Angela Alsobrooks, the Democrat Party’s U.S. Senate nominee in Maryland, saved thousands of dollars in taxes by taking tax breaks that she did not legally for, according to a new report.
CNN reported that for more than 10 years she claimed a homestead tax exemption on a home she owned in Washington, D.C. — and a home she owned in Maryland — that can only apply to a person’s primary residence, not multiple residences.
She also reportedly saved $14,000 in taxes over a 12 year period on her home in D.C. by “using tax exemptions meant for the district’s primary residents, lower income residents and senior citizens,” the report said. By “violating state and local tax relief requirements”, she reportedly cut her tax bill in half.
She received a homestead exemption on the property that she owned in Maryland starting in 2008, even though she eventually started renting it out. She is estimated to have saved thousands of dollars in taxes by claiming the homestead exemption, even though she did not qualify for it.
An adviser for Alsobrooks claimed that she had no idea of the alleged violations but that her lawyers were working with the relevant authorities to rectify the problem.
Alsobrooks’ campaign tried to throw dirt at her opponent, former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, claiming that he also got a tax break on his home in 2016 while living in the governor’s mansion. However, the report noted that governors and federal officials are excluded from the residency requirements.
The Maryland Republican Party called for an investigation into Alsobrooks over CNN’s report, saying that she may have committed fraud.
“Angela Alsobrooks saved thousands in taxes by fraudulently claiming tax deductions that she was not eligible for on multiple properties in Prince George’s County and DC,” the state party said. “Marylanders deserve to have all of the facts about this alleged fraud before they vote. There needs to be a full investigation before the election.”
