As Steve Glaser's attacks on his opponent increase, the TNGOP calls on him to suspend his campaign until he tends to his tax issue:

The Tennessee Republican Party today called on the Democrat State House candidate in District 44, Steve Glaser, to put his money where his mouth is and pay his back taxes. Glaser is running a negative campaign based on spending more of hard-working Tennesseans’ money, yet he hasn’t paid his own tax bills for nearly 13 years, according to a recent news article.

“This is even worse than your typical liberal Democrat who wants to spend other people’s money on bigger government; Steve Glaser wants to waste more of your hard-earned money, but he refuses to even pay his own tax bill,” said Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney.

“It is one thing to fall on hard times and have trouble making ends meet, but this appears to be more of a pattern of just refusing to pay his fair share. For over a decade, he has been filing for bankruptcy and failing to pay his tax bills to both the state and federal government.

“What arrogance for him to think he could run for office and actually serve in the legislature. Instead of campaigning to have Tennesseans pay his salary, he should be working a second job to pay his bills. Steve Glaser should do what’s right and suspend his campaign until his taxes are paid in full,” said Devaney.

Glaser, his wife and law practice owe nearly $88,000 to the Internal Revenue Service in delinquent taxes, penalties and interest. At least 15 liens by federal and state tax collectors have been filed against Glaser for unpaid personal income, unemployment and business taxes dating back to 1988. The most recent being filed on Aug. 14, 2012.

When asked why he didn’t pay the taxes, Glaser said that he didn’t have the money. His claims that he didn’t “have the money” don’t add up. Glaser served as Portland’s city judge for over nine years in addition to holding a job as a private attorney in his own law firm. Despite having a salary, which was partially funded by taxpayers, Glaser has failed to pay his taxes for nearly 13 years. One of the tax liens filed was only $82.43.

Glaser’s failure to pay his taxes for over a decade has left him with a state and federal tax debt in excess of $158,000. But it’s not just taxes Glaser isn’t paying; it appears as if he just doesn’t pay any of his bills as he has filed bankruptcy four times since 1996.

According to Glaser’s campaign website, his candidacy is based on increasing spending for the environment, infrastructure and education. His personal philosophy of spending money you don’t have appears to be one that he plans on bringing to the Tennessee State House.