Maryland Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks saved thousands on two properties in Washington, D.C., and Maryland after improperly taking advantage of tax breaks for which she did not qualify, CNN reports.
Alsobrooks claimed a homestead tax exemption for over a decade meant to apply only to a person’s primary residence, according to CNN. The finding follows a property tax record review by the news outlet on both of Alsobrooks’ properties.
The review also found that Alsobrooks, 53, improperly claimed a senior citizen tax break on her property in Washington that cut her tax bill in half.
In 2011, a Baltimore Sun investigation found that hundreds of city homeowners were improperly receiving the homestead tax credit on second homes and rentals — now-Gov. Wes Moore being one of them.
Moore and his wife, Dawn, bought a rowhome in Riverside in 2006 and later moved out in 2008. The 2011 investigation found that the city knocked $1,700 off the property’s yearly tax bill, including a $63 discount for owner-occupants as the Moores used the home as a rental property.
At the time of the investigation, Moore told The Sun he wasn’t aware of any issues with the home’s taxes. “We would never willingly try to receive a credit for something we did not earn or wasn’t justified,” he said. “We really just did not know.”
Alsobrooks shared a similar sentiment, as a senior adviser told CNN that Alsobrooks was unaware of the problem and that her attorneys were working to resolve the issue.
CNN found that since 1995, Alsobrooks has been registered to vote in Prince George’s County, where she serves as the county executive.
However, between 2005 and 2017, she was able to save nearly $14,000 in taxes on her home in Washington using a tax exemption meant for the district’s primary residents, low-income residents and senior citizens, the CNN review found.
Records show that Alsobrooks bought her home in Prince George’s County in 2005. The review found that she applied for a homestead exemption in 2008 for the home. CNN said it is unclear when, but Alsobrooks eventually began renting out the property while continuing to take the exemption that was meant for primary residents.
Alsobrooks’ senior adviser Connor Lounsbury told CNN that Alsobrooks paid the mortgage on the home in Washington after her grandmother moved out, until the home was sold in 2018.
“She was unaware of any tax credits attached to that property and has reached out to the District of Columbia to resolve the issue and make any necessary payment,” Lounsbury told CNN.
The review found that in 2014, Alsobrooks bought a home in Prince George’s County that she lists as her primary residence on her mortgage. CNN reported that Alsobrooks does not take a homestead tax expansion on the home.
Alsobrooks’ campaign told CNN that the candidate not taking the exemption has not granted her financial gain.
Lounsbury told CNN that when Alsobrooks bought the new property, the homestead tax credit from her previous property did not transfer — resulting in no financial gain and her having to pay more in taxes than she would have if the credit transferred.
The Sun’s 2011 investigation found that homestead troubles have become a common problem for prominent people citing that there is not formal way to notify the state that you no longer live in your home.
Frank M. Conaway Sr., clerk of the Baltimore Circuit Court, got discounts on two homes. Former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and her husband simultaneously received two credits.
Alsobrooks is set to face Republican candidate and former Maryland Gov, Larry Hogan in the race for Senate. The seat is being vacated by Ben Cardin, a Democrat, who declined to run for reelection.
This article will be updated.