Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has flouted the Buckeye State’s tax rules for two homes that he owns and was late paying the bill on one of the houses seven times in the last decade, according to a new report.
The 70-year-old Brown and his wife, USA Today columnist Connie Schultz, for years have claimed owner-occupancy tax credits at their Cleveland house and Columbus condo, NBC News reported, likely racking up more than $1,000 in savings between the two addresses.
The senator has since pledged to forgo the credits and pay back taxes on the properties.
His campaign told NBC News that the Columbus credit was given in error.
“They made a mistake, have taken care of it, and paid Franklin County,” campaign manager Rachel Petri said.
An auditor for Franklin County later confirmed the tax credit was removed and the local treasurer received $616 from the senator.
Brown and Schultz consider the Cleveland address their primary home, and both are registered to vote there.
The couple also fell behind on tax payments on the Cleveland house as recently as February — and were labeled delinquent by Cuyahoga County in 2015 for failing to pay a $1,200 bill on time.
Brown and Schultz also missed payment deadlines in 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, and 2014 for the Cleveland property.
Brown and Schultz told NBC they have paid each penalty — including one that arrived this week while they couple were responding to comments about their tax evasion.
In order to claim the credit for two properties, the spouses would have to live separately.
Ohio law could potentially force them to pay back the penalties with interest.
US senators earn $174,000 per year, and Brown also collects $26,000 from an Ohio pension as a former state lawmaker.
His joint assets are reportedly valued between $133,000 to $395,000, though he holds two mortgages on his properties that add up to between $200,000 and $500,000.
More than 10 years ago, Brown was caught up in a similar scandal when he claimed he misplaced a tax bill for his condo in Washington.
“I misplaced the bill and I paid it as soon as I found out,” he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2012. “I paid a penalty for being late, and it won’t happen again.”
The tax delinquency issues could come to the fore during Brown’s re-election campaign next year, where he will likely face off against Republican state Sen. Matt Dolan.
Cleveland-based businessman Bernie Moreno has also announced he will run.
“Every single Ohioan is expected to pay their taxes on time but Sherrod Brown apparently thinks he’s too important to pay his own,” National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Philip Letsou said in a statement.
The Ohio race is expected to be one of the most competitive of the 2024 cycle.
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