Rep. Erik Fresen, Pro-Gambling Lawmaker, Owes Thousands To The IRS

By Francisco Alvarado Mon., Dec. 5 2011 at 8:00 AM

Rep. Erik Fresen

Over the past six months, state Rep. Erik Fresen has established himself as the go-to-politician for the gambling industry tycoons who want to bring gargantuan casino resorts to the Magic City. The lawmaker from Coral Gables is the mastermind behind one of two proposed bills that would allow Malaysian-based Genting or one of its Las Vegas competitors to build gambling castles in downtown Miami or the Miami Beach Convention Center. Under his proposal, casinos would only share a measly ten percent of gambling revenues with the state.

Then again, considering Fresen's own troubles with paying the IRS, maybe it's no shock that he's not putting taxpayers first.

According to Miami-Dade court records, Fresen owes close to thirty grand in taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and $641,000 to his mortgage lender. For a guy who claims a personal net worth of $330,000, that is a lot a debt. Even worse, he didn't list the obligations on his most recent personal financial disclosure statements.

Fresen didn't return multiple messages Riptide left at his offices in Miami and in Tallahassee.

Under Florida law, it is illegal for public officials to omit liabilities on the declaration form. Recently, the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission fined ex-North Bay Village Mayor Corina Esquijarosa because she submitted a disclosure statement that did not list a judgement against her, as well as income she derived from a rental property.

On Fresen's 2010 disclosure sheet, he lists just $113,000 in Sallie Mae student loans as his only liability. Yet, the IRS recently filed a lien against Fresen, claiming he did not pay $7,274 in income taxes he owed in 2004, as well as $21,925 owed for 2007.

That's not all. In 2009, La Salle Bank won a $641,000 final judgement for foreclosure on Fresen's Coral Gables residence. A year later, the judgment was overturned and the bank had to file new foreclosure proceedings against Fresen. Since the debts occurred before 2010, Fresen was required to list then all on the liabilities section.

It is not the first time the state representative, a "land use consultant" who was first elected in 2008, has been accused of breaking the rules.

Last year he paid $10,000 in fines for submitting incomplete and late campaign reports between 2008 and 2009. This past April, a Tallahassee mom filed a state ethics commission complaint against Fresen. Trish Thompson alleges Fresen helped slip language into a charter school bill that would benefit a charter school company called Academica that employs his sister and brother-in-law. The complaint was recently dismissed.

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Tags:

casinos, Erik Fresen, gambling, Genting

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Thejunkcollector99

I do not care if the build more casinos...but they all should have to make sure there are GA club rooms for the people that want to quit can go with hunting for hours

PorscheLove64

This is a non story. Anyone who makes money owes to the IRS who then gives it to people who don't work.

Jeff Dearing

Uh oh! The same phony posters who blitz every Herald story on the Genting project are pouring in to take up for this skeezy casino bag man.

Coincidence?

Carlson

A very informative article. Not about Fresen. Rather, about how desperate a paper must be to try to assasinate someone who's crime is serving the community. Can someone spell out the truth here?

James

Since when is it some kind of crime to owe on your taxes or to owe on your mortgage? What's really going on here? If there is anything sinister here, it is the fact that the Miami New Times chose to publish this not newsworthy item. Did you get paid off by a car dealer in your neighborhood?

Paula

Fresen is an honest servant of the people. He filed his taxes and owes the money. If he was getting paid off somehow, he would have the money on hand to pay his taxes up front. The very structure of the "indictment" here proves it contradictory. This article is a put-up job for those fatcats who don't want the new casino complex.

Pablo

I am seeking to return to Miami for a job at the new resort Fresen supports. What could possibly be the reason to dig up and throw mud at Fresen other than a secret agenda against the resort? The fact that he owes money is a misdirection. Who's getting paid off at New Times? You are jepardizing my welfare by creating a false, negative cloud around the new resort. Shameful!

Jcb2221990

I am overtaxed and it's hard to pay it all on time. I make payments on my tax bill. It's painful what with the interest but it's the only way I can maintain my earnings vs. debt. I don't see anything wrong about a guy owing money to the IRS. What's the news here?

Susan Spector

Why slam this guy? He hasn't EVADED taxes, just filed and owes the money. There is something fishy about slamming this guy at the same time he is in the news supporting the resort effort in Miami. I say judging from the numbers quoted in the article, that the guy is honest. What do your think?

PolitcosRcrooks

he is obviously an irresponsible scumbag politician with a bunch of rat finks stickin up for him

Walkerrobert57

What is the purpose of this article? To change the subject? An honest legislator who filed his taxes still owes the IRS money. The real effort here is to pile dirt on him because he supports the best effort to ever come to Miami, the Genting Resort Destination, a project that will revitalize Miami's economy. Fresen is a good guy and I will vote for him again. This paper is suitable for wrapping fish.

Balzerjohn

So Fresen filed but he stills owes the money. I still Balzerowe the IRS money as well. His ledger shows that he's certainly not being paid off by rich guys. I applaude Francisco for bringing to light that Fresen is an honest guy.

John Balzer

Stuart D.

Classic tactic by the jobkillers"Shoot the messenger and the message will die with him"We can't let this happen!The issue here is a BILL that will create thousands of jobs for our friends and neighbors -- not the tax BILL of one legislator

Manis61

This doesn't make building the Genting resort, creating thousands of jobs, bringing in millions of tourists who will spend billion$ in Florida a bad idea, all in the middle of the worst economy in 50 years, does it?

PorscheLove64

Build the Resort Casino and create jobs. Disney and their porn trafficing NoCasinos crowd can circle jerk each other in Orlando.

RoyJahn

Dan Gelber and his NoCasinos crowd cranking up the opp research. Be careful what you ask for...

PorscheLove64

Dan Gelber is a hack and uses gay prostitutes.

Frodo

Sounds like Fresen needs to sit down with his accountant but it doesn't mean that the Genting resort is a bad idea.

Howard Pederson

Whats the news here? Who doesn't owe the IRS these days? Is the guy a fugitive or something?

PorscheLove64

Everyone I know owes money to the IRS. If you work then they tax you. The more successful you are, the more they tax you. Stay at home and smoke crack - the government will give you taxpayers' money!