State rep owes IRS more than $300,000 (GA Repub Ralston) [View All]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2006/11/30/1201mettax.html

A high-ranking Republican state lawmaker and former candidate for attorney general has been hit with a $347,318 lien for delinquent federal income taxes, court records show.

The Internal Revenue Service says state Rep. David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge) owes individual income taxes, penalties and interest from as far back as tax year 1996 and as recently as 2004.

Rep. David Ralston of Blue Ridge owes taxes as far back as 1996, according to the IRS.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Revenue says that as of July, state Rep. Lester G. Jackson (D-Savannah) owes $15,265 in state income taxes, penalties, fees, and interest from tax year 2003. State revenue officials filed a request in the State Court of Fulton County on Monday to garnish Jackson's monthly state paycheck to pay off his debt.

The IRS filed its lien against Ralston in Fannin County Superior Court in April. A copy was anonymously mailed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution this week. Enclosed with the lien was a copy of the newspaper's article about Ralston paying $36,880 in back state income taxes, penalties and interest in 2003.

Ralston, an attorney, is chairman of the House Non-Civil Judiciary Committee, a panel that handles major changes to criminal law. He is also a member of the Appropriations Committee, which helps set state spending priorities. He faced no opposition for re-election in the Republican primary and general election this year.