Cornel West, a long time supporter of heavier taxes on the wealthy, allegedly owes over $500,000 in unpaid taxes, according to Thursday reporting by The Daily Beast.
The Green Party candidate allegedly owes a staggering $543,778.78 in federal tax liens, according to filings in Mercer County, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, California, acquired by The Daily Beast. (RELATED: ‘The View’ Breaks Down Over Cornel West)
EXCLUSIVE: The presidential candidate has made raising taxes on the rich a fixture of his campaign. He’s shorted the IRS more than the median salary in six of the last 20 years.https://t.co/rOPcU7OOU5
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) August 3, 2023
West allegedly accumulated $724,397.26 in tax liens between 1998 and 2004, according to the report. He ultimately paid off this debt in 2010, per the outlet. He also allegedly failed to pay a $34,069.93 tax bill in 2008, finally paying off the amount in 2012.
West has long been an advocate for hiking taxes. The Green Party, a left-wing political party that West is seeking to become the nominee for, supports policies to make the tax system less favorable towards the wealthy. “Our current tax system is outrageously unjust. It is riddled with loopholes, subsidies and dodges for corporations and the super-rich,” the Green Party website reads.
West has also been a staunch critic of the wealthy, arguing that they perpetuate a system that keeps the poor in a downtrodden position. “Without some redistribution of wealth and power, downward mobility and debilitating poverty will continue to drive people into desperate channels,” West wrote in Race Matters.
West denied the allegation in a statement to The Daily Beast.
“My brother I have asked my accountant to respond to these charges some of which are not true,” West wrote to The Daily Beast.