Franken blames accountant for tax trouble

Remember when executive assistants were called secretaries and any mistake made by a boss was blamed on "clerical error?" That's the vibe coming from comedian and U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken.

Franken, former Air America radio personality and Saturday Night Live writer and performer, says his current tax troubles are because of mistakes made by his accountant.

The Democratic candidate, who is running against Republican incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman in Minnesota, admitted that he owes $70,000 in 17 states for earned income dating back to 2003.

The income mainly came from speeches and other paid appearances, and Franken said he and his wife had been paying taxes in New York and Minnesota, the states in which they lived. Their accountant, however, miscalculated and failed to pay the taxes in the other states in which he earned income.

"Our accountant made a mistake, and Franni and I relied on our accountant and he made a mistake," Franken said. "And I am fixing it and making it right."

You can read more on the latest Franken tax developments in these reports from the Associated Press, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, and Reuters.