Marion Barry

A federal judge this week turned down a request by prosecutors to send former Washington, DC Mayor Marion Barry to jail for violating probation in a criminal tax case.

Barry pleaded guilty two years ago to failing to file tax returns from 1999 to 2004. As part of his plea bargain, he agreed to file future federal and local tax returns annually. Prosecutors now say Barry missed deadlines for filing federal and D.C. tax returns in 2005.

Barry had this to say about his troubles...

"Thousands of Americans have tax problems with the IRS, and they're not treated this way. It's a double standard, and the U.S. attorney ought to stop it."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-03-13-marion-barry_N.htm

Double standard? What double standard, Mr. Barry? The fact that you have to pay taxes every year, and that they're just trying to get you to comply with the terms of the ridiculous plea bargain that simply required you to file your taxes on time, means you're just being asked to adhere to the same standard as the rest of us.

The real outrage here is that this man continues to hold public office (he's still a sitting DC Councilman) and that he can still get away with almost anything in the nation's Capitol.