Petitioner Holly Ruocco appeals from a Tax Court judgment that dismissed her challenge to tax deficiencies for the years 1996 and 1997. Underlying the dispute is an income-tax-avoidance scheme once exploited by a number of taxpayers, mostly in the Arizona area. This has given rise to a flurry of litigation, and the identical arguments now advanced by petitioner have been repeatedly rejected — both by the Tax Court and, in a series of unpublished decisions, by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
See, e.g., Lehmann v. Commissioner,
*224
The Tax Court dismissed the petition here for lack of prosecution, citing petitioner’s refusal to engage in the fact-stipulation process and her failure to present evidence. Petitioner’s objections to this ruling prove unavailing. Her blanket claim of Fifth Amendment privilege did not justify her inaction.
See, e.g., Eicher v. United States,
There was similarly no abuse of discretion in denying petitioner’s motion for re-cusal.
See, e.g., Interex, Inc. v. Commissioner,
We have considered petitioner’s remaining arguments and find them unpersuasive.
Affirmed.
