House Candidate Disqualified Over Back Taxes

State Representative Sharon Cooper (R-Marietta) will move on to her general election a couple of days early.  Her primary opponent, Kevin James, was disqualified yesterday for failing to pay back state and federal income taxes, per the Marietta Daily Journal.

According to tax liens filed by the state in 2012 and 2016, James owed $2,463.77 in delinquent state income taxes from 2009 and $3,362.82 from 2010.

In addition, the IRS filed a federal tax lien notice in Sept. 2016 in the amount of $20,995.01 for delinquent federal income taxes from 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2015.

Per the MDJ, James is on a payment plan with the state, but did not demonstrate that he is making payments to the IRS. Georgia’s constitution forbids candidates from seeking or holding office if they are delinquent on their taxes and not under a payment arrangement of some sort.

Rep Cooper was not the person who filed the complaint with the Secretary of State. As one of her constituents, my opinion is she would have handily won the Tuesday contest regardless if James was left on the ballot or not.