Tonight’s speaker is similar to Trump in several ways–Asa Hutchinson is both selfish and a storyteller. Asa Hutchinson not only improperly received a homestead property tax credit; he lied about it. He said he “never claimed” the tax credit and that “it was assigned” to him without his knowledge. Too bad he actually signed the credit application himself.
Asa Hutchinson improperly received a homestead property tax credit
Asa Hutchinson improperly received a homestead tax credit, and only repaid some of the funds shortly before declaring his gubernatorial bid. “Republican gubernatorial nominee Asa Hutchinson took a homestead property tax credit that he wasn’t entitled to in Pulaski County, repaying some of the money shortly before he said he intended to run for governor. Hutchinson improperly claimed the $350-a-year homestead property tax credit for homes in both Benton County and Pulaski County in tax years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, said Joe D. Thompson, chief assessment administrator for the Pulaski County assessor’s office. State law allows people to receive the credit only on one home.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 7/27/14]
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Asa Hutchinson asserted that he “never claimed” the homestead credit and that “it was assigned” to him without his knowledge, until a homestead credit application emerged bearing his signature. “In interviews, Hutchinson acknowledged that he was aware in 2007 that he couldn’t claim the tax credit on both homes simultaneously. He initially said Friday that he ‘never claimed’ a homestead credit in Pulaski County, and ‘it was assigned to me,’ without his knowledge. However, the assessor’s office has a homestead credit application, dated March 2, 2007, and signed by Hutchinson. After he was faxed a copy of the application by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Hutchinson said it appears that the property record is correct and that he’s surprised that he had filled it out.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 7/27/14]