Unabomber’s Brother Seeks Tax Break to Help Victims

During the end-of-session rush by special-interests lobbyists to grab a few last goodies from Congress, one request stands out for its altruism.

David Kaczynski, the younger brother of Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski, came to Washington three weeks ago to ask lawmakers to make tax-free the $1-million reward he received for the excruciating ordeal of turning in his brother. He would have more money to give to the victims if it were tax free.

David Kaczynski said early on that he planned to give the reward to the victims after paying his lawyer’s fees. But federal taxes alone would take $355,000 of the total and state taxes would reduce it by another $68,000, according to calculations by congressional staff and David Kaczynski.

Although many special-interest items could make it through Congress in the final hours, his might not. At this point it depends on House lawmakers, who so far have been less sympathetic to his pleas than those in the Senate.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer (R-Texas) shot down attempts to add the provision to the tax portion of the pending budget bill, saying he objected to the precedent of the tax break because part of the reward would go to legal fees.

The younger Kaczynski, who received the $1 million in August, paid $250,000 of his lawyer’s fee out of the reward.

Theodore Kaczynski pleaded guilty Jan. 23 to murdering three people and injuring 29 others in a 17-year bombing spree.