Republicans Create Web Ad Attacking Kuster on Property Tax Problems

The National Republican Congressional Committee has created a new online web ad poking fun at the recent property tax problems U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, has had in the past week.

Back on Feb. 4, WMUR-TV broke the news thatKuster and her husband had not only failed to pay taxes on property they owned in Hopkinton and the White Mountains, but that there have been missed payments over a number of years. The next day, the Kusters paid the Hopkinton taxes, with interest, and later paid the Jackson rental property taxes.

In a statement, the freshman Congresswoman said that all future payments “will be delivered promptly.”

Local Republicans pounced on the story with some calling on her to resign. One potential GOP challenger – former state Sen. Gary Lambert, R-Nashua – called on her to release her tax returns, wondering why a couple with $1.8 million in reported assets was having problems paying; another, former House Speaker William O’Brien, R-Mont Vernon, pointed out the purported hypocrisy of Kuster advocating for higher taxes while not paying her own.

A number of media outlets – including the Concord Monitor, which endorsed Kuster in 2012 against U.S. Rep. Charles Bass – have also called on Kuster to explain the problems to constituents.

On Feb. 11, the NRCC jumped into the fray, creating a web video “highlighting Kuster’s reckless financial behavior.” The ad features clips of Kuster before she was elected, including footage from the “F-him” incident as well as her commenting critically about Congress living by its on rules. The ad closes with, “It looks like it’s already time to cancel the Annie Kuster show.”

So far, Kuster and her staffers haven’t offered any follow-up comment to media outlets or voters.

Although, according to Raymond Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, Kuster made an unexpected visit to the party headquarters today. In a Tweet on Twitter at little past 11:30 a.m., Buckley wrote, “LOL! I tell staff to dress up 'cause you never know who will stop by. Today Im (sic) wearing jeans because of snowfall. @repkuster just walked in.”

After learning that Kuster is back in town, NHGOP Communications Director Meg Stone stated that, "the time has come” for Kuster “to stop hiding from her constituents and offer an open and straightforward explanation about her long history of delinquent taxes.” Stone said that Kuster needed to reveal why she was unable to pay her property taxes while also having reported assets of nearly $2 million.

“Congresswoman Kuster needs to meet with her constituents, give them honest answers, and begin to regain the trust and confidence that she has lost as a result of this embarrassing incident,” Stone stated.

Rob Friedlander, a spokesman for Kuster, did not return an email asking for reaction to the NRCC ad. No public events have been announced either.

Later in the day, Kuster appeared on WMUR-TV and said the couple "got behind a couple of times" on payments adding, "there's no excuse for it ... I can't change what happened but what I can do is make sure the taxes are paid in full and they are." Kuster added that, "life is expensive and it caught up to us." She said the experience helped her understand what other struggling families are going through trying to pay their taxes. 

NHGOP's Stone had this to say about Kuster's comments: 

"Once again, Congresswoman Kuster failed to be upfront with her constituents and offer a plausible explanation for her long history of late tax payments. She refused to explain why, despite a net worth of nearly $2 million, ownership of two vacation homes, a lucrative corporate lobbying career, and investments in over 20 mutual funds, she wasn't paying her fair share in taxes. And she didn't explain why despite having the resources needed to immediately settle her tax obligations, she decided to make the payments only after the media caught her red-handed.

"Congresswoman Kuster's inability to explain herself further damages her credibility and raises even more questions that demand immediate answers. The people of the Second District deserve to know why, at a time when Annie Kuster is trying to raise their taxes, she hasn't been paying her own. Granite Staters don't want excuses, but they do expect their elected representatives to be open, honest and to provide a plausible explanation for three years of delinquent taxes."