FORMER International Monetary Fund chief, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, owes the US government more than $16,000 in overdue property taxes on a swanky townhouse in Washington, DC, records show.
The former French presidential contender, who recently was accused of hiring prostitutes with embezzled funds from a French construction firm, has turned his nose up at paying the levies since early 2011 – to the point where he racked up an extra $1,600 in penalties, according to records from the District of Columbia’s Office of Tax and Revenue.
The luxurious three-bedroom Georgetown spread was purchased by Strauss-Kahn’s wealthy wife, journalist Anne Sinclair.
If they do not fork over the funds, Washington officials may file a tax lien that would account for all unpaid taxes, fees, penalties and interest, according to tax-office records. And once that is filed, tax officials are authorised to seize property such as “bank accounts, wages and personal property to pay the debt”, documents show.
The market value of the home, in one of Washington’s fashionable neighbourhoods, took a hit in recent years.
Sinclair, 63, bought the 7200sq ft (669sq m) house in October 2007 for $4 million.
The couple put it on the market in October 2011 for $5.2 million – just months after the Manhattan district attorney dropped all charges stemming from allegations that Strauss-Kahn sexually assaulted a maid at the Sofitel hotel.
The asking price has since dropped to $4.7 million.