Sustain LAist today!

Your monthly gift during our June member drive powers our local newsroom.
1,535 sustainers of 2,500 goal
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Opponents Question Meg Whitman's Unpaid Taxes, Offshore Investments

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

When you run for office, your life will be scrutinized. For former eBay CEO and gubernatorial Republican candidate Meg Whitman, she's been hit hard over the last week. Today, the California Democratic Party called attention to over $1,600 in unpaid employment taxes for household servants when she lived in Boston during the 1990s.

“It’s true that most of us don’t know what it’s like to be a billionaire and to keep household servants but you would think she could afford to pay the $1,648.58,” huffed John Burton, Chairman of the California Democratic Party, in a statement. “This development only adds to the long list of questions that are starting to pile up on team Whitman’s doorstep."

Also on the proverbial doorstep are questions about a $4 million offshore investment, in Hedge Funds based in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, made by Whitman's charitable foundation in 2007. "Is Meg Whitman still shifting her millions into offshore tax havens to avoid having to pay her fair share?" questions Nick Velasquez of the California Accountability Project, who is asking for full transparency by Whitman. "The release of tax returns by wealthy candidates for governor is a well-established precedent in the State of California."

Whitman is reportedly worth $1.4 billion.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today