Clark County district attorney candidate owes $66K in back taxes

By Ramona Giwargis Las Vegas Review-Journal

6 years ago

Robert Langford files for candidacy for district attorney at the Clark County Government Center in Las Vegas on Friday, March 16, 2018. Andrea Cornejo Las Vegas Review-Journal @DreaCornejo

Steve Wolfson, left, and Robert Langford, Democratic candidates for Clark County district attorney (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Robert L. Langford, el abogado de Christine Rose Sánchez, habla con los medios de comunicación en el Centro de Justicia Regional en Las Vegas el miércoles, 27 de diciembre de 2017. Sánchez es acusada de dispararle fatalmente a tres de sus compañeras de cuarto en su casa en el noreste de Las Vegas. . Daniel Clark / Las Vegas Review-Journal

Clark County District Attorney candidate Robert Langford owes more than $66,000 in unpaid taxes because he failed to make full payments on taxes five years in a row, public records show.

A federal lien was issued to Langford, a defense attorney of more than 20 years, in late April. According to the document, Langford owes the government $66,145 for interest, penalties and unpaid taxes from 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Records show Langford also filed bankruptcy in 2009 after a salon business he opened with his ex-wife went under.

Langford, 59, is challenging incumbent District Attorney Steve Wolfson in the June 12 Democratic primary. Because there is no candidate from another party, the primary winner will win the seat.

Langford said Tuesday he defaulted on his taxes after a law firm he was a partner of failed to properly deduct taxes. At the end of the year, Langford said, he was slapped with a huge tax bill — and the deficit continued growing.

“A few years ago I was in a legal law firm partnership where taxes were taken out differently than had been done in my previous or current law firm,” Langford said. “It wasn’t that I didn’t pay any taxes. It’s that I didn’t pay enough taxes.”

Langford was a partner at a firm with Maggie McLetchie, who specializes in First Amendment law and serves as Las Vegas Review-Journal’s attorney. Langford, who now owns his own firm, said he paid $15,000 toward his unpaid taxes last year.

Records show Langford & McLetchie, LLC operated from 2012 to 2015.

“Our LLC was not responsible for withholding taxes for dividend payments,” McLetchie said. “Taxes are passed through to the owners in a limited liability company. I have no knowledge about his personal taxes but I would assume Mr. Langford is paying back any taxes he may personally owe.”

According to public records, Langford in 2009 filed bankruptcy and owed about $1.3 million to 17 creditors, including Ford Motor Company for an auto loan and Wells Fargo for a home mortgage. Langford said he and his ex-wife, Karen, put their life savings into a beauty salon, but it failed during the Great Recession.

“We were unable to make the payments because people stopped going to salons,” Langford said. “Like many other people in Clark County, I found myself unable to pay it. The landlord accelerated lease payments, and there was nothing I could do about it.”

Wolfson said Tuesday that he knows “many people go through financial difficulties” and hopes Langford can resolve his problems.

“Having tax liens is very serious,” Wolfson said. “I would only question whether it is an appropriate time to take on the demanding responsibilities of being the district attorney when you have substantial IRS issues.”

Langford said his unpaid debt and financial troubles shouldn’t jeopardize voters’ trust in him.

“I didn’t do anything immoral or illegal,” he said. “I’m in the process of paying the government back.”

Contact Ramona Giwargis at rgiwargis@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4538. Follow @RamonaGiwargis on Twitter.