Did Bysiewicz Pay, or Did You?
Last week, as Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz tried to explain her experience as a lawyer, I contacted her campaign to ask if she’d paid the Lawyer’s Occupational Tax. (She takes an exemption, claiming to be employed as a lawyer by the state.)
During a conversation with a lawyer representing the campaign, I asked if Bysiewicz pays the mandatory annual $110 fee to the Client Security Fund. Every lawyer and judge must pay the fee.
Judges pay it themselves, so do prosecutors and lawyers who work for the Attorney General. The state does not pay it for them. According to Bysiewicz’s representative, the Secretary of the State’s office pays the annual fee for her. I tried to confirm this with her office, but my phone message from Tuesday has not been returned.
If Bysiewicz’s campaign representative was correct, and there’s no reason to think he was not, this will raise more questions about Bysiewicz’s experience and judgment.
UPDATE: The Courant’s Jon Lender has been told by Bysiewicz’s office that the Secretary of the State’s office pays the Client Security Fund fee for Bysiewicz and others. But in 2006, Bysiewicz declared she did “not engage in the practice of law as an occupation” and claimed a $55.oo reduction in the fee. This is not looking better for her.
1 comment
There must be a good explanation for this. I trust the campaign is making sure it can prove that Susan paid it. If they don’t have a cancelled check or some other receipt, the anti-Susan forces smelling blood will make this an issue too. It appears legitimate to raise but give the campaign some time to respond. If the office paid it, I would expect that the fund would have returned the check.