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D.C. scandal soils Gandhi’s reputation, may cost his job
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The widening corruption scandal in the District of Columbia’s tax office has cost Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi his once-golden reputation and may still cost him his job.
On Tuesday, it cost him more than $90,000.
The U.S. House passed an appropriations bill Tuesday that left out Gandhi’s raise, which would have made him the local government’s highest paid official.
“The provision was eliminated in the final omnibus [bill] following the emergence of the tax and revenue office scandal,” D.C.’s nonvoting Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said in a terse statement.
Two ex-employees of the tax office, Harriette Walters and Diane Gustus, are accused of siphoning off tens and millions of public dollars through a series of phony companies and phony tax refunds dating back at least to 1990, according to court documents filed Tuesday.
Gandhi took charge of the tax office in 1997 and was promoted to the District’s top accountant in 2000. The public and some public officials want to know how it was that the man who once dubbed himself “The Golden Hammer” missed thousands of bogus payments flowing out of his office’s door.
When the scandal appeared to date back only to 2001, Gandhi hastily demanded resignations from at least 15 employees, including tax office director Sheryl Hobbs Newman. Gandhi said Newman should have been more alert.
Late last month, the growing scandal claimed Sebastian “Ben” Lorigo, one of Gandhi’s most loyal deputies, who announced plans to retire after the new year.
Neither Gandhi nor his spokeswoman, Maryann Young, responded to requests for comment.
Got a tip on the tax scandal? Call Bill Myers at 202-459-4956 or e-mail bmyers@dcexaminer.com.
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Examiner Reader said:
Phil Appelbaum is not the issue -- he is one of the honest managers in the DC real property office actually following the rules and regulations. It isn't an issue of black vs. white. Who are the other 10 people fired from the DC tax office since the case broke, and why haven't we been told who they are? The District should stop stonewalling! Who else in management are they trying to protect in auditing, revenue accounting, and the Treasury? Why hasn't the public been told the whole story?
82 agree | 52 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I'd like to know more about him and all of the thieves as a whole.
69 agree | 50 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Now fire Applebaum who is in on the corruption and Ghandi-all a bunch of crooks-looks like more of a cover-up. Any insite on the Wilkes Artis law firm and all the money they steal? Applebaum is buddy buddy with Stanley Fineman-travels with him, etc.-doles out lots of money. Stop arresting black people and look into the whites!!!
66 agree | 57 disagree
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Joe Jena said:
This incident shows that proper controls were not in place. Not for one year, not for 5 years, but for 17 years. The person in charge was incompetent and it's amazing he's now being allowed to hire others. And where did he hire him from? The corrupt state of Maryland of course.
61 agree | 61 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
These people just gotta have the life of luxury without working for it. What you do in the dark will always come to light. I can't believe that old woman was that dum, and those that followed her, you should be locked up. You have starving children out here, did you give any of the money to them, you pothethic people. God will reveal ugly things when you are not doing the right thing. Smiling in peoples face every day, and doing dirt. What a shame.
70 agree | 68 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Burn them all, how stupid can you be. Every company has to do an audit sooner or later to see where their funds are going. Crime does not pay.
75 agree | 74 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why can't DC just steal the tradition way like MD does - just keep increasing taxes until it hurts?
48 agree | 57 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
How come Phil Applebaum is now running the DC Tax office? Have people investigated him and his ties to everyone?
39 agree | 47 disagree
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rentamob said:
and how much time will they get?
87 agree | 51 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
can we see a picture of him, too?
89 agree | 80 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why are they protecting Gandhi? The questions should be aimed at Tom Davis, the master, Anthony Williams, the law breaker, and Jack Evans, the protector....
100 agree | 87 disagree
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CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION said:
It anyone thinks that this storying is surprising or outragious, just you wait. You ain't seen nothing yet!!
95 agree | 85 disagree
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CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT said:
It's just a matter of time. Dr. Gandhi, whether involved or not, will be leaving us soon. But don't worry, he's almost 70 and perhaps he will start a consulting firm. He has really screwed up and he knows it. I am looking forward to them uncovering the real story!
69 agree | 92 disagree
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GAB said:
I want to know what the Criminal Investigation Division of the IRS is saying to Steven. Since they go in with the attitude "you're guilty of something", even if you're not, it would be instructive to see what happens when they come up against someone who really is guilty!
90 agree | 100 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Unfortunately this is only the tip of the iceberg! 11 checks totaling $2.8 million in fraudulent checks routed to Bellarmine dating back to 1999. Someone is also sleeping at the Bank of America. Oh yeah -- I ask the question: once we let the cat out of the bag, can we stuff it back in?
99 agree | 92 disagree
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Joe Jena said:
Gandhi is like the head of Enron. Why are they protecting him?
60 agree | 77 disagree
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Patent this game said:
What is happening is nothing but a extreme-version of the monoply game...think about it every time you pass go you collect 5k or more for that matter. As for Ghandi...ain't nothing wrong for asking for a 92k raise...it just the thought they were contemplating in given him one. You know that saying either you pay now or you pay later...with the word "severly" being added for good measure LOL!!!
75 agree | 75 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
How Gandhi (the CFO) could even conceivably accept a $92,000 per year pay raise is beyond me. He has been there too long and outlived his usefulness, like Joe Gibbs. Throw the bum out!
81 agree | 69 disagree
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Angry Citizen said:
Hit the road, Nat. And don'tcha come back!
85 agree | 73 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Time to fire him and let the FBI investigate and chage him and his friends.
88 agree | 88 disagree
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