Tags
Bennie Thompson, Bennie Thompson congressional district, DHS, Federal income tax, GEO, hypocrisy, Issac Lanier Avant, Mississippi, Mississippi 2nd Congressional district, oversight, poorest Congressional districts, poverty, private prison contractors, share the wealth, taxation, US Congress, US House, US House Dems
After losing his position, Thompson staffer, Avant, went to work as a lobbyist for private prison contractor, GEO: https://lobbyingdisclosure.house.gov/lookup.asp?reg_id=44387
Thompson paid his staffer more than $165,000 in the period from 2009-2013. In 2010, the average (median) income was $31,084 in Bennie Thompson’s Congressional district. Current average (median) income is a little over $37,000. https://web.archive.org/web/20220621230211/https://dev.ballotpedia.org/Mississippi%27s_2nd_Congressional_District https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi%27s_2nd_congressional_district
Note that he was sentenced for failure to pay taxes prior to Trump taking office:
“According to documents filed with the court, Issac Lanier Avant, a resident of Arlington, Virginia, has been employed by the U.S. House of Representatives as a Chief of Staff since 2002. In December 2006, Avant assumed the additional role of Democratic Staff Director for the House Committee on Homeland Security. Despite earning more than $165,000, Avant failed to timely file his 2009 through 2013 individual income tax returns, causing a tax loss of $153,522. Avant had no federal income withheld during those years because in May 2005, he caused a form to be filed with his employer that falsely claimed he was exempt from federal income taxes. Avant did not have any federal tax withheld from his paycheck until the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) mandated that his employer begin withholding in January 2013. Avant did not file tax returns until after he was interviewed by federal agents.”https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/congressional-staffer-sentenced-prison-failure-file-income-tax-returns
“Aide denies Thompson charges By John Bresnahan, 12/04/2009 05:29 PM EST The chief aide to House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson on Friday denied an allegation that Thompson used his committee’s consideration of expensive new rules on credit card companies to extract campaign contributions from the companies…” https://www.politico.com/story/2009/12/aide-denies-thompson-charges-030221
It’s unclear if GEO got anything out of hiring Avant:
“Private Prison Giant Hires Twice-Convicted Ex-Aide to Top Democrat in Order to Fend Off Scrutiny THE PRISON LOBBY GEO Group faces some serious political pushback. So the company did what anyone would: It hired the former chief of staff to the chairman of the committee overseeing its industry”. Lachlan Markay Reporter Updated Jul. 01, 2019 7:13PM ET / Published Jul. 01, 2019 12:42PM ET https://www.thedailybeast.com/geo-group-the-private-prison-giant-hires-twice-convicted-ex-aide-to-top-dem-in-order-to-fend-off-scrutiny
“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Congressional Staffer Charged With Filing False Security Clearance Form
Allegedly Did Not Disclose His Failure to File or Pay Taxes
WASHINGTON – A congressional staffer was charged today with filing a false security clearance form, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director in Charge Andrew Vale of the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
According to the indictment, Issac Lanier Avant, a resident of Arlington, Va., was a staff member employed by the House of Representatives since approximately 2000. Since 2002, Avant has been the Chief of Staff for a member of Congress. In approximately December 2006, he began an additional position for the House Committee on Homeland Security, including Deputy Staff Director and Staff Director. The indictment charges that from 2008 through 2012, Avant earned wages of approximately $170,000 and failed to file an individual income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) during those years. Avant allegedly had no federal income withheld during those years because in May 2005, he caused a form to be filed with his employer that falsely claimed he was exempt from federal income taxes. According to the indictment, Avant did not have any federal tax withheld from his paycheck until the IRS mandated that his employer begin withholding in January 2013.
In 2008 and again in 2013, for his position with the Committee on Homeland Security, Avant allegedly completed a Standard Form 86, “Questionnaire for National Security Positions” (SF-86), in order to receive a Top Secret security clearance. The indictment charges that on Sept. 18, 2013, Avant willfully made a false statement by responding “no” to the following question on a SF-86: “In the past seven (7) years have you failed to file or pay federal, state, or other taxes when required by law or ordinance?”
If convicted, Avant faces a statutory maximum prison term of five years, as well as a term of supervised release and monetary penalties.
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Liu thanked special agents of the FBI, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Marston and Assistant Chief Todd Ellinwood of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Topic(s):
Tax
Component(s):
USAO – District of Columbia
Press Release Number:
17-217
Updated October 11, 2017 https://www.justice. gov/usao-dc/pr/congressional-staffer-charged-filing-false-security-clearance-form
Click to access gov.uscourts.dcd.190129.1.0.pdf
“FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Congressional Staffer Sentenced to Prison for Failure to File Income Tax Returns
A congressional staffer was sentenced to prison today for willfully failing to file an individual income tax return, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente for the Eastern District of Virginia.
According to documents filed with the court, Issac Lanier Avant, a resident of Arlington, Virginia, has been employed by the U.S. House of Representatives as a Chief of Staff since 2002. In December 2006, Avant assumed the additional role of Democratic Staff Director for the House Committee on Homeland Security. Despite earning more than $165,000, Avant failed to timely file his 2009 through 2013 individual income tax returns, causing a tax loss of $153,522. Avant had no federal income withheld during those years because in May 2005, he caused a form to be filed with his employer that falsely claimed he was exempt from federal income taxes. Avant did not have any federal tax withheld from his paycheck until the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) mandated that his employer begin withholding in January 2013. Avant did not file tax returns until after he was interviewed by federal agents.
The court imposed a prison term of approximately 4 months, consisting of 30 days incarceration, followed by incarceration every weekend for 12 months. Avant was also ordered to serve a one-year term of supervised release and to pay restitution in the amount of $149,962 to the IRS.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo and U.S. Attorney Boente thanked special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI, who conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Hanly and Assistant Chief Todd Ellinwood of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Topic(s):
Tax
Component(s):
Tax Division
USAO – Virginia, Eastern
Press Release Number:
17-079
Updated March 17, 2017
https://www.justice. gov/opa/pr/congressional-staffer-sentenced-prison-failure-file-income-tax-returns
Shows some of the meetings: https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/ag/legacy/2010/09/29/ag-holder-schedule.pdf
Mining Awareness + 