Kuster Caught Up in Failure to Pay Property Tax Flap

Despite having nearly $2 million in reported worth and assets, newly elected U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) and her husband owed nearly $11,000 in property taxes on homes in Hopkinton and the White Mountains, according to WMUR-TV.

According to the report, during the last three years, the Kusters have been delinquent on more than $40,000 in property tax payments. In Hopkinton, the report noted, the Kusters have “been delinquent on six different, consecutive assessments,” the report noted.

This afternoon, Kuster issued a statement saying she had paid property taxes on the couple's home in Hopkinton. The payment was reportedly made today, a day after the WMUR story ran.

"Our property taxes are paid in full with interest to the Town of Hopkinton," Kuster said in the statement. "Payment for our rental property in Jackson is en route. I regret the delay and apologize for any inconvenience. All future tax payments will be delivered promptly.”

Meanwhile, New Hampshire Republicans have pounced on the newly elected Representative to Congress, with one even calling on her to resign. 

In a post on Patch, Andy Martin, who has run in the past for president, Senate and Congress, called on Kuster to resign, saying her inability to pay property taxes on her homes called into question her ability to represent the 2nd Congressional District and deal with federal finances.

"What message does it send to ordinary citizens when a sitting U.S. Representative fails to pay her taxes despite being a multimillionaire?" Martin wrote. "Kuster can’t manage her own finances but she is trying to manage the federal government’s finances. Kuster is voting for more deficits and more borrowing and higher taxes in Washington while claiming she can’t pay her state taxes back home. That’s disgraceful."

The New Hampshire Young Republicans also called on Kuster to resign in a statement, noting that if it were a single time, it could be a simple oversight.

"With a reported net worth of $1.8 Million (Center for Responsive Politics) how can she in good faith and with any level of moral authority ask any more of the American people than she does of herself," the statement reads. "Congresswoman Kuster needs to get her own family’s financial house in order before setting national financial policy. I ask Congresswoman Kuster to respectfully resign immediately.”

New Hampshire Republican State Committee spokeswoman Meg Stone also issued a statement, saying that Kuster "owes her constituents an honest explanation" about why she was delinquent on her property taxes.

"She needs to personally explain why she finally decided to pay her fair share of taxes only after the media started asking her questions about her long history of missed payments..." Stone said. "When times are tough and our neighbors are struggling, people understand; but when your net worth is nearly $2 million and you have established a pattern of non-payment, your constituents deserve an answer.”