims that he was born and raised in the Golden State. His bio states that he is “settled” in Burbank, California, although his website makes no mention of the property he owns in Maryland.
His campaign, unsurprisingly, is trying to explain this away.
“Adam’s primary residence is Burbank, California, and will remain so when he wins the Senate seat,” Marisol Samayoa, a spokesperson for the Schiff campaign, told CNN.
Why were two different addresses listed as the principal residence? To put it simply, loan reasons.
To avoid having to pay twice as much in interest, “Adam’s California and Maryland addresses have been listed as primary residences for loan purposes because they are both occupied throughout the year and to distinguish them from a vacation property.”
We should note that this is not a rare occurrence. The current incumbent, Senator Laphonza Butler, claims in her online bio that she was a Maryland resident prior to her appointment to succeed Feinstein.
It appears EMILY’s list has removed the final line in Laphonza Butler’s bio that states she lives in Maryland. pic.twitter.com/6wYYYJEqoE
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) October 2, 2023
But Schiff is one of three prominent Democrats vying to officially succeed Feinstein, along with California Representatives Katie Porter and Barbara Lee.
It’s possible they face the same problem as many members of Congress do after being elected: they feel no need to remain in their home districts after winning office and instead relocate to the Beltway.
The people of California, however, are deserving of better. They need a Californian in particular.
Our Founding Fathers had in mind the idea of people becoming representatives from the communities where they actually live or spend most of their time. Sadly, it’s far too evident that politicians like Schiff don’t know anything about the communities they are supposed to represent.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
