Washington, D.C
Alsobrooks took improper tax breaks on DC and Maryland properties: Report – Washington Examiner
Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland’s Democratic Senate candidate, is facing scrutiny over her improperly receiving tax breaks that she did not qualify for, allowing her to save thousands in taxes on her properties in Washington, D.C., and Maryland.
According to property records and tax bills reviewed by CNN, Alsobrooks saved almost $14,000 in taxes between 2005 and 2017 on her Washington property by using tax exemptions intended for primary residents of the district, lower-income residents, and senior citizens.
The records show Alsobrooks claimed a homestead tax exemption intended for someone’s primary residence for over a decade, violating state and local tax relief requirements. However, public records show Alsobrooks does not live primarily in the district; since 1995, she has been registered to vote in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She currently serves as the county executive there and oversees the county’s budget and tax collection division.
She also received a tax break intended for low-income senior citizens on her Washington residence, cutting her tax bill in half. At age 53, Alsobrooks does not qualify for the tax break but her grandparents, who owned the property before her, presumably did, per CNN.
A senior adviser for Alsobrooks told CNN that she was unaware of the situation and her attorneys are working with the district and Prince George’s County, Maryland, to resolve the issues. Connor Lounsbury, senior adviser to Alsobrooks, told the Washington Examiner that Alsobrooks began paying the mortgage on her grandmother’s northeast Washington home when she moved out until it was sold in 2018.
“She was unaware of any tax credits attached to that property and has reached out to the District of Columbia to resolve the issue and make any necessary payment,” Lounsbury said.
In Maryland, Alsobrooks bought a property in 2005 and received a homestead exemption in 2008 for the townhouse. She eventually began renting out the property but continued to take the primary resident exemption. CNN estimated that the exemption saved her at least $2,600.
Her campaign pointed to another home in Prince George’s County that is listed as Alsobrooks’s primary residence, but she does not receive a homestead exemption.
“When Angela bought her new property, the homestead tax credit from her previous home was not transferred,” Lounsbury told the Washington Examiner. “This resulted in no financial gain for Angela. In fact, she ended up paying more in taxes than she would have had the credit transferred over. Nevertheless, Angela is working to repay any credits received on the old property.”
Alsobrooks is facing former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan for the state’s open Senate seat left vacant by outgoing Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD). A poll from Gonzales Research and Media Services in early September found Alsobrooks leading Hogan by 5 points, 46% to 41%.
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Hogan is framing himself as an anti-Trump Republican as he runs for Senate in deep blue Maryland. On the other side, Democrats are trying to paint Hogan as a phony “Never Trumper.” Alsobrooks has accused her opponent of being a “MAGA”-enabler who would give Republicans control of the Senate.
Regarding the presidential race, 56% of voters in the September poll said they would vote for Harris, while 35% indicated they would vote for Trump.
Washington, D.C
Rudy Giuliani disbarred in Washington DC over role in Trump election plot
Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor who built a career as an uncompromising crime-fighter, has been permanently disbarred from practising law in Washington DC in a ruling stemming from his role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Donald Trump’s favour.
The decision came in the form of a one-page order issued by the US capital’s court of appeal and followed a similar order issued in July in New York, Giuliani’s home state.
Unlike that ruling, the decision in Washington was not directly related to his actions in Trump’s election-denying effort but was instead based on his failure to respond to a request that he explain why he should not be subject to the same penalty as meted out in New York.
“ORDERED that Rudolph W Giuliani is hereby disbarred from the practice of law in the District of Columbia, nunc pro tunc [a Latin term used in legal parlance to mean retroactive] to August 9, 2021,” Thursday’s appeal court order said.
In 2021, the appeals court had suspended Giuliani’s law licence in Washington after being notified of a similar decision in New York.
The DC bar’s board of responsibility recommended in 2022 that Giuliani’s law licence be indefinitely revoked after its investigators found him guilty of unethical conduct over inaccurate and unsupported claims he made in testimony to a federal court in Pennsylvania while disputing the 2020 election results.
The DC court of appeals order did not hinge on those findings. By contrast, the New York appeals court made similar judgments in issuing its ruling, asserting that Giuliani “repeatedly and intentionally made false statements, some of which were perjurious, to the federal court, state lawmakers, the public … and this Court concerning the 2020 Presidential election”.
Ted Goodman, a spokesman for Giuliani called the order “an absolute travesty and a total miscarriage of justice”.
“Members of the legal community who want to protect the integrity of our justice system should immediately speak out against this partisan, politically motivated decision,” he said.
The order is the latest blow to the standing of a man who was dubbed “America’s mayor” for the leadership role he played in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001, which happened when he was the city’s mayor.
Last year, two election workers in Georgia won $148m in damages after he defamed them by accusing them of fraud. A week later he filed for bankruptcy.
Washington, D.C
Downpours, flooded streets complicate morning commute across DC region
WASHINGTON – Heavy rain and flooded roadways complicated the morning commute Thursday for drivers across the Washington, D.C. region.
The showers and storms moved in overnight, bringing waves of heavy downpours.
Flood watches and advisories were in effect in parts of the area. Flood-prone areas like Annapolis and Old Town Alexandria saw high standing water.
Drivers on local roads were impacted by standing water and highways saw crashes and delays. A collision along southbound I-295 blocked lanes at Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue for about an hour. Residual delays from the crash extended into the morning commute. Showers and storms are likely to continue into the afternoon.
Meanwhile, the remnants of Hurricane Helene are expected to bring wet weather to the D.C. area over the next few days. The area can expect some tropical downpours on Friday. The storm is likely to stall over the area, bringing gloomy weather with clouds, drizzle, and showers to the region over the weekend.
Washington, D.C
DC Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring steps down after historic term facing pandemic and crime challenges
WASHINGTON – D.C.’s Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring is stepping down after a groundbreaking term marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and record-high homicide rates.
In an exclusive interview with FOX 5, she discussed the impact of judicial decisions on the community, particularly in light of criticisms regarding lenient sentences for criminals.
Judge Josey-Herring responded to concerns that some repeat offenders feel that D.C. judges will quickly release them back into the community. “I do think judges think pretty hard about their decisions. And we don’t have, unfortunately, crystal balls. Sometimes we do take chances on people, and if we didn’t, we would always err on the side of locking people up no matter what,” she stated.
Throughout her tenure, Josey-Herring faced significant public criticism of the court system, including remarks from Mayor Muriel Bowser and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves, who suggested that the court contributed to D.C.’s rising crime rates.
Josey-Herring had to navigate increasing criminal caseloads amid the pandemic and deal with double-digit judicial vacancies, which forced some judges to take on twice their usual workloads.
In 2021, Bowser labeled the court a bottleneck when discussing the issue of rising crime, while Graves indicated that sentencing was too lenient.
Josey-Herring’s public rebuttals to these criticisms are unusual for a sitting judge, highlighting her commitment to the judiciary’s integrity.
As she prepares to pass the leadership to Judge Milton Lee, Josey-Herring participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for a new addition to the courthouse.
Despite the new space, the need for more judges remains critical. When she departs next week, there will be nine vacant seats on the Superior Court bench.
Josey-Herring also touched upon whether judges share some responsibility for the rising crime rates in the District. More details from that conversation will be featured later this week on FOX 5’s “In the Courts.”
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