Ron Paul’s Tax Adviser

David Cay Johnston
New York Times
Friday, February 1, 2008

Representative Ron Paul, the Texas doctor with the libertarian streak who is seeking the Republican nomination, has taken on an economic adviser with very close ties to people who assert that the income tax is illegal.

Dr. Paul announced that his new economic adviser is Paul Schiff, who runs Euro Pacific Capital Inc., a securities brokerage. He is also the author of “Crash Proof,” a book about a coming economic collapse that on Friday was listed as #224 at Amazon.com.

Not mentioned by the Paul campaign is that Mr. Schiff is the son of Irwin Schiff of Las Vegas, now serving his third federal prison sentence for tax crimes. He is also the author of such books as “The Federal Mafia,” which asserts that federal judges are paid off by the Internal Revenue Service, and other books describing the federal government as a criminal organization that illegally extracts income taxes.

Peter Schiff was the co-author of “the Great Income Tax Hoax.”
The son, in interviews, has said he thinks his father is correct in asserting that there is no law to make most Americans liable for income taxes and so they can legally put zeroes on their tax returns. Peter Schiff, however, said that he pays his taxes.
Dr. Paul wants to eliminate income and estate taxes and taxes on tips, imposing instead a consumption tax, which he says would promote more savings by individuals.

Dr. Paul has not criticized the tax protesters among his supporters, even ones who deny the legitimacy of the tax laws. While he has said that the income tax law is valid, he has also said that rules requiring people who make more than minimal income fill out income tax returns violates the 13th Amendment’s prohibition against involuntary servitude.

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