XPost: misc.taxes, alt.politics.trump, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh   
   XPost: talk.politics.guns   
   From: liars@msnbc.com   
      
   A Texas man who filed over two dozen challenges to former President   
   Trump’s ballot eligibility was arrested Tuesday on charges alleging he   
   filed 17 sets of false tax documents to the IRS.   
      
   John Anthony Castro was indicted last week on 33 counts of aiding the   
   preparation of false tax returns. Prosecutors claim he ran a virtual tax   
   preparation business that provided customers with tax returns beyond what   
   they were actually owed, defrauding the government.   
      
   “Castro would promise a significantly higher refund than taxpayers could   
   receive from other preparers and on many occasions, offered to split the   
   additional refund with taxpayers,” prosecutors said in court documents.   
   “In order to achieve these larger refunds, Castro generated false   
   deductions, that were not based in fact, and which were submitted without   
   the taxpayer’s knowledge.”   
      
   Castro was busted by an undercover police officer, prosecutors outlined,   
   who posed as a customer for his tax services. While a reputable tax   
   preparer promised the undercover agent a $373 tax return, Castro instead   
   claimed he could get $6,007, and offered to split the difference in extra   
   cash.   
      
   The tax forms Castro then filed on behalf of the undercover officer   
   contained nearly $30,000 in fraudulently claimed deductions, prosecutors   
   said.   
      
   Castro is also a 2024 GOP presidential candidate, a long-shot bid that has   
   gained little attention outside his legal challenges to Trump’s ballot   
   eligibility. Castro has filed challenges to Trump’s ballot placement in 27   
   states, claiming that Trump’s involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol riots   
   violates the 14th Amendment.   
      
   He was indicted on the same day that his ballot challenge in New Hampshire   
   was dismissed. His attempts have also been thrown out in Florida and most   
   recently in Nevada on Tuesday. While multiple of the suits remain pending,   
   none have gained significant traction.   
      
   Other challenges to Trump’s eligibility using the same arguments have,   
   however, with attempts in Colorado and Maine both taking Trump off the   
   states’ ballots, pending action from the Supreme Court. The high court   
   said last week that it will hear the merits of the Colorado case.   
      
   Castro told The Hill that he denies wrongdoing and believes the case is   
   politically motivated, “no question about it.”   
      
   He said his firm settled the tax return matter with the IRS in 2021,   
   claiming that certain clients misinterpreted tax law. Castro said his firm   
   paid back about $700,000 in 2021 to resolve the discrepancies.   
      
   “I don’t care if they offered me one day probation and a slap on the wrist   
   in exchange for a guilty plea,” he said. “This is going to trial. I am   
   going to convince all 12 jurors that I am 100 percent innocent and that   
   this is political retaliation.”   
      
   Castro claimed the prosecution is related to his 14th Amendment challenges   
   against Trump due to timing of the indictment. The alleged fraudulent   
   returns were filed between 2018 and 2020.   
      
   He also said a stipulation of his release keeping him inside the Northern   
   District of Texas without prior permission could endanger upcoming   
   appearances for 14th Amendment challenges in West Virginia, Kansas and   
   Montana.   
      
   Castro is due back in court Jan. 17.   
      
   https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4400782-trump-14th-amendment-   
   political-challenger-arrested-on-federal-tax-charges/   
      
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