Leo Hindery provided limo service Daschle failed to declare

Leo Hindery provided limo service now seen as a tax 'glitch' for Obama nominee Tom Daschle. Hindery formerly of the YES Network and recent Chicago Cubs bidder. Hindery sought chairmanship of the Democrat National Committee in 2000. From the NY Times, 2/2/09:

• "So in early 2005 the two men decided to team up. Mr. Daschle agreed to become the founding chairman of “a world-class executive advisory board” of “industry and regulatory experts” for a new investment firm run by Mr. Hindery, according to a news release announcing its inception and seeking investors. The Daschle-led board, the release said, would help provide a “collective depth of industry knowledge and expertise that will allow us to pursue unique and high-value opportunities.”

In addition to lending the prestige of his name, Mr. Daschle traveled to help raise money from investors for Mr. Hindery’s new venture***, said Jenny Backus, a spokeswoman for Mr. Daschle. And in exchange, over the next four years the firm compensated Mr. Daschle with over $2 million, and Mr. Hindery lent Mr. Daschle the use of a chauffeured limousine in Washington."...'In Daschle's Tax Woes, a Peek into Washington,' NY Times, Kirkpatrick

• ***Hindery's firm is InterMedia Advisors.

via Michael Savage radio program

• Addendum: NY Times hides identity of Leo Hindery, tries its best to disconnect him from culpability in the reader's mind by leaving out both his name and that of his company in the initial description. From their editorial, 2/2/09, 'The Travails of Tom Daschle' . :

The biased NY Times: "Now we are confronted with an even larger lapse by Mr. Daschle, who failed to pay $128,000 in taxes, primarily for personal use of a car and driver provided to him

• by a private equity firm for which he consulted.

• Although the firm — headed by a major Democratic donor —

• had not issued a form 1099 for the value of the car service,

Mr. Daschle said he became concerned last June that he might owe taxes on it and instructed his accountant to investigate. Neither was concerned enough to actually pay the taxes."....

• (Much later in the editorial they deign to mention 'the private equity company's' name AND STILL NEVER MENTION LEO HINDERY, WHOM DASCHLE WAS PRESSURING OBAMA TO HIRE). This is why the NY Times is going under.

NY Times: "Only after the Obama transition team flagged unrelated tax issues that would require filing amended returns did Mr. Daschle and his accountant address the need to report the personal use value of the car service — more than $255,000 over three years — as income. Only after he had been chosen to be the health secretary did Mr. Daschle tell the transition team about the unpaid taxes. He paid some $140,000 in back taxes and interest on Jan. 2 to settle several tax problems — and he acknowledges owing more.

In both the Geithner and Daschle cases, the failure to pay taxes is attributed to unintentional oversights. But Mr. Daschle is one oversight case too many. The American tax system depends heavily on voluntary compliance. It would send a terrible message to the public if we ignore the failure of yet another high-level nominee to comply with the tax laws.

Mr. Daschle’s financial ties to major players in the health care industry may prove to be even more troublesome as health reform efforts proceed. Like many former power players in Washington, Mr. Daschle cashed in on his political savvy and influence to earn $5 million in recent years, including more than $2 million from Alston & Bird, a law and lobbying firm; more than $2 million from

• the private equity firm, InterMedia Advisors, which provided the car and driver;

and hundreds of thousands of dollars for speeches to interest groups, including those representing health insurance plans, medical equipment distributors and pharmacy boards. "...

• No mention of Hindery and scant mention of his company. The greenwashing of Leo Hindery by the alleged newspaper of record is startling and chilling. (sm)

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