House Speaker Subject to a Federal Tax Lien While He Worked to Raise Taxes on New Mexico Families and Businesses
ALBUQUERQUE, SEPTEMBER 10 — Top New Mexico House Democrat Brian Egolf owes more than $10,000 in federal back taxes, according to recently obtained government documents. New Mexico Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce is calling on Egolf to relinquish his leadership position.
According to a U.S. Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service document filed in Santa Fe County, Egolf faces two personal income tax liens; one for $634.91 from Dec. 31, 2017, and another for $9959.84 from Dec. 31. 2018. The lien was filed on February 20, 2020.
To make matters for the Speaker worse, he applied for and accepted up to $350,000 in federal stimulus funding in April from President Trump’s CARES Act while owing thousands of dollars to taxpayers.
“With Democrats in charge, Santa Fe liberals like Brian Egolf have raised taxes on hard-working New Mexicans by hundreds of millions of dollars,” Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce said. “But the top New Mexico House Democrat won’t pay his own taxes, going back to even before he was elected speaker. Speaker Egolf should step down and pay back what he owes the taxpayers in full.”
“Speaker Egolf has led Democrats in jamming through the largest tax increase in state history not once, but twice—all while he owed thousands of dollars in federal taxes,” Raye Byford, Republican candidate for House District 47, said. “New Mexico deserves better than a hypocritical Santa Fe politician who says one thing and does another. I join Chairman Pearce in calling for Speaker Egolf to step down and make good on his debt to the taxpayers.”
Since becoming speaker in 2017, Egolf has led House Democrats in ramming massive tax increases through the legislature—including two which were the largest in state history at the time they were passed. In his first year as speaker, Egolf led New Mexico House Democrats in passing the largest tax increase in state history out of the House at $350 million. In 2019, Egolf and House Democrats doubled down and once again passed the largest tax increase in state history that was eventually signed into law—this time $580 million.
Click here to view Speaker Egolf’s Notice of Federal Tax Lien.
