If you’ve ever watched daytime — or really late night — TV, you’re probably quite familiar with Roni “Tax Lady” Deutch, the tax attorney being sued for $34 million by the California attorney general over allegations she defrauded thousands of customers. Well, our TV speakers have gotten a brief reprieve as Deutch announced last week that she has closed her firm and surrendered her law license to the California State Bar.

“It’s a sad, miserable day at my law firm,” boo-hooed Deutch, who says her firm has $10 million in debt, at a press conference. “I’ve represented 20,000 taxpayers; 4,000 existing clients will soon be without legal representation…. I am totally, completely broke.”

She added, “I am not the monster the attorney general has made me out to be.”

The State Bar’s Chief Trial Counsel got in a dig at Deutch with this statement to the press: “If, in fact, [Deutch] stops being a licensed lawyer in California, we believe this will help protect the public.”

The Sacramento Bee spoke to one former Deutch client who isn’t exactly shedding tears about Deutch’s woes. “I had just lost my home, my business, everything,” she told the Bee. “She took my money and didn’t do nothing. My satisfaction would be if they paid my money back… I hope to God they pay my money back – $2,000 is a lot of money.”

Deutch’s announcement comes only weeks after the AG asked a judge to have her thrown in jail for allegedly destroying documents.

“I wish I had shut the office doors the day after the attorney general sued me,” Deutch told the Bee. “There is a receiver running my law firm right now. When a receiver takes over your business, the writing’s on the wall.”

‘Tax Lady’ Roni Lynn Deutch closes law firm, says she’s ‘completely broke’ [SacBee.com]

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