“Make no mistake: I will end Trump’s political career,” boasted John Anthony Castro, a Texas Republican and ex-president Donald Trump’s challenger. Castro has always been vocal about his disapproval of Trump’s nomination and has even filed at least 27 challenges to Trump’s ballot eligibility. On X, he also promised that he was going to “unleash legal hell” on the former president. He has been described as Trump’s “most prolific challenger.”
People perceive that Castro’s threats are not what a determined and powerful politician like Trump would take lightly. So, when the authorities apprehended Castro on January 9 for tax fraud, it was easy for many to point fingers at Trump. His arrest has raised questions about retaliation and “retribution.”
Castro, a 40-year-old tax consultant, owns a tax preparation business called Castro & Company LLC. He’s now being accused of leveraging his company to defraud the government. Moreover, Newsweek says he has been charged with 33 counts of “aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a false and fraudulent return for alleged crimes.” According to prosecutors, these charges are “stunning in their brazenness.”
Trump’s Republican challenger’s New Hampshire ballot was dismissed on the same day he was indicted. His lawsuits to remove the ex-president’s name from the primary ballot haven’t succeeded in other states.
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News agencies focused on the New Hampshire lawsuit dismissal, and legal professionals across various political lines say that Castro’s challenges have merit. A former federal judge, Michael Luttig, has always said that Trump’s 14th Amendment violations “couldn’t be any clearer.”
Moreover, Castro has maintained his innocence regarding the tax fraud charges. He says the charges are purely politically motivated. Also, he’s ready to go to trial to prove the same, as he will not take any plea deals. In his words, “This is going to trial. I am going to convince all 12 jurors that I am 100 percent innocent and that this is political retaliation.” “They sat on it for three years to see if I would stop being a problem, politically, and go away, and I didn’t,” he said.
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Castro was slated to be in Montana, Kansas, and West Virginia to further his goal of ensuring that Trump isn’t on the ballot. However, these cases may be in jeopardy with the recent unexpected turn of events.
Meanwhile, Leigha Simonton, US attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said, “The Department of Justice will continue to hold people accountable who steal from the federal government’s — and the American public’s — pockets.”
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Similar to Simonton’s resolve, Tammy Tomlins, special agent in charge of the Newark field office. Tomlins said, “This is precisely the type of conduct IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to deterring. Today’s indictment sends a clear message, you will be held accountable if you abuse our tax system for your personal financial gain.”
Nonetheless, Castro said the charges against him are “totally bogus.” “This is not by happenstance, this is not by pure chance at all. This is intentional targeting political retaliation and abuse of the grand jury process. When I’m found to be innocent, we’re planning to sue the government for malicious prosecution,” he said.
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