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Rough tax seas for former state Rep. Mary Waters, campaign guru

Former state Rep. Mary Waters and her campaign manager, Sam Riddle, are sporting the trendy accessories for certain Detroit political types this season: tax liens and links to federal probes.

Combined, the duo owes more than $16,000 in delinquent state and federal taxes, records show.

Waters, 53, who resigned as Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy's director of legislative affairs on April 25, citing personal reasons, unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Detroit, in the Democratic primary last year. The campaign will be just a political footnote years from now, but the controversial TV ad below has legs.

Meanwhile, Riddle, 62, a former adviser to Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, has tax issues, too, and also has been linked to the federal investigation.

The Detroit News broke a story Monday that the duo are linked to a federal investigation involving Southfield City Council member William Lattimore.

Lattimore was featured in this Tax Watchdog post last year after the IRS filed a $12,715 lien against him.

• The IRS filed a $13,488 lien against Waters on March 31 in the Wayne County Register of Deeds office. According to the lien, which you can see here, she owes income taxes from 2007.
• The state of Michigan filed a $2,858 lien against Riddle on Dec. 16, 2008, in the Genesee County Register of Deeds office. According to this public record, Riddle owes delinquent income taxes.

Her side:

Waters blamed her inability to pay taxes on mounting expenses.

"It's called property taxes, insurance, mortgages and other bills," she said in a text message Wednesday. "I would never just ignore them. It's called tough times."

"I will pay my taxes," she added. "I always have."

Riddle did not return calls seeking comment.