Taxes: Still a public matter

This week, Ward 8 D.C. Councilman Marion Barry finally submitted his 2007 tax return. Responding to reporters’ questions earlier this month about the delayed filing, he declared the matter “personal,” but added that he had been distracted, focused more on a kidney transplant that he needs.

But Barry also didn’t file returns for 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, until the U.S. attorney for the District brought charges against him. And even after that, Barry failed to file the returns as promised. In 2006, instead of being sent straight to jail, he was placed on probation. He offered yet another excuse for why he hadn’t mailed in his form 1040.