Is Kentucky governor Ernie Fletcher using the Revenue Cabinet to punish his critics? Democratic blogger Mark Nicholas has been indicted on tax evasion charges. Nicholas has hammered Fletcher regularly in his blog.
In a story in today's online version of the Louisville Courier-Journal, Mark Nicholas has been charged with failing to pay his state income tax for 2004-2006.
Cleveland said the state Revenue Cabinet brought him documentation late last year that showed Nickolas was a Kentucky resident during those years, had income from Kentucky sources, but had not filed any state tax returns
. Nicholas said that he has paid his taxes.
The Kentucky Revenue Cabinet is the state's equivalent of the IRS. Among Richard Nixon's abuses of power was using federal agencies to spy on, intimidate and punish his "enemies".
Nicholas is certainly not among Fletcher's favorite people. It might be hard to prove that Fletcher is behind this, but, the timing is very suspicious.
Cleveland said he did not know how the case was brought to the attention of Revenue investigators. "This guy could have easily made an enemy," Cleveland said.