Rep. Taylor Still Missing 2011 Disclosure, Owes $750 in Fines (UPDATE 1)
(APN) ATLANTA — State Rep. Rashad Taylor (D-Atlanta) has yet to to file his Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, which was due June 30, 2011, and he currently owes 750 dollars in unpaid fines for that report as well as other reports that he filed late, according to a search of the Commission’s website.
The late reports include those that were due as far back as May 16, 2008, but were filed late, either in 2009, 2010, or 2011.
The 750 dollar total in ethics fines includes five separate fines in the amount of 75 dollars and three fines in the amount of 125 dollars.
This is only the latest, however, in ethics issues involving Taylor, who is currently in a Democratic Primary Election race with incumbent, State Rep. Pat Gardner (D-Atlanta).
According to an analysis by the Atlanta Unfiltered website, as of December 2011 when their article was posted, there were at least 11,225 dollars in political contributions to Taylor that he had failed to report.
Taylor told Atlanta Unfiltered last year that “he plans to catch up with disclosures of his campaign finances by the end of 2011,” according to the website, but those plans have apparently failed to materialize.
In 2010, the Democratic Party of Georgia spent about 25,000 dollars to send out mailers in support of Rep. Taylor. The mailers attacked former State Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas who was running for her old seat at the time.
The DPG defended the expenditures for Taylor on the basis that he was a member of the Caucus, which is part of the Party, and therefore, they took the position that the contribution limits upon legislative candidates did not apply to him.
Jim Walls of Atlanta Unfiltered requested the Commission to issue an advisory opinion regarding the mailers.
The Commission issued an Advisory Opinion in July 2010 stating that the Party could not spend limitless amounts of money in support of their Caucus Members. Therefore, Taylor, as well as his mentor, State Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), had benefited from illegal donations.
According to Atlanta Unfiltered, Taylor registered as a lobbyist for Planned Parenthood in 2007, filing lobbyist expenditure disclosures for January and February 2007, but failing to file nine other reports that were due that year.
In addition, Taylor also has two liens due to unpaid taxes; one for 2008 taxes in the amount of $1,815.97, and another for 2009 taxes in the amount of $1295.21. According to Atlanta Unfiltered, neither had been paid as of December 2011.
There are also outstanding questions regarding Taylor’s residency that he has refused to answer.
Atlanta Progressive News previously identified discrepancies in his voter file regarding his many current and previous addresses, and discrepancies between information in his voter file and information he provided to sources regarding his addresses.
The Georgia Voice magazine recently asked him to explain. Taylor told the magazine that the information was public record and available from the Secretary of State; however, he only has a PO Box on file with the Secretary of State.
(END/2012)
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly listed Sen. Fort as a protege of Rep. Taylor. However, the reverse is true: Fort is a mentor to Taylor.