Two local politicians fined for evading taxes are in trouble again.
Former state Rep. Charles Van Zant and wife Katherine Van Zant, who campaigned to succeed him in District 19, will go before the state Ethics Commission in two weeks.
Both failed to disclose financial information the public was entitled to know.
The Van Zants are under investigation for omitting that they own an Orange Park condo unit in their public financial-disclosure forms.
For Charles Van Zant, that information was omitted for three years.
The Van Zants told the Ethics Commission that they weren’t trying to hide their ownership of the condo.
Charles Van Zant said he just didn’t read the instructions on the annual forms.
Katherine Van Zant said her husband filled her form out for her during the campaign. She said she reviewed them, but did not notice that the condo was not listed.
Two separate complaints about the lack of disclosure were filed by other local politicians.
Leslie Dougher filed a complaint during her campaign against Katherine Van Zant.
Both lost the August primary to Bobby Payne.
“You pray that your elected officials are truthful and honest when they disclose everything that they need to disclose,” Dougher said. “It’s about disclosure. And it’s about public trust.”
Another complaint was filed by Putnam County Commissioner Chip Laibl.
In December 2015, Charles Van Zant called for the state to audit Putnam County spending.
Laibl told Action News Jax he did not have time on Thursday to talk.
In August 2016, Action News Jax reported that the Van Zants paid a nearly $9,000 fine for falsely claiming a homestead tax exemption on a Keystone Heights house where they were not actually living.
“It’s a house that’s been getting remodeled,” Katherine Van Zant said in August.
She said the house had been under renovation for the past eight years.
She added at the time that she and her husband were appealing the fine.
Action News Jax checked with the Bradford County Property Appraiser’s office on Thursday and found out they never filed an appeal.
The Van Zants did not return Action News Jax’s phone calls or answer the door at either of the two homes when our crew stopped by.
They are both scheduled to face the Ethics Commission on Jan. 27.