KANSAS CITY, Mo. — UPDATE 5 P.M. 1/30: The probe by Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker into tax issues of elected leaders may be widening.
The 41 Action News Investigators asked if Jackson County Legislature Chairman Scott Burnett would be investigated for having long-term delinquent taxes, but claiming under penalty of perjury in his campaign disclosures he didn't.
Baker's spokesman Mike Mansur replied, "We will look into any and all county officials who are alleged to have issues that might disqualify them from holding public office. It is inappropriate to comment further on any pending investigations."
Mansur has already indicated both Dennis Waits of the Jackson County Legislature and County Executive Frank White are both under investigation for similar tax issues.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
Jackson County Legislature Chairman Scott Burnett accepted a $500 campaign contribution from now-disgraced, former Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders' campaign fund long after Sanders quit that job.
Sanders is now awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in federal court to a scheme to line his own pockets with his campaign money.
Sanders resigned as county executive more than two years ago.
But state records show his campaign fund, "Sanders for Jackson County" is still active.
The most recent report showing activity is from last July.
It reveals Sanders had more than $436,000 in that account.
Part of that activity includes the $500 campaign contribution to Burnett.
"I know he gave me money. I don't know where it was from. I probably ought to check," Burnett said.
Both Sanders' campaign records and Burnett's campaign records show the money came from Sanders campaign long after he announced he was no longer running for public office.
It's the same campaign fund Sanders admitted to using to keep money for himself.
Burnett insists he didn't take the money from Sanders and give it back to him as Sanders admitted to doing with another associate.
Burnett also signed a campaign disclosure form called a 5120 in Feb. 2014 stating he didn't owe any delinquent income taxes.
But state records in the form of a tax lien show Burnett owed 2004 taxes that weren't fully paid until 2015.
"You're not looking at the right person," Burnett said when asked about the tax lien.
But then the 41 Action News Investigators showed Burnett those records as well as late payments for tax liens in 2006 and 2007.
"I've never seen any of that. I'd like to get a copy of that. I don't know what that's about," Burnett said.
Burnett says his tax issues might be from a small company he has with a partner.
He said he would check.
If Burnett did owe back taxes from 2004 until 2015, it could call into question his successful re-election campaigns from 2006, 2010 and 2014.
It's against Missouri state law to run for elected office if the candidate owes delinquent taxes.
Last week, the 41 Action News Investigators exclusively reported Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker has opened an investigation of Dennis Waits, Burnett's colleague on the legislature.
Waits also signed a 5120 campaign disclosure form under penalty of perjury stating he didn't owe delinquent taxes.
State records said he did owe delinquent taxes from 2012.
He says he paid those taxes this past December.
Those state records show Waits, like Burnett, has had multiple tax liens for failing to pay on time.
The 41 Action News Investigators asked Waits about Baker's investigation of him.
"I think that's fine, I'll be happy to cooperate," he said.
When asked why he's had a consistent pattern of having tax liens over the years, Waits responded, "You know I'd have to go back and look at the records and check and see," he said.
