Irony Alert of the Day

Douglas Bruce, come on down. You're the next contestant on the Irony Alert of the Day. Bruce has been a long time tax activist who has sought to affect tax policy in Colorado. The state's TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) owes its existence in large part to Bruce's lobbying efforts.

So, it is not without a little irony that Bruce was indicted on four counts of tax evasion, failure to file tax returns, and influencing state tax officials.

Douglas Bruce, the Colorado Springs activist whose tax-slashing crusades have left an indelible imprint on Colorado's budget, was arrested Friday on suspicion of tax evasion.

A state grand jury indicted Bruce, best known as the author of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, or TABOR, on four counts of evading taxes, filing a false return, failing to file a return and attempting to influence a public servant. Three of the four counts are felonies, and the most serious of the charges could bring up to six years in prison and a $500,000 fine.

"State law requires that citizens who live in Colorado and enjoy all of the benefits of being a resident pay the appropriate taxes," Attorney General John Suthers said in a statement accompanying the indictment's announcement. "No one is exempt from that obligation."

Colorado Springs police officers arrested Bruce, 61, on Friday at a post office in the city. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail on $10,000 bond, which he later posted. Phone calls to his house went unreturned.

The case will be prosecuted in Denver.

The indictment focuses on Bruce's income and tax filings for 2005, 2006 and 2007.

He failed to file tax returns, failed to report income, attempted to influence public servants, evaded tax and should feel the sting of prison for his abuse of the tax system. The Indictment is here.