Former Los Angeles Dodgers player Steve Garvey, who is vying to become California’s next Republican senator, finds himself entangled in tax woes as he navigates his political campaign journey, according to recent findings. An analysis conducted by Politico, based on county records, unveiled that Garvey and his various business entities have accumulated over 40 tax liens amounting to approximately $3.85 million in unpaid federal and state taxes.
The scrutiny revealed that Garvey has been saddled with 12 federal tax liens, amassing over $3.2 million in liabilities since 1994. Additionally, around $575,000 of debt in Garvey’s name stems from state tax liens. Of particular concern are six state tax liens, issued between June 2018 and October 2023, totaling over $250,000, which remain unresolved according to records from Los Angeles and Riverside counties.
Despite attempts to address his financial obligations, Garvey’s journey to financial solvency has been a tumultuous one. While he successfully cleared four federal liens totaling nearly $2 million in 1998, and approximately $47,000 in state tax liens were released between 1985 and 2010, challenges persist. Notably, Garvey still faces ongoing financial hurdles, with the most recent federal tax lien executed in November 2018 for $324,628, and the latest state tax lien executed in October for $25,742.
Garvey, now 75 years old and affectionately known as “Mr. Clean” during his illustrious baseball career, retired from professional sports in 1987. Following his retirement, he embarked on endeavors such as infomercials and motivational speaking. However, his aspirations for a career in politics were marred by legal entanglements and personal struggles, including highly publicized custody battles, which cast a shadow over his political ambitions.
In a candid 2006 interview, Garvey expressed his fervent desire to achieve financial freedom, stating, “Do I expect to pay every debt? Do I want to? Absolutely. The day I’m able to be debt-free is the day I’m going to be the happiest guy around.” Despite the persistent challenges posed by his tax issues, Garvey remains resolute in his pursuit of political office, aiming to represent California in the Senate as a candidate for the Republican Party.