Shady Politics and Money (Reasons to mistrust government) Please share with us what we might have missed, include the date changed with story and/or settlement agreement with date and story.
2/27/09 Sarah Palin Republican Governor of Alaska settled tax issues where she charged the state for travel expenses related to her children since taking office in 2006. The amount of the settlement is expected to be $10,000.
T2/17/09 Texas financier R. Allen Stanford was charged with fraud by Federal Regulators for a fraudulent investment scheme centered on an $8 billion CD program that promised "improbable and unsubstantiated high interest rates." The SEC also accuses Stanford of running a second scheme tied to sales of a mutual fund product, which allegedly used false historical performance data to expand the program from less than $10 million in 2004 to more than $1 billion. The alleged fraud helped generate $25 million in fees for Stanford Group in 2007 and 2008. He made considerable political contributions to both the Republican and Democrat parties.
2/10/09 Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's Chief of Staff, lived for the last five years for free in the tony Capitol Hill townhouse owned by De Lauro and her husband, Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg. During that time, he also served as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee - which gave Greenberg huge polling contracts. It paid Greenberg's firm $239,996 in 2006 and $317,775 in 2008. (Emanuel's own campaign committee has also paid Greenberg more than $50,000 since 2004.)
Emanuel never declared the substantial gift of free rent on any of his financial-disclosure forms. He and De Lauro claim that it was just allowable "hospitality" between colleagues. Hospitality - for five years?
2/17/09 Hilda Solis, President Obama's Nominee for Sec. of Labor, revelations that Solis' husband settled tax liens on his California auto repair business this week that had been outstanding for as long as 16 years. Also, for the years 2004-2007 she failed to disclose her role as board member and treasurer of American Rights at Work, a group pushing for passage of a bill to make it easier for workers to form unions.
2/3/09 Nancy Killefer, President Obama's appointee for "Performance Czar", Washington DC filed a $946.69 tax lien on her home for failing to pay unemployment compensation tax for a household employee
2/3/09 Tom Daschle, President Obama's nominee for Sec. of Health and Human Services, failed to pay taxes over 3 years because of the use of a car, he failed to pay $140,000 in back taxes
1/26/09 Tim Geithner, President Obama's Nominee for Sec. of Treasurer, failed to pay taxes on child care expenses and took illegal deductions even after receiving warnings that the deductions were invalid.
12/11/08 Bernard Madoff’s arrested for $50 billion investment scam rip-off. The Bernard Madoff political contribution list reads like a who's who of liberal Democrats: Clinton, Corzine, Dodd, Schumer, Kerry, Markey, Rangel, Bradley, Lautenberg ... and yes, even Obama. It appears he liberally sprinkled a portion of his allegedly ill-gotten billions to help further the political fortunes of his favorite candidates and their campaigns -- it appears to the tune of more than $400,000. Madoff also hedged his bets and kicked in a few bucks to select Republicans, such as: Former Texas Rep. Jack Fields, Arizona Sen. John McCain, Former N.Y. Rep. Vito Fossella, Former Louisiana Rep. "Billy" Tauzin, Former N.Y. Rep. Daniel Frisa, and Former N.Y. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato.
12/9/08 The bribery case against Illinois Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich came to light when U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald's filed a bribery charge against Governer Blagojevich for trying to sell the senate seat of President Elect Bracak Obama.
12/1/08 Birmingham Ala. Democrat Mayor Larry Langford was arrested this morning on federal charges. Langford, Councilman LaPierre and Montgomery investment banker Bill Blount are accused in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit of not disclosing $156,000 in payments to Langford. The SEC has accused Blount of paying Langford through LaPierre as part of a plan to secure Jefferson County financial business when Langford was Jefferson County Commission president.
11/23/08 Charlie Rangel, Democrat Congressman from NY and head of the committee on taxation, lived in a rent controlled home in NY while taking a "Home Stead" deduction for his home in Washington DC.
9/5/08 Charlie Rangel, Democrat Congressman from NY and head of the committee on taxation, failed to report $75,000 in income on a resort villa he owned in the Dominican Republic
7/29/08 Theodore (Ted) Fulton Stevens Republican United States Senator from Alaska was indicted by a federal grand jury of failing to report gifts received VECO Corporation, formally charged with violation of provisions of the Ethics in Government Act. On 10/27/08 he was found guilty on all counts.
3/12/08 Eliot Laurence Spitzer Democratic Governor of New York resignation effective March 17th in the wake of his involvement as a client in a high-priced prostitution ring.
6/5/07 a federal grand jury on Monday indicted Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson on 16 charges relating to a long-running investigation into bribery, racketeering, obstruction of justice and money laundering. Calling it a "broad range of serious crimes," federal prosecutors called the case one about "greed, power and arrogance." "The 16-count indictment alleges a pervasive pattern of self dealings, bribery and corruption by Mr. Jefferson, in violation of his oath of office, of his duty to the United States Congress in which he served, and of the duty to the citizens of the United States," said Chuck Rosenberg, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
11/28/05 Randall "Duke" Cunningham, Republican member of Congress, resigned from the House after pleading guilty to accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes and underreporting his income for 2004. He pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to commit bribery, mail fraud, wire fraud, and tax evasion. On March 3, 2006, he received a sentence of eight years and four months in prison and an order to pay $1.8 million in restitution.