SCOOP: Rep. Steven Horsford Didn’t Pay His Fair Share of Taxes

On a video featured by the Nevada progressive advocacy group Battle Born Progress—a “non-partisan” outfit whose front page declares “we fight the right in Nevada”—Congressman Steven Horsford (CD-4) appeared as a guest for their Tax Day event. Rep. Horsford is quoted as saying, “The current federal tax code is rigged for the wealthy against the worker.” He added, “It’s only fair that the wealthy pay their fair share.”

Yet, according to public tax records, Horsford didn’t pay his fair share of more than $14,000 in taxes he owed for two years on his home in Arlington, Virginia, while serving as a Member of Congress where he earns a $174,000 salary.

The Globe has unearthed a scoop, with corroborating evidence, that Rep. Horsford was fined more than $2,500 by the state for failing to pay roughly $14,000 in taxes on his Arlington home. The home is a 5-bedroom, 4-bath, 3,212 square foot single family home currently valued at $1.8 million.

Between 2015 and 2016, Horsford paid more than $2,500 in penalties, interest, and fees after he failed to pay $13,871.36 in property taxes. 

 In 2015, Horsford was assessed a $707.30 penalty, $463.35 in interest, and a $25 fee on his second installment of property taxes:

In 2016, Horsford was assessed a $679.42 penalty, $279.77 in interest, and a $25 fee.

Horsford also owns a small row house in Las Vegas, that was also purchased by Horsford and his wife in 2015 for $250,000. The house is 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and is 1553 square feet. On July 1st, 2022, assessor records show the home transferred from dual ownership between Horsford and his wife to sole ownership by Steven Horsford–only four months after his wife, Dr. Sonya Douglass, broke her silence on Twitter of his extramarital affair with former Senator Harry Reid’s intern, Gabriela Linder, who goes by the name of ‘Love Jones.”

Dr. Douglass wishes to live a life, with her children, “free of lies, manipulation, and unbridled ambition.”

It is unclear if this row house in Las Vegas is Horsford’s primary residence, however, as reported by The Globe, during his 2019 campaign, FEC records show he spent nearly $8,000 on lodging and related expenditures at the Aria Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This timeframe coincides with his affair with Love Jones.

Love Jones told the Review-Journal she was publicizing her decade-long relationship with Horsford as “an empowering journey” and now realizes Horsford used his status as an older, powerful man to take advantage of her and control her.

As reported by The Las Vegas Review Journal, at other points in Horsford’s career, he lost his drivers license for refusing to pay traffic tickets, was sued for failing to pay his medical bills, skipped rent payments and more. 

The Globe has contacted Horsford’s Las Vegas office twice for comment and has yet to receive a reply. We will update the story if we receive comment.

GOP Challenger Sam Peters told The Globe: “Horsford has proven over and over again to the people of Nevada that he cannot be trusted. He needs to get his own house in order before serving another day in the people’s house.”