John Lewis’ chief of staff cited for failing to report, pay taxes on $54k

The House Committee on Ethics on Friday released a letter “of reproval” to Michael Collins, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, for his failure to report or pay taxes on $54,000 from his boss’ re-election campaigns over five years.

A very detailed report can be found here.

“[I]t is the determination of the Committee that your conduct has brought discredit upon the House of Representatives,” says the letter to Collins from the bipartisan panel. Click here for the PDF – you can be read the spanking in its entirety below:

August 5,2011

Mr. Michael Collins

Office of the Honorable John Lewis

343 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Collins:

By a unanimous vote on August 1, 2011, the Committee on Ethics (Committee) voted to issue you this letter of reproval as result of your failure to disclose a total of $54,000 of income over the course of five years on either your Financial Disclosure Statements or your tax filings and failure to pay taxes on that income. The Committee has also voted unanimously to adopt the attached Report to the House of Representatives. You have agreed to accept this letter and the sanctions and remedies described below and waive further rights and procedures provided for in the Committee rules. This letter resolves the allegations referred to the Committee by the Office of Congressional Ethics.

The conduct to which you have admitted includes:

1. You received $5,000 income from the John Lewis for Congress campaign in 2005 and failed to disclose that amount of outside income or its source on your Financial Disclosure Statement for 2005 or your federal income tax return for 2005, and failed to pay income taxes thereon.

2. You received $7,000 income from the John Lewis for Congress campaign in 2006 and failed to disclose that amount of outside income or its source on your Financial Disclosure Statement for 2006 or your federal income tax return for 2006, and failed to pay income taxes thereon.

3. You received $5,000 income from the John Lewis for Congress campaign in 2007 and failed to disclose that amount of outside income or its source on your Financial Disclosure Statement for 2007 or your federal income tax return for 2007, and failed to pay income taxes thereon.

4. You received $10,000 income from the John Lewis for Congress campaign in 2008 and failed to disclose that amount of outside income or its source on your Financial Disclosure Statement for 2008 or your federal income tax return for 2008, and failed to pay income taxes thereon.

5. You received $27,000 income from the John Lewis for Congress campaign in 2009 and failed to disclose that amount of outside income or its source on your Financial Disclosure Statement for 2009 or your federal income tax return for 2009, and failed to pay income taxes thereon.

You have stated that the above conduct was related to the fact that you never received 1099 reports from the campaign of your employing Member. However, the Committee finds that failure to receive 1099s from the campaign is not a sufficient excuse for failing to disclose and pay taxes on the income over five years.

Therefore, it is the determination of the Committee that your conduct has brought discredit upon the House of Representatives.

Furthermore, in addition to accepting this letter of reproval, you have agreed to the following remedies and sanctions:

1. Waive all further procedural steps and rights you may be entitled to in this matter under House and Committee rules;

2. Amend your Financial Disclosure Statements for the years 2005 through 2008 to correct all errors or omissions;

3. Pay a $1,000 fine (equivalent to five years of late Financial Disclosure filing fines) by December 31, 2011;

4. Provide to the Committee by September 30, 2011, an affidavit confirming that you have personally reviewed your income tax returns and Financial Disclosure Statements for the last six years for any and all errors or omissions and that you have made all necessary corrections and amendments;

5. Amend your income tax returns for the years 2005 through 2010 to correct all errors or omissions by September 30, 2011;

6. Report to the Committee immediately upon a determination of what additional taxes or penalties you owe;

7. Pay all unpaid taxes, penalties, and interest owed for the years 2005 through 2010, either to the IRS or the U.S. Treasury, regardless of any statute of limitations, by a date to be set by the IRS or the Committee after it receives the report required under paragraph 6;

8. Verify with the Federal Election Commission that the $450 you returned to the campaign at the direction of OCE is a permissible payment. If not, the Campaign will need to return the $450 to you to avoid an impermissible contribution, and you will need to contribute $450 to a charitable organization properly registered and qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, by September
30, 2011, so that you do not retain the excessive outside earned income; and

9. Provide the Committee with evidence of all of the above steps by the date indicated or to be set by the IRS or the Committee where applicable. If you fail to meet any of the above conditions at any time in this or future Congresses the Committee may re-open this matter and take further action. However, based on your admission and acceptance of responsibility for your actions, the Committee has determined that this matter is closed, subject to your satisfying the conditions above.

No statement yet forthcoming from Lewis’ office.

- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider

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