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Apr 29, 2008 11:27 pm US/Central
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Franken: 'Accountant Made A Mistake' On Back Taxes
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
A Minnesota candidate for U.S. Senate said he plans to pay thousands of dollars in back taxes owed in other states.
Democratic candidate Al Franken said his accountant messed up and gave him bad tax advice that left $70,000 of owed taxes in 17 states where he earned income going back to 2003.
Most of the income was from speeches and other paid appearances. Franken said he takes ultimate responsibility for the errors and will pay the money back.
"We made a mistake. And that I rectified. And I rectified it as quickly as I could," said Franken.
Franken said he and his wife Franni paid taxes on every penny of income they earned, but he says they paid it to the wrong states.
"Our accountant made a mistake, and Franni and I relied on our accountant and he made a mistake. And I am fixing it and making it right," he said.
Franken said he paid taxes to the states in which he lived at the time, to New York or Minnesota and not to each state where he earned the money.
Republicans are calling this much more than a simple accounting mistake. For weeks they have been raising questions about Franken's personal finances.
"I think this shows a lot about the credibility gap that exists between Al Franken and the citizens of the state of Minnesota. He certainly, in my mind, is unfit to be a United States senator," said Minnesota Republican Chair Ron Carey.
Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman called Franken's admission troubling
"Paying taxes is an obligation that I think Minnesotans expect to be adhered to, and that Minnesotans do," Coleman said.
Franken says he waited to reveal the tax information himself to make sure he got it right. Some say he might have waited too long.
"Al Franken is on the ropes. He's trying to fight off the ropes, and he's taking blows. And it's not clear if he's going to be able to get back up for the next round," said political expert Larry Jacobs of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.
Franken says the Republican punches are all political.
"No one likes being called a liar. No one likes being called a tax cheat. No one likes that," said Franken.
Franken said that no state ever contacted him seeking unpaid taxes. And that he's voluntarily sending checks to all of the states involved including penalty and interest.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)