Bookkeeper takes blame for Fla. Democratic Party's tax woes
By Brian E. Crowley
Palm Beach Post Political Editor
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Blaming herself for accounting mistakes and saying that Scott Maddox was not at fault, a bookkeeper for the Florida Democratic Party said Tuesday she is solely responsible for the party's failure to pay payroll and Social Security taxes.
Maddox, who was chairman of the party when it failed in 2003 to pay taxes for six months, has been sharply criticized for the lapse and the subsequent tax lien that the Internal Revenue Service placed on the party's bank accounts and property.
While accepting overall responsibility, Maddox said last week that the problems resulted from errors made by Debbie Griffin-Bruton, the party's comptroller.
Griffin-Burton remained publicly silent about the issue until Tuesday, when she sent a letter to Maddox, who released it to the media. In the letter, Griffin-Bruton writes, "I made several honest mistakes including the nonpayment of payroll taxes."
She goes on to explain that she was under stress because her husband was "diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's."
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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/state/epaper/2005/06/29/a7a_maddox_0629.html