Richard Nixon and Skitch Henderson
If someone gets away with cheating on taxes, it doesn’t mean that someone else doing the same thing also will.
President Nixon claimed a charitable deduction, on his 1969 tax return, of his vice-presidential papers using an appraised fair market value of $576,000. It was alleged that certain documents were backdated. A settlement with the IRS was reached in April of 1974 with no allegations of fraud and the additional taxes and interest were paid.
Well known band leader, Skitch Henderson, of the Johnny Carson show was indicted on July 2, 1974 on charges of tax evasion for the years of 1969 and 1970 for a deduction of $350,000 that was the claimed value of a music library he donated to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It was alleged that certain documents were backdated. Henderson was sentenced on January 17, 1975 to six months in prison and fined $10,000. He was released after four months on August 4, 1975.
Both stories received extensive media coverage.
Just because you know someone that got away with it, doesn’t mean you will get away with it. Don’t mess with taxes!
Comment: President Nixon resigned August 9, 1974. No mention was made of his previous tax issues.
Comment: Skitch Henderson continued his career as a successful band leader until his death in 2005.
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