Did you catch that the Internal Revenue Service has filed a tax lien of more than $577,000 against State Investment Officer Gary Bland and his wife for not paying income taxes?
Bland disputes the IRS’ claim that he has unpaid taxes.
We’re talking about the man who is responsible for some $11 billion in state investments for an agency — the State Investment Council — that finds itself tied up in the nationwide investment scandal that has already led to criminal charges in New York.
And now we learn, thanks to the Albuquerque Journal, about Bland’s personal battle with the IRS over hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, according to the Journal, “a California court has entered a judgment of $42,594 against Bland in a lawsuit brought by the Bank of Stockton for unpaid debt. A lawyer for the bank said Bland’s state wages have been garnisheed to satisfy the judgment, but Bland said that was untrue and that he has made a series of payments.”
Here’s what Bland told the Journal, in a written statement, about the IRS lien and the court judgment on the unpaid bank debt:
“The IRS lien you are inquiring about is an ongoing dispute between myself and the IRS regarding the taxability of the retirement package I was awarded for my decades of service at the Boeing Corporation. … The commercial loan issue with the Bank of Stockton involved a failed investment in a personal business venture.”
Hmm…