Did Carson Councilmember Gipson Get Special Help from BoE Chair Horton When the Taxman Called?

INSIDE INGLEWOOD-In April, Carson Councilmember Mike Gipson (photo) faced a significant lien on his Carson house. At a time when others were juggling finances to pay their 2013 tax bill, Carson and his wife Lecresha were able to stay a lien of $36,000 (plus interest, fees and penalties) that had been handed them for failure to pay taxes in 2009 and 2010.

Gipson is currently running for California’s 64th Assembly District in the November 4 general election.

Both Gipson and his wife are tax collectors. Mike is a deputy to board member for the California Board of Equalization, the tax board that is chaired by Jerome Horton.  Lecresha is a tax services supervisor for LA County. ()

Jerome Horton is running for a November 4 election to maintain his Board of Education (BoE) seat which he first won in 2010.

Horton and his wife, Inglewood city clerk Yvonne Horton, were put in a nefarious limelight when an investigation into since-convicted accountant Kindee Durkee revealed that she kept the books for a great number of non-profit organizations.

The Hortons regularly tour the South Bay area giving presentations on how to start up and maintain non-profits. According to a September 16, 2011 story in CaliforniaWatch.org titled “Charities hit hard by widening campaign finance fraud scandal,” “Horton's husband, state Board of Equalization Chairman Jerome Horton, raises money and partners with the charity to host conferences.” Yvonne has her own non-profit named California Educational Solutions.

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Some upcoming events promoted by Jerome on the BoE Web site and which will feature Yvonne as the MC can be found here.  An October 25 event to be held at Hollywood Park Casino will include the topic “Starting a Nonprofit.” A separate event will be held this Friday in the city of Carson and is expected to have Mike Gipson in attendance.

The Hortons were fined $13,000 in 2011 by the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) regarding their involvement with Durkee.  

The confluence of history and political relationships begs the question: Did Gipson get special help at tax time from Horton?

Calls and emails to Gipson were not returned.

 

-cw

 

 

CityWatch

Vol 12 Issue 84

Pub: Oct 17, 2014