John Anthony Castro

John Anthony Castro (born 1986) is an American tax consultant who has unsuccessfully run for several political offices. In 2023, he drew international media attention after filing suit to block Donald Trump from seeking office in the 2024 United States presidential election.

John Anthony Castro
Born1986 (age 36–37)
Germany
NationalityAmerican
Alma materTexas A&M International University
OccupationTax consultant
Known forSeeking to prevent Donald Trump from running for president
Political partyDemocratic (before 2020)
Republican (2020–present)
Websitejohncastro.com

Early life and education

According to Castro, he was born "at the U.S. military base in Germany".[1][lower-alpha 1] He is the son of Juan Manuel Castro.[3]

While growing up in Texas, Castro says he was repeatedly framed on "false charges" resulting in him being "arrested on multiple occasions".[1]

According to Castro's self-published book, My Plan for Laredo, he "served as a cadet in the most prestigious military academy in America, the United States Military Academy at West Point, and was decorated for outstanding military and scholastic performance".[4] According to Castro, he also competed on the West Point boxing team, outperforming "most upperclassmen as a boxer"; he was an expert on the M-16 rifle "outperforming nearly all other cadets"; and he was guidon bearer for "Charlie Company" which "went on to outperform all other companies at the United States Military Academy".[4] Several years later he clarified that he was never a student at the U.S. Military Academy.[5] Rather, he had spent one year at a military-style prep school that, according to the ABA Journal, was intended for those not "academically qualified to attend West Point".[5] Castro has never served in the U.S. Armed Forces.[5]

Castro received a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law. Pictured is the University of New Mexico School of Law's Bratton Hall in 2012, during the period of his attendance.

Castro earned a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas before receiving a J.D. from the University of New Mexico and LLM from Georgetown University.[6] While enrolled at Georgetown Law Center, he was banned from attending the school's job fair over what the university claimed were "deliberate misrepresentations on his resume"; the university considered expelling him over the matter but ultimately decided against it.[5][7][8][9][10]

Career

In 2013, shortly after completing his LLM, Castro was hired by Gudorf Law Group of Dayton, Ohio.[6][lower-alpha 2] He later went to work at the Orlando, Florida office of the accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen.

In 2017 Castro established his Dallas-area tax preparation service, Castro & Co.[12] When he attempted to attend a Washington, D.C.-area job fair to recruit employees for the new business, he was blocked from participation by the sponsoring institution over what it said were his "resume issues".[5][7][8] Alleging discrimination, Castro sued for $5 million though his case was dismissed by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.[5][7][8]

In 2022, Bryan Camp named Castro the recipient of his ignominious "Norm Peterson Award" which he annually bestows upon someone who, in his opinion, typifies Peterson's character of "a sleazy tax accountant who regularly gave really bad tax advice".[13] That year, Castro advised 20 clients to "renege on the closing agreements" they'd signed with the IRS, resulting in all 20 clients being brought up to the United States Tax Court to face additional penalties.[13]

In 2022, according to court filings made by Castro, the IRS initiated a "criminal investigation and grand jury indictment" of him.[14] During the course of its investigation, a special agent with IRS Criminal Investigation informed a potential witness that Castro was the target of the alleged investigation.[15] Castro sued the IRS for violation of his statutory confidentiality rights.[15] The IRS rejected the claim, stating that informing possible witnesses of the purpose of an interview is a permitted investigatory disclosure.[15] As of 2023, the case is being heard by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.[15]

Castro identifies as an "international tax attorney".[16] He is not licensed to practice law before any state bar in the United States and, in 2016, was admonished by the Florida State Bar who cautioned him that "being a law school graduate does not authorize you to hold yourself out as an attorney".[17][16][18] According to Castro, he is an IRS Enrolled Agent.[13][lower-alpha 3]

Politics

Campaigns

Castro entered politics seeking the Democratic Party nomination for Webb County, Texas Court of Commissioners in 2004, receiving less than 500 votes and coming in fifth out of a field of five candidates.[20]

Castro ran as a Republican in the 2020 United States Senate election in Texas, earning less than five percent of the vote in the Republican primary.[21]

In 2021, Castro stood for U.S. House of Representatives in a special election to succeed Ron Wright, again running as a Republican while raising money through ActBlue.[22] According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, "Castro was mostly a phantom candidate. He campaigned on Zoom, but primarily plastered the district with self-funded billboards and signs".[22] Castro failed to advance out of the primary.[22]

Castro filed to run for President of the United States as a Republican in the United States presidential election, 2024 in December 2022. The following month, he filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia seeking an injunction to bar Donald Trump from also running for president of the United States in 2024.[23][24] Castro's attempt to block Trump from seeking the presidency was covered by numerous media outlets including The Independent, Bloomberg, the Gwinnett Daily Post, and others.[23][24] The Washington Post mentioned John Anthony Castro’s federal lawsuit against the FEC to have Trump declared a candidate in order to strategically compel his compliance with federal campaign finance regulations.[25] In response, PJ Media referred to it as a “plan to prevent Trump from running against in 2024.”[26]

In 2022, according to court filings made by Castro, the IRS initiated a "criminal investigation and grand jury indictment" of him.[14] During the course of its investigation, a special agent with IRS Criminal Investigation informed a potential witness that Castro was the target of the alleged investigation.[15] Castro sued the IRS for violation of his statutory confidentiality rights.[15] The IRS rejected the claim, stating that informing possible witnesses of the purpose of an interview is a permitted investigatory disclosure.[15] As of 2023, the case is being heard by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.[15]

Education

Castro has called for student loan reform to be accomplished through the creation of an online university called "the University of the American Citizen (UAC)" that Toby Keith, John Mayer, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and various other celebrities would teach at.[27] According to Castro, this would obliviate the need for traditional universities and the resulting accumulation of student debt: "Why attend the Juilliard School when you can learn how to play the guitar from John Mayer at UAC Online?"[27]

Race and social justice

In November 2020, Castro self-released the album "Happy Christmas, Hate Is Over" as a tribute to Black Lives Matter; the album featured him singing a cover of "Imagine".[28]

The Republican Party

In 2008, during the presidency of George Bush, Castro warned that "the Bush Administration is now planning on executing the final operation of their dictatorial reign over this country".[29] In an op-ed in the Laredo Morning Times after the United States presidential election, 2008, he declared "Tuesday night’s results sent a clear and chilling message to the Republican Party: This is Your Punishment!" and went on to denounce "their party" for bringing about a "depression-like economy [and] debt to foreign nations" during the 2001 to 2008 period.[30]

Castro has criticized Donald Trump, calling him a "false prophet".[22][31] According to Castro, he was "completely blindsided" when Trump won the United States presidential election, 2016 and he spent "most of 2017 wondering what I was going to try to do about it".[32]

In August 2017, Castro donated $1,000 to the 2020 reelection campaign of Donald Trump.[33]

Personal life

Castro is a resident of Mansfield, Texas.[34]

Electoral history
Webb County (Texas) Commissioners Court Position 3, Democratic primary (2004)[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Jerry Garza 3,038 30.4
Democratic Felix Velasquez 2,611 26.1
Democratic Roque Vela 2,420 24.2
Democratic J. "Cuate" Mendoza 1,498 15.0
Democratic John Anthony Castro 437 4.4
Total votes 10,004 100
United States Senator from Texas, Republican primary (2020)[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican John Cornyn (incumbent) 1,470,669 76.04
Republican Dwayne Stovall 231,104 11.95
Republican Mark Yancey 124,864 6.46
Republican John Anthony Castro 86,916 4.49
Republican Virgil Bierschwale 20,494 1.06
Total votes 1,934,047 100.0
Texas' 6th congressional district, special primary election (2021)[36]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Susan Wright 15,052 19.2
Republican Jake Ellzey 10,851 13.8
Democratic Jana Lynne Sanchez 10,497 13.4
Republican Brian Harrison 8,476 10.8
Democratic Shawn Lassiter 6,964 8.9
Republican John Anthony Castro 4,321 5.5
Democratic Tammy Allison 4,238 5.4
Democratic Lydia Bean 2,920 3.7
All others 15,055 19.0
Total votes 78,374 100

Notes
  1. As of 2022, the United States operated 119 military bases in Germany.[2]
  2. In 2018, he sued Gudorf Law Group for libel and slander, seeking $3.6 million in damages after he alleged the firm claimed that he was "engaged in unethical and illegal activity". The court dismissed Castro's lawsuit.[11]
  3. Enrolled Agents are certified by the IRS to represent taxpayers before the agency. Qualification as an Enrolled Agent does not require any formal education, rather, the applicant must pass a written test.[19]

References
  1. "About". John Anthony Castro (official website). John Anthony Castro. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  2. Knorr-Evans, Maite (March 22, 2022). "Which countries near Russia do US forces have bases?". Diario AS. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  3. "Ramona Castro". Laredo Morning Times. August 29, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  4. Castro, John Anthony (2005). My Plan for Laredo (PDF). San Leandro, CA. pp. 2, 75–79. ISBN 0-8032-7010-0.
  5. "Judge tosses Georgetown law grad's suit over school job fair ban". ABA Journal. August 17, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  6. "Law Firm Opens Offices, Adds Jobs". Sidney Daily News. August 24, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  7. Sloan, Karen (August 16, 2018). "Texas Tax Lawyer's Suit Over Georgetown Job Fair Ban Is Tossed". law.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  8. Kidd, Karen (August 22, 2018). "Judge dismisses Dallas tax attorney's $5 million discrimination suit against Georgetown University over job fair ban". Southeast Texas Record. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  9. Caron, Paul L. (August 27, 2018). "Tax Lawyer's Lawsuit Over Georgetown Tax LL.M. Job Fair Ban Is Tossed". TaxProf Blog. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  10. Rosenberg, Joshua (August 15, 2018). "Tax Atty's $5M Bias Suit Against Georgetown Tossed In Texas". Law360. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  11. "Castro v. Gudorf et al". justia.com. Justia. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  12. "CASTRO & CO., LLC". mycpa.cpa.state.tx.us. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. 2017. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  13. Camp, Brian (December 12, 2022). "Lesson From The Tax Court: Taxpayers Behaving Badly 2022". TaxProf Blog. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  14. Castro vs. United States of America, 4-22CV-0016-O (United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas May 2, 2022) ("... Plaintiff, John Anthony Castro, submits his motion to seal the above-titled civil case per LR 79.3(b)) and states in support thereof: This case involves the unlawful disclosure by an IRS Agent of Plaintiff’s alleged tax criminal investigation and grand jury indictment to third parties.").
  15. "Individual's Unauthorized Disclosure Suit Can Proceed". taxnotes.com. Tax Notes. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  16. Cardan, Tamara (February 22, 2021). "Dixon: a cautionary case of U.S.-Australian tax issues" (PDF). Tax Notes Federal. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  17. PLAINTIFF’S MEMORANDUM OF POINTS AND AUTHORITIES IN OPPOSITION TO THE MOTION TO DISMISS (PDF). Case 1:22-cv-02176-RC Document 15: Federal Election Commission. November 7, 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  18. Coaxum, Ghunise (July 18, 2016). "Unlicensed Practice of Law Investigation of John Anthony Castro". Letter to John Anthony Castro. Florida State Bar. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  19. "Tax Preparation - Advanced (Enrolled Agent)". molloy.edu. Molloy University. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  20. "Democratic Primary March 9, 2004" (PDF). Webb County, Texas. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  21. "U.S. Sen. John Cornyn". Texas Tribune. March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  22. Kennedy, Bud (May 15, 2021). "2nd District 6 Republican rejects Trump as a 'false prophet,' won't back Susan Wright". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  23. Marcus, Josh (March 10, 2023). "The 20 major lawsuits and investigations Trump is facing now that he's left office". The Independent. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  24. Tillman, Zoe (January 6, 2023). "Trump Is Already Facing a Lawsuit to Stop His 2024 Campaign". Bloomberg. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  25. "Trump defends praise of Putin, makes strongest hint yet of a run for president in 2024". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286.
  26. Spencer, Robert. "The Latest Democrat/RINO Plan to Prevent Trump From Running Again in 2024". pjmedia.com.
  27. Castro, John. "Pre-K to Ph.D., A Net-Zero-Cost Plan to Expand Public Education". johncastr.com. John Castro. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  28. "About John Anthony Castro". johncastro-music.com. John Castro Music. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  29. Castro, John Anthony (September 30, 2008). "Bush's bailout plan would be a disaster and leave America in the hands of foreign interests". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  30. Castro, John Anthony (November 5, 2008). "Time for Laredo and the nation to join together to support new president in tackling our problems". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  31. Payne, Daniel (May 1, 2021). "Trump gets tested in suburban Texas". Politico. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  32. ""Federal lawsuit to have Trump declared ineligible to run in 2024 under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment for his part in the January 6 Insurrection."". Twitter. John Anthony Castro. Jul 27, 2022. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  33. "John Anthony Castro". opensecrets.org. OpenSecrets. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  34. Winger, Richard (January 6, 2023). "Little-Known Republican Presidential Candidate Files Lawsuit to Bar Former President Donald Trump from Running in 2024". Ballot Access News. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  35. "Texas Official Election Results". results.texas-election.com. Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  36. "Texas 6th District U.S. House special election result". Washington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
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