For Immediate Release
October 17, 2022
Malia Cohen’s Blatant Disregard for Californians and the Truth
Mountain View, CA – Regardless of Malia Cohen’s lies to the contrary, her business license WAS suspended by the Franchise Tax Board, because she DID NOT . The Los Angeles Times did the research and reported on this story. The Chen for Controller campaign has obtained Cohen’s tax records, proving her blatant lies to the media and Californians.
“Malia Cohen is lying to voters and to the media,” said Chen for Controller campaign manager Matt Ciepielowski. “Californians can’t afford to have a Controller who doesn’t tell the truth and can’t even manage her own financial obligations. If Malia won’t come clean about her record of financial failure, how is she going to delivery transparency and accountability for taxpayer dollars in Sacramento? California voters are too smart to believe Malia when she claims that the Los Angeles Times’ reporting on her financial history is fake news.”
The Franchise Tax Board, a board that Cohen sits on, suspended her business license and business for failure to pay taxes. Cohen did not close her business, Power Forward, in 2019. She reported Power Forward on her FPPC Statement of Economic Interests in 2020 and 2021.
WHAT COHEN IS SAYING ABOUT HER BUSINESS SUSPENSION & FAILURE TO PAY TAXES
“The license was not suspended. The license, I think. There was an administrative error where the renewal papers was mailed to an old address and it has since been corrected when it was brought to my attention. But the attack says that I owe taxes, and I want you to be very clear that I don’t owe any taxes and I never have.” (7:23 – 7:47, Scott Shafer, Interview with Malia Cohen, KQED, 10/14/2022)
“I’ve never been default on my taxes, my business is paid in full, my personal taxes are paid in full that’s another ugly lie that is inaccurate.” (Ashley Zavala, Interview with Malia Cohen, KCRA News, 10/12/2022)
“No, that’s the other thing the business hasn’t been in operation for the last three years. …I think it is sad how much energy he’s spending on being disingenuous and I would ask voters to just pay attention to that.” (Ashley Zavala, Interview with Malia Cohen, KCRA News, 10/12/2022)
“’I cannot explain what happened there because I don’t recall,’ Cohen said. ‘I filed a closure for that before — I think it was in 2019 — because Power Forward wasn’t in operation.’” (Taryn Luna, “Candidate’s Financial History Under Scrutiny in California Controller’s Race”, Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2022)
“David Beltran, a consultant with Bearstar Strategies and a spokesperson for Cohen, said her business partner closed the Power Forward account after discovering the lapse.” (Taryn Luna, “Candidate’s Financial History Under Scrutiny in California Controller’s Race”, Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2022)
“Later, through a campaign spokesperson, Cohen said the suspension came about after she missed mail because of an address change.” (Taryn Luna, “Candidate’s Financial History Under Scrutiny in California Controller’s Race”, Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2022)
LOS ANGELES TIMES’ REPORT ON COHEN’S FINANCES:
Taryn Luna, “Candidate’s Financial History Under Scrutiny in California Controller’s Race”, Los Angeles Times, 10/5/2022
“The Franchise Tax Board would not disclose the amount of money Cohen owed when the license was suspended because there is no longer an outstanding balance on the account. Records show that the tax issue was resolved, and the firm’s license was restored this April. The account was closed the following month, just before the primary election, according to the records.”
ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE CONTRACTING COHEN’S STORY:
Documents regarding Cohen’s business from the Franchise Tax Board.
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