The little-known Republican presidential contender and attorney hailing from Texas, who has initiated numerous legal actions in various states to invalidate former President Donald Trump’s eligibility for the 2024 election, was apprehended on federal charges.
“John Anthony Castro was indicted last week on 33 counts of aiding the preparation of false tax returns. Prosecutors claim he ran a virtual tax preparation business that provided customers with tax returns beyond what they were actually owed, defrauding the government,” The Hill reported.
The court documents revealed “Castro would promise a significantly higher refund than taxpayers could receive from other preparers and on many occasions, offered to split the additional refund with taxpayers. In order to achieve these larger refunds, Castro generated false deductions, that were not based in fact, and which were submitted without the taxpayer’s knowledge.”
The Hill went on to say:
“Castro was busted by an undercover police officer, prosecutors outlined, who posed as a customer for his tax services. While a reputable tax preparer promised the undercover agent a $373 tax return, Castro instead claimed he could get $6,007, and offered to split the difference in extra cash.
The tax forms Castro then filed on behalf of the undercover officer contained nearly $30,000 in fraudulently claimed deductions, prosecutors said.”
Castro faced indictment on the very day his ballot challenge in New Hampshire was dismissed. Comparable cases have likewise been denied in Florida, Michigan, and Nevada. Despite numerous lawsuits invoking the 14th Amendment that are still pending resolution, none of them have achieved substantial advancement.
BREAKING: The man who has been filing lawsuits in every state to get Donald Trump removed from the 2024 election ballot has been arrested & charged with filing 17 sets of false tax documents to the IRS. In total, John Anthony Castro has been charged with 33 counts of aiding the… pic.twitter.com/mQWi4MI2ii
— Antonio Sabato Jr (@AntonioSabatoJr) January 10, 2024
However, the situation in Colorado and Maine regarding Trump’s eligibility for the ’24 ballot has taken a different turn. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the Colorado decision, while the Maine Supreme Court has chosen to delay its decision until the nation’s highest court provides a ruling.
A judge from the state superior court had previously halted the declaration made by Democratic Secretary of State Shenna Bellows on December 28, which stated that Trump could not appear on the ballot. This was based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. On February 8, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Trump’s appeal against the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision from December 19, which disqualified him from participating in the state’s election. According to Fox News, all briefs related to the case must be filed by January 31, and the oral arguments will take place a week later.
“We now dismiss the appeal because we conclude that it is interlocutory and that no statutory or judicially created exception to our rule requiring a final judgment on appeal applies,” the Maine Supreme Court’s decision said.
In August, Special Counsel Jack Smith successfully secured a four-count indictment against Trump. The charges encompass conspiracy to deceive the United States, conspiracy against the right to vote and ensure the counting of one’s vote, and conspiracy to impede and obstruct the proceedings on January 6. Notably, Smith refrained from charging Trump with inciting insurrection.
“The Secretary of State suggests that there is irreparable harm because a delay in certainty about whether Trump’s name should appear on the primary ballot will result in voter confusion,” the court said in the unanimous, unsigned opinion. “This uncertainty is, however, precisely what guides our decision not to undertake immediate appellate review in this particular case. Multiple alternative outcomes would be more effectively addressed through the Superior Court’s order of remand to the Secretary of State.”