Tom Clayton MD

The Indictment

Opening Statement

The indictment that followed the illegal search was based on the same flawed assumptions as the warrant. It failed to identify any actual tax crime and ignored the controlling definitions in Section 7701 of the Internal Revenue Code, continuing the systemic violations.

For an indictment to be valid, it must:

  1. Charge a crime created by statute.
  2. Clearly identify the statute violated.
  3. State facts that, if true, would amount to a violation of that statute.
  4. Stay within constitutional boundaries, giving the accused fair notice.

This indictment failed every one of those requirements.

No Statutory Crime Charged

The indictment alleged tax liability without citing a statute that actually imposed it. Federal income tax applies only when income crosses national borders, either through withholding on foreigners outside the United States or through foreign income of citizens or residents. Without those elements, there is no liability, no tax, and no crime.

Assumptions in Place of Law

Improper Use of Legal Terms

The indictment used the terms person and individual without applying the precise definitions required by § 7701:

  • Person means foreigners outside the United States, not citizens or residents with only domestic income.
  • Individual means nonresident alien individuals, not citizens or residents inside the United States with only domestic income.

By misusing these terms,

the indictment created the illusion of liability where none existed.

Ignoring Withholding Rules

Withholding is the only statutory mechanism that creates liability. It applies when income crosses national borders—never when citizens or residents earn only domestic income from domestic employers. Without withholding, there is no liability, no tax, and no duty to file.

Failure to Apply Section 861

Section 861 defines taxable income from sources within the United States but does not include citizens with only domestic income that does not cross national borders. The judge disregarded this section entirely, eliminating the very statutory safeguard that proves no liability existed.

Constitutional Defects

False Filing Thresholds

The indictment alleged failure to report gross income exceeding IRS “filing thresholds.” No such thresholds exist in the Internal Revenue Code—only in IRS publications, which are not law.

Misleading Reliance on Section Titles

The indictment cited § 7203, titled “Willful failure to file return, supply information, or pay tax.” But the statute itself penalizes only the willful failure to make a return, keep records, or supply information. Filing a return is separate. Titles are not part of the law (1 U.S.C. § 204). By substituting a title for statutory text, the prosecution fabricated a duty to file that the law does not impose.

First and Fourth Amendment Violations

Protected speech—research, writings, and opinions about Section 861—was used as if it were criminal evidence. This turned lawful expression into the basis of prosecution and compounded the constitutional violations already committed during the search.

Prosecution Without Authority

Federal prosecutors cannot create crimes by ignoring statutory limits. The IRS has authority only to enforce obligations that exist under the IRC. By failing to prove that my income was taxable under § 861, the indictment exceeded its jurisdiction.

Conclusion

The indictment, like the search warrant, was legally defective and constitutionally invalid. It charged no statutory crime, ignored required definitions, substituted assumptions for facts, and violated fundamental rights.

Belief in a tax inside the United States does not create jurisdiction or criminal liability. Only the statute can impose such duties, and here it did not.