The Shilin District Prosecutors’ Office today decided not to pursue defamation charges against former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜) for accusing another lawmaker of claiming residency in the US to avoid paying property taxes.
In February last year, Kao cited tax documents as showing that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) in 2022 had applied for a self-occupied property tax exemption for a home in Irvine, California, despite it not being her primary residence.
Kao said she consulted a US accountant, who said that applying for the exemption requires a US social security number, thereby claiming US residency and potentially green card status.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
She also accused Lee of having held 10 properties in Irvine County between 1994 and 2002 that she failed to declare, citing a Control Yuan report.
Lee at the time issued a partial denial, telling reporters that she owned two properties in the area, but does not have a green card and has never applied for one.
While she was studying at the University of California, Irvine, her father purchased homes so that she would not need to rent a unit or live with others, Lee said.
The failure to disclose her ownership of the properties stemmed from unfamiliarity with election laws, not willful deceit, she added.
However, Lee also filed a lawsuit with the office on Feb. 7 last year, claiming that Kao’s “unfounded accusations” were political maneuvering aimed at gaining media attention, injuring innocent third parties and damaging her reputation.
The office today decided not to pursue the charges, citing a lack of evidence.
Reporters were unable to reach Lee for comment by press time.
Kao said that politicians have an obligation to declare their assets honestly and accept scrutiny, adding that Lee eventually admitted to misreporting her assets.
She also expressed gratitude to the judiciary for its thorough investigation.
Additional reporting by Liu Wan-lin
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