Brooklyn DA Charles “Joe” Hynes really needs to win re-election next month — because his second career as a writer is actually costing him money!
Hynes, author of the 2007 murder mystery “Triple Homicide,” has reported $6,430 in losses promoting his debut novel over the past five years, according to tax returns he filed with the IRS and disclosed to The Post.
Sales of the book generated just $1,051 in income, compared to $7,481 the veteran lawman spent on advertising and marketing, the records show.
Meanwhile, rival Ken Thompson — who has raked in big bucks representing plaintiffs including the hotel maid who sued former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn for sexual assault — has yet to release his returns.
A Thompson spokesman said last week that the records would be made available “in the coming days” but failed to produce any copies by Sunday.
Hynes’ spokesman Jerry Schmetterer blasted Thompson’s foot-dragging, calling the tax returns “another thing that Ken Thompson is hiding, like who is running his campaign” — in reference to the alleged role of corrupt ex-pol Clarence Norman in Thompson’s election efforts.
“Joe Hynes has run the most transparent DA’s office in the state,” Schmetterer said. “How can someone who wants to be the chief law-enforcement officer of Brooklyn not be forthcoming about his personal finances? It’s unacceptable.”
Thompson spokesman James Freedland shot back: “While Democratic primary winner Ken Thompson will release his tax returns in the coming days, Republican Joe Hynes fought tooth-and-nail not to release innocent men he sent to prison for decades for crimes they didn’t commit.”
Hynes’ tax returns show that between 2008 and 2012, he and wife Patricia reported combined annual income ranging from $255,188 to $262,513.
The bulk of the dough came from his $174,000-a-year salary as DA, along with part-time teaching gigs at Brooklyn, Fordham and St. John’s law schools.
For 2012, they reported paying $81,681 in federal, state, city and other taxes on $261,014 in income.
Schmetterer said earlier returns for 2006 and 2007 show that Hynes was paid $15,000 to write “Triple Homicide” but that he spent $13,705 on marketing and research.