Idaho state Rep. Phil Hart’s tax problems appear to be worse than previously disclosed. When federal tax liens filed against Hart's various business entities are combined with the hundreds of thousands in liens the IRS has filed against him personally in his ongoing fight over back income taxes, the third-term Idaho lawmaker faces a total of more than $644,000 in outstanding federal tax liens. A state income tax judgment against him that he's attempting to appeal pushes that total up to nearly $700,000.

Hart, who's facing a state ethics inquiry over the use of his legislative position in his tax fight, said he doesn't understand how the authorities could think he owes that much. "I don't even know if I've made that much in that period of time," he said, "so the tax rate must be 100 percent or something." You can read my full story here at spokesman.com, plus see the documents.

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