Republican Senator Bob Corker: Against the tax bill at first, but for a new version that includes a last-minute provision that will make him money. Credit: Alex Wong / Staff
Republican Senator Bob Corker: Against the tax bill at first, but for a new version that includes a last-minute provision that will make him money.
Republican Senator Bob Corker: Against the tax bill at first. But totally voting for the tax bill now that it includes a last-minute provision that will make real estate investors like himself (and Donald Trump, and Paul Ryan) more money. Alex Wong / Staff

Well, well. Look what showed up at the very last minute in the Republican tax bill:

Republican congressional leaders and real estate moguls could be personally enriched by a real-estate-related provision GOP lawmakers slipped into the final tax bill released Friday evening, according to experts interviewed by International Business Times. The legislative language was not part of previous versions of the bill and was added despite ongoing conflict-of-interest questions about the intertwining real estate interests and governmental responsibilities of President Donald Trump — the bill’s chief proponent…

The new tax provision would specifically allow owners of large real estate holdings through LLCs to deduct a percentage of their “pass through” income from their taxes, according to experts.

This steaming pile of self-dealing is being called the #CorkerKickback because Republican Senator Bob Corker—who initially opposed the tax bill because it adds $1 trillion to the deficit—suddenly switched his vote after this particular provision was added.

And guess what? Because of Corker’s real estate holdings, the provision could personally save him more than $1 million.

Plenty of other GOP lawmakers, including House Majority Leader Paul Ryan, also stand to benefit from the way the bill now handles taxes on “pass through” income:

IBT reviewed the most recent personal financial disclosure records of 44 Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate leadership, as well as on the chambers’ committees that have overseen the tax bill. In all, 13 of those lawmakers have between $36 million and $163 million worth of ownership stakes in 40 real-estate or property-related partnerships, corporations and investment trusts. In 2016, those 13 legislators earned between $2.6 million and $16 million of annual income from those investments.

Corker is now claiming he didn’t read the actual text of the bill—which is supposed to paint him in a better light?—and that there was no “quid pro quo.”

But, uh, Senator John Cornyn of Texas says the provision was specifically added to get votes.

Journalist David Sirota is all over this on Twitter:

Eli Sanders was The Stranger's associate editor. His book, "While the City Slept," was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. He once did this and once won...