Eddie Ray Kahn

Who is Eddie Ray Kahn?

Eddie Ray Kahn has been described by the Los Angeles Times as a "veteran tax protester". Kahn is in prison for tax crimes, with a tentative release date of 2026. Kahn founded the group American Rights Litigators and ran the for-profit businesses "Guiding Light of God Ministries" and "Eddie Kahn and Associates." According to the U.S. Justice Department, all three organizations are or were illegal tax evasion operations.

On October 12, 2006, Kahn was charged, with actor Wesley Snipes and Douglas P. Rosile, with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States under 18 U.S.C. § 371, and one count of making or aiding and abetting the making of a false and fraudulent claim for payment against the United States, under 18 U.S.C. § 287 and 18 U.S.C. § 2.

Kahn went to Panama after the 2006 indictment, but was arrested and returned to the United States for the trial. During much of the trial, Kahn remained in his jail cell, refusing to participate and claiming that the court had no jurisdiction. News reports indicated that Kahn "has no legal training but insists on representing himself and has made several missteps and peculiar motions. For example, he sought to be immediately freed because the indictment lists his name in all capital letters, and he claimed U.S. attorneys have no jurisdiction because Florida supposedly was never ceded to the federal government". These motions were denied.