Richard Hatch was on the TODAY SHOW on 08/18/09 being interviewed by Matt Lauer about his conviction on income tax evasion for failing to pay income taxes on his $1,010,000 won on the 1st season of SURVIVOR. He claimed that he was being persecuted for his open homosexual life style.

Hatch had argued that he didn't pay the income tax because he thought CBS paid it for him. Two problems with this argument: every chance he was given to raise this defense under oath during the trial, he declined; and CBS clearly showed income taxes are the responsibility of the winner in their contract. This also does not explain his failure to report rental income from that period on his income tax, failure to report earnings from a radio show he was doing, and his conversion of charitable contributions to personal income (also undeclared).

Following the TODAY SHOW interview, Hatch gave a couple of other interviews to other programs. Since he is currently serving the remainder of his sentence under house confinement, he is required to get approval for all interviews in advance from the federal Bureau of Prisons. His terms of house confinement clearly indicates violation of this regulation will be punished. He was arrested the day after the interviews aired for violation of his house release. The TODAY SHOW interview was previously authorized, but the others were a violation. Again, he claims it is all because of the legal system's persecution of gays. Of course, a straight parolee in the same situation would get the same treatment.

There are legitimate victims of gay persecution in every day life. For this tax dodging, charity swindler to hide his illegal acts behind the "They are out to get me because I am gay, not because of the crimes I am guilty of" is an insult to all our brothers and sisters who contend with real housing and job discrimination, social outcasting and ridicule, denial of military service (and the benefits it can earn), and even the right to live happily ever after with the same sex partner they love.

For him to stand up as an example of gay persecution is an insult to those who face the real thing.

This is just my rant on the subject. I would like to hear back from you as to your opinion. Don't be a silent sufferer.

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