LEONA HELMSLEY
(Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley)
Two decades later, in 2011, the fact that the very wealthy often paid tax at a much lower rate than the middle class and even some working poor became a major political issue.
Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley was an American businesswoman and convicted felon. Her flamboyant personality and reputation for tyrannical behavior earned her the nickname Queen of Mean. After allegations of non-payment were made by contractors hired to improve Helmsley's Connecticut home, she was investigated and convicted of federal income tax evasion and other crimes in 1989. Although having initially received a sentence of sixteen years, she was required to serve only nineteen months in prison and two months under house arrest. During the trial, a former housekeeper testified that she had heard Helmsley say: "We don't pay taxes; only the little people pay taxes", a quote which was identified with her for the rest of her life.
