Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft (and other Democrat Misdeeds)

[Beach Bum]

The man who would be president.

Prosecution: John Edwards 'made a choice to break the law'
By Raelyn Johnson and Joe Johns, CNN
updated 3:33 PM EDT, Mon April 23, 2012

Greensboro, North Carolina (CNN) -- John Edwards "made a choice to break the law" by accepting illegal campaign contributions to hide his pregnant mistress from the public as he campaigned in 2007 to be the Democratic presidential nominee, prosecutors said Monday in the opening day of the former U.S. senator's criminal trial.

"This affair was a gamble with exceedingly high stakes," prosecutor David Harbach said in his opening statement, referring to the affair between Edwards and mistress Rielle Hunter. "If the affair went public it would have destroyed any chance to become president and he knew it.

"Two of his most enthusiastic supporters happened to be wealthy and he knew that, too. He made a choice to accept hundreds of thousands of dollars. He made a choice to break the law."

Edwards is charged with six felony and misdemeanor counts related to the money dealings of his failed presidential campaign. He could face up to 30 years in prison.

His trial began Monday with the seating of the jury, made up of 12 jurors and four alternates. Seven of the 16 are women.

The first witness to be called was Andrew Young, a former Edwards aide. Young wrote the book, "The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down," in which he describes an elaborate plan to use money from two wealthy benefactors to allow Edwards to maintain a relationship with Hunter. Young, who is married, said Edwards persuaded him to claim Young was the father of Hunter's child.

But even before Young, the prosecution's primary witness, took the stand, his credibility was called into question by the defense in their opening statements. Attorney Allison Van Laningham alleged that after the witness list for the trial was released three weeks ago, Young called three people on the list to consult about testimony. Van Laningham also depicted Young as a greedy political staffer who has said Edwards was his ticket to the top. She also pointed out that Young had his own affair -- a one-night stand -- with a campaign employee.

Young is testifying for the prosecution under a cooperation agreement with the hopes that he won't be prosecuted.

. . . .

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/23/politics/john-edwards-trial/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

[Beach Bum]

SEC Charges Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick And Others For Influence Peddling

Michael Brendan Dougherty|May 9, 2012, 12:52 PM|158|2


 
The SEC just announced that it was filing criminal corruption against  former Detroit mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick, former city treasurer Jeffrey W. Beasley.
 
Apparently Beasley told the CEO of MayfieldGentry Realty Advisors LLC, Chauncey Mayfield, that he was “in the dog house” for supporting Kilpatrick's opponent during the election.
 
Mayfield wanted $117 million of the city's pension fund invested in his own firm's real-estate investment trust (REIT).  Kilpatrick and Beasley were both members of the board that would handle the city's investments.
 
So to get out of 'the dog-house' and get his hands on the $117 million, Mayfield Gentry started buying Kilpatrick and Beasley a much more lavish lifestyle than civil servants normally get.
 
From the SEC's news-release:
 


In April 2007, MayfieldGentry paid for Kilpatrick, Beasley, and their associates to travel by private jet to Las Vegas, where they enjoyed luxury hotel accommodations, two concerts, three rounds of golf, meals, and massages. The Las Vegas trip cost more than $60,000.
 
 In July 2007, MayfieldGentry paid more than $24,000 for a private jet to take Kilpatrick, Beasley’s son and others to Tallahassee, Fla., where Kilpatrick had a second home.
 
 In October 2007, MayfieldGentry paid more than $34,000 for a private jet to fly Kilpatrick and his wife to and from Bermuda, and Kilpatrick’s father and his girlfriend back from Bermuda.
 
Obviously, Mayfield, Kilpatrick, and Beasley never disclosed any of this to the rest of the pension board.
 
“It is a disappointing day when pension fund trustees such as ex-Mayor Kilpatrick and others corrupt the investment process by selling out hardworking police officers, firefighters and other municipal employees for the price of a few vacations and paltry extras like concert tickets and rounds of golf,” said Robert Khuzami, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement.
 
The SEC is going to bring the hammer down. According to their statement, the agency "seeks disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, penalties, and permanent injunctions, including an injunction against Kilpatrick and Beasley to prohibit them from participating in any decisions involving investments in securities by public pensions."
 
via Bloomberg

[Beach Bum]

Lucky. 

Mistrial declared in Edwards case, jury acquits on 1 count
Published May 31, 2012
FoxNews.com

The famous politician left a federal courthouse in North Carolina late Thursday afternoon thanking the jury and saying "I don't think God's through with me," after a federal judge declared a mistrial in his high-profile corruption case.

Jurors found him not guilty on just one count but were deadlocked on the remaining five, resulting in the mistrial decision by Judge Catherine Eagles.

Emerging from a cloud of legal troubles for the first time in years, the former Democratic presidential candidate gave an emotional statement on the courthouse steps Thursday. Choking up, he spoke of his love for the child he fathered out of wedlock with his mistress Rielle Hunter. And he spoke of the future, suggesting he wasn't preparing to leave the public spotlight.

"I really believe (God) thinks there's still some good things I can do," he said. "Whatever happens with this legal stuff going forward, what I'm hopeful about is all those kids that I've seen, you know, in the poorest parts of this country and in some of the poorest places in the world, that I can help them, in whatever way I'm still capable of helping them."

Edwards also said that while he doesn't believe he did anything illegal, "I did an awful, awful lot that was wrong."

"There is no one else responsible for my sins," Edwards said. "I am responsible. And if I want to find the person who should be held accountable for my sins, honestly I don't have to go any further than the mirror. It's me. It is me and me alone."

He praised the jury, saying they "took their job very, very seriously." And in an emotional moment, he talked about "my precious Quinn" -- Frances Quinn Hunter, his daughter with Rielle Hunter. Though he initially denied he was Quinn's father after confessing to the affair, Edwards has since acknowledged paternity.

He said Thursday he loves his daughter "more than any of you could ever imagine" and is "so grateful for Quinn."

The remarks were the most anybody monitoring the case has heard from Edwards since the trial began. He did not testify on his own behalf, and neither did Hunter.

It's unclear whether federal prosecutors will seek to retry him. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the department had "no immediate comment" on the next step.

The judge's declaration Thursday capped a trial that lasted more than a month and deliberations that lasted nine days. The trial itself brought out lurid testimony from a succession of witnesses who described the behind-the-scenes drama -- with Edwards' family and his staff -- as they began to learn of his affair.

At times, the trial focused heavily on Edwards' character. Yet he was on trial strictly on charges of skirting campaign finance law by using contributions to help keep secret his extramarital affair during the 2008 campaign. Prosecutors argued he knowingly had nearly $1 million in donations channeled to his mistress to keep her silent and prevent the affair from scuttling his presidential bid. The defense argued he was merely trying to keep the secret from his wife.

The one count on which Edwards was acquitted was a charge that he received campaign contributions from wealthy donor Rachel "Bunny" Mellon in excess of the legal limit in 2008.

Other counts were similar, though the jury could not come to an agreement.

The mistrial announcement followed a day marked by confusion and miscommunication at the North Carolina courthouse. The judge initially indicated the jury was ready to announce a verdict on all counts by mid-afternoon Thursday. But the jury had only reached a verdict on one.

In response, the defense argued for a mistrial. But Eagles initially granted the prosecution's request to urge the jurors to resume deliberations. 

She apologized for calling them into the courtroom and then sending them back for more discussions. "I was obviously under the impression you had reached a verdict on all six counts," Eagles said.

By late afternoon, she declared a mistrial.

Edwards, a former U.S. senator, had faced a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

Click for more on the Edwards trial.

Fox News' Jonathan Serrie and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/05/31/jury-reaches-verdict-in-edwards-trial/

[tu_holmes]

Told you...

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Donovan's campaign finance director arrested, Donovan fires campaign manager (Conn. 5th, open seat)
Meriden Record-Journal ^ | May 31, 2012
Posted on May 31, 2012 10:36:58 PM EDT by campaignPete R-CT

The finance director of state House Speaker Christopher Donovan's campaign for Congress has been charged with conspiring with others to conceal the source of $20,000 in campaign contributions.

Federal prosecutors on Thursday announced that 33-year-old Robert Braddock Jr. of Meriden was arrested and charged Wednesday in an alleged conspiracy ...

Prosecutors allege Braddock and unnamed co-conspirators arranged $10,000 in payments from conduit contributors to Donovan's campaign for the 5th District seat in connection with proposed legislation this year.

The purpose of the conduit contributions was to conceal that the individuals who were actually financing the payments had an interest in legislation introduced in the state General Assembly during the 2012 legislative session, said U.S. State’s Attorney David B. Fein said in a statement. The candidate is also a current member of the General Assembly, Fein said. (SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE)

The legislation would have deemed roll-your-own smoke shop owners to be tobacco manufacturers under state law, which would have subjected these shop owners to a substantial licensing fee and tax increase, Fein said. The Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding voted in favor of the bill on April 3, Fein said. The complaint says the potential enactment of that bill prompted Braddock and his co-conspirators to arrange a $10,000 payment to the campaign ... In early May, the complaint alleges, a co-conspirator who had helped arrange the initial campaign contributions stated in a series of recorded telephone calls with another co-conspirator, who was an aide to the campaign, that he and others were prepared to make an additional $10,000 payment following the defeat of the roll-your-own legislation, Fein said. On May 9, the legislative session ended without the legislation being called for a vote ...

Several days later, the complaint alleges that the co-conspirator delivered $10,000 payment ...

(Excerpt) Read more at myrecordjournal.com ...

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Donor tied to Reid is indicted over contributions
Yahoo ^ | 6/6/12 | SANDRA CHEREB Associated Press
Posted on June 6, 2012 7:31:37 PM EDT by mdittmar

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted a Nevada developer with ties to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on criminal charges related to campaign contributions.

The indictment Wednesday accuses Harvey Whittemore of devising a scheme to solicit campaign contributions from family members and employees in 2007 and skirt federal election law limits by reimbursing them.

Federal Election Commission records show Whittemore, family members and employees of his former company, Wingfield Nevada Group Holding Co., contributing more than $100,000 in a single day to Reid in March 2007.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...

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John Bryson Hit-And-Run: Obama Commerce Secretary Cited For Felony


06/11/12 08:23 AM ET


via HP

Video, John Bryson, Bryson Cited, Bryson Hit And Run, Cited, Commerce Hit And Run, Commerce Secretary, Commerce Secretary Hit And Run, John Bryson Cited, John Bryson Hit And Run, Obama Commerce Secretary, Politics News
.








SAN GABRIEL, Calif. -- U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson was cited for felony hit-and-run following two Los Angeles-area traffic crashes that left him injured and unconscious, police said Monday.

Bryson, 68, was treated at a hospital for injuries following the crashes around 5 p.m. PDT Saturday, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department and the San Gabriel Police Department said in a joint statement.

"Secretary Bryson was involved in a traffic accident over the weekend," the Commerce Department said Monday. "He was taken to the hospital for examination and has been released. He has sustained no injuries and the investigation is ongoing."

Bryson is facing felony hit-and-run charges, San Gabriel Police spokesman Lt. Ariel Duran said.

The secretary was driving alone in a Lexus on a major street in San Gabriel when he allegedly struck the rear end of a vehicle occupied by three males that had been stopped for a passing train.

He spoke briefly with the occupants and then hit their car again as he departed, the officials said. The three followed him while calling police.

"We did cite him for felony hit-and-run," Duran said. "Later the case (will be) submitted to the DA's office which will make a determination on what they are going to charge him with."

Bryson then allegedly caused a second collision minutes later, also on San Gabriel Boulevard, in the nearby city of Rosemead, striking a car occupied by a man and a woman, the police agencies said.

Bryson was found alone and unconscious in his car and was treated at the scene before being taken to a hospital.




There was no immediate indication that alcohol or drugs played a role in the collisions, the agencies said. And Duran said authorities don't know if Bryon had a prior medical condition.

"When the first officer rolled up on the scene, he was behind his wheel unconscious," Duran said. "But our officer did speak with him at the hospital."

David Axelrod, senior adviser to President Obama, said on CBS's "This Morning" that he doesn't have any details.

"This news broke overnight so I don't have anything to contribute to that. Obviously it's concerning, but I'm not going to comment because I don't know any of the details," he said.

Sheriff's deputy Tony Moore declined to provide any other information, including the name of the hospital.

Two people in the first collision were treated by paramedics after complaining of pain, the officials said. The couple involved in the second crash also complained of pain but declined medical aid.

Damage to the vehicles was minor.

San Gabriel is located just northeast of Los Angeles.

Obama swore in the former utility executive as the head the Commerce Department in October, after easily overcoming conservatives' objections that his pro-environmental views made him unsuited for the job.

As secretary, Bryson has played a role as a member of the president's economic team and has worked to promote job creation. He has also advised on energy issues, particularly in the clean energy sector.

Bryson is the former head of Edison International, the holding company that owns Southern California Edison. Bryson has also served on boards of major corporations including the Boeing Co. and the Walt Disney Co.

He helped oversee Edison's transformation into a leading wind and solar company and launched a plan to turn 65 million square feet of unused commercial rooftops into solar power stations with enough electricity for more than 160,000 homes.



________________________ ______

The entire obama admn is a hit and run felony. 

[tu_holmes]

Sad for you to post this.

It's being reported they believe he suffered a seizure.

[Beach Bum]

Dodged a bullet. 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/13/justice-department-no-new-trial-for-edwards-284688989/?test=latestnews

[tu_holmes]

Dodged a bullet. 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/06/13/justice-department-no-new-trial-for-edwards-284688989/?test=latestnews

Sounds more like the American people don't agree that he did anything wrong.

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Mayor Ray Nagin took $50,000 payoff, granite, consulting gig, businessman says
 The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune ^ | June 27, 2012 | David Hammer and Gordon Russell
 



While in office, Mayor Ray Nagin accepted a $50,000 payoff and shipments of free granite from city vendor Frank Fradella, and after leaving City Hall, he became a highly paid consultant to Fradella, according to court documents filed this morning. Fradella was in federal court to plead guilty to one count of securities fraud and one count of conspiring to bribe Nagin, described in court documents as "Public Official A."

The government's description of that public official, as well as other clues, make clear that it is Nagin.

Nagin has not been charged. He has not responded to an email seeking comment. Robert Jenkins, who WDSU-TV has reported is his lawyer, has not returned calls from The Times-Picayune.

Paul Murphy of WWL-TV reported this morning that Jenkins had no comment on Fradella's allegations.

Fradella was charged in bill of information Monday that only vaguely sketched out the alleged kickback scheme. But the summary of the government's case against Fradella filed today added vivid new details -- and made it crystal-clear that Nagin is the target federal prosecutors are seeking.

It says that Fradella, who ran a disaster-recovery firm, transferred $50,000 to Nagin on June 23, 2008, during Nagin's second term in office. By then, Nagin's relationship with Fradella had come under some public scrutiny.

Nagin's public calendar shows two meetings with Fradella on June 24, 2008, including one with Entergy executive Rod West to discuss the possible redevelopment of the Market Street Power Plant. Nagin met with Fradella again a week later, his calendar shows.

Fradella had hoped to land a deal to redevelop the site but never did.

The hulking building has spent much of the past few years caught in a tug-of-war between various would-be developers.

snip


(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...

[Beach Bum]

Former Alabama governor going back to prison for bribery
Published August 03, 2012
Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. –  Following years of appeals and a vocal campaign by supporters, ex-Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman is heading back to prison after being sentenced Friday to more than six years for bribery and other convictions.

Siegelman, 66, and former HealthSouth chief Richard Scrushy were convicted in 2006. They arranged $500,000 in contributions to Siegelman's campaign for a state lottery in exchange for the governor appointing Scrushy to an important hospital regulatory board.

Before his sentencing that his lawyer called "cruel and unusual," the 66-year-old Siegelman told a judge that he "deeply regrets" the things he has done.

"I apologize to people for the embarrassment my actions have caused," Siegelman said.

U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller said the case has been hard on everyone, including Siegelman's family. He acknowledged the good things Siegelman had accomplished in his years of public service, but said they did not justify the crimes for which he was convicted. He allowed Siegelman to remain free and turn himself in by Sept. 11.

"It's been a long seven years," Fuller said. "Good luck to you."

Siegelman, who served one term from 1999 to 2003, was originally sentenced to more than seven years in prison. Fuller sentenced him to 6 1/2 on Friday. He served about nine months before being released pending his appeals. Fuller knocked those months off Siegelman's sentence. He also was ordered to serve two years on probation and pay a $50,000 fine.

His sentence is about equal to that of Scrushy's. He recently finished his nearly five-year prison sentence in Houston.

Several character witnesses took the stand in Siegelman's behalf, including his adult daughter, Dana Siegelman.

She called her father a "wonderful man" and said he felt guilty when he had to go to prison the first time.

"He was devastated that he had let us down," she said referring to herself, her mother, Lori, and her brother, Joseph.

Former Arizona Attorney General Grant Woods also testified on the ex-governor's behalf.

Siegelman served as Alabama's attorney general before he was governor, and 90 or so of his former colleagues had filed court briefs urging that he not be sent back to jail. They did so because they know and like their former colleague and many questioned whether campaign contributions constitute bribes.

Woods said it would serve no good purpose for Siegelman to be back in jail and that the public would be better off if he served community service.

Fuller said the Bureau of Prisons will decide where Siegelman will serve his time, but that he would recommend a prison close to home.

Over the years, supporters have blasted Siegelman's prosecution, claiming it was driven by partisan politics. Backers have waged an aggressive Internet campaign to get Siegelman's conviction overturned, with some suggesting President Barack Obama, a fellow Democrat, should pardon him.

The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year refused to hear his case.

One of the character witnesses was Sephira Shuttlesworth, the widow of the late civil rights leader Fred Shuttlesworth. She said Siegelman spent a lot of time with her husband in the days before he died.

"The Don Siegelman that I know is not one who intentionally would do the things I'm hearing about," she said. "The people I walk with love Don Siegelman."

Besides governor and attorney general, Siegelman had been secretary of state and lieutenant governor in Alabama.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/08/03/former-alabama-governor-going-back-to-prison-for-bribery/

[240 is Back]

h

[Beach Bum]

Kerry Gauthier, Minnesota Rep., Remains Silent In Rest-Stop Sex Scandal
By MARTIGA LOHN 08/21/12

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota state lawmaker involved in a sex scandal involving a 17-year-old boy at a rest stop maintained his public silence Tuesday as another Democratic candidate for his seat emerged.

Rep. Kerry Gauthier, a Democrat from Duluth, has yet to comment on the scandal or his political plans, though Democratic leaders are urging him to withdraw from the race and Republicans have pressed him to resign immediately. Meanwhile, Duluth firefighter Erik Simonson launched a bid as a write-in Democratic candidate for Gauthier's seat at the Duluth Zoo on Tuesday.

Gauthier didn't immediately return a voice mail message from The Associated Press.

Authorities have said Gauthier, 56, admitted having a liason with the boy. They say he won't be charged in the July incident because the boy was older than 16, the legal age of consent, and no money was exchanged.

The scandal has called a reliably Democratic seat into question as Democrats try to regain control of the House by winning at least six more seats in November. Democratic House Minority Leader Paul Thissen and Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chairman Ken Martin on Monday called on Gauthier to withdraw from the race.

Thissen said he is looking at state law for a way to replace Gauthier on the ballot if Gauthier formally withdraws from the race.

"I think that would be the fairest thing for the people of Duluth," Thissen said.

Gauthier may have to break his silence as soon as Friday, when the Minnesota Legislature is expected to meet in special session to vote on a flood relief package for Duluth and other communities hit by June flash floods. Parts of Gauthier's district sustained extensive damage, and he had been an outspoken supporter of the state aid before the scandal became public.

The leader of the local Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party said party activists would like to hear from Gauthier about his political plans. Senate District 7 DFL Chairman John Schwetman said the party is looking into its options but would prefer an announcement from the first-term incumbent, who received the party's endorsement in March.

"We're all waiting to hear what Rep. Gauthier chooses to do," Schwetman said.

Simonson, an assistant fire chief and president of the local firefighters union, said he is assuming Gauthier won't remain in the race. Simonson told AP he informed Gauthier of his plan to run for the seat but Gauthier gave no indication of his own plans.

"I wanted to let him know what was happening before he heard about it on the news," Simonson said.

Duluth City Councilor Jay Fosle has also filed paperwork to run as a write-in candidate.

Republican Travis Silvers is already on the ballot.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/21/kerry-gauthier-minnesota-lawmaker_n_1819601.html

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 Vito Lopez declared war Tuesday on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

A day after Silver called on the powerful Brooklyn party boss to resign amid a sexual harassment scandal, a defiant Lopez blasted out an all-caps statement trashing his detractors for “destroying my credibility and election options” and vowing not to be railroaded from office.

“I WILL NOT CAPITULATE TO THOSE SELF-SERVING TACTICS AND DEMANDS,” Lopez said in his statement without mentioning Silver by name.

On Monday, Silver, who admitted authorizing a secret $135,000 settlement for two former Lopez female staffers who claimed they were sexually harassed, vowed to do all he could to pressure Lopez to resign.

The speaker said he called Lopez on Friday to asked him to relinquish the Assembly seat he’s held for nearly 30 years — but Lopez says he has no intention of going away quietly.

The hot-tempered party boss is known for playing hardball, and he made it clear the game is on with Silver, his former ally.

RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: ASSEMBLY SPEAKER SHELDON SILVER ASKED VITO LOPEZ TO RESIGN

EDITORIAL: VITO LOPEZ WILL KEEP HIS SEAT AS LONG AS HE LIKES

Operatives with ties to Lopez reminded reporters Tuesday that Lopez still has a strong following in certain segments of his 53rd Assembly District in Brooklyn — while threatening to go after Silver’s reputation.

Lopez, who stands accused by his Assembly colleagues of sexual harassment and is the subject of a criminal probe, said he’s the victim of a political smear campaign that will not drive him from office.

“In the last 10 days there have been a series of allegations that are politically motivated, as well as unethical or illegal leaks about confidential agreements and statements with the principal motive of destroying my credibility and election options,” Lopez said in the fiery statement.

The two women paid off by the Assembly settlement are not the only complaints of sexual harassment against Lopez.

The Assembly Ethics Committee upheld two other complaints, in which former staffers said Lopez groped them and kissed them. Silver accepted the findings and, on Aug. 24, stripped Lopez of his Assembly seniority and leadership positions.

The sanctions blew the lid off the covert June settlement with Rita Pasarell, 30, and Leah Herbert, 29, who had both been senior members of Lopez’s staff.

Lopez, who faces only token opposition in the November election, said he would not give in to the calls of “outside individuals and interest groups” that have urged him to leave office.

If Lopez doesn’t resign, Silver (D-Manhattan) said Tuesday, it will likely take a criminal conviction before lawmakers could oust him on harassment charges.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday night he told Silver that Lopez should be kicked out if he doesn’t quit. “He should be out of office. O-U-T! N-O-W!” said Schumer.

Staten Island District Attorney Daniel Donovan has been appointed special prosecutor to investigate possible criminal charges against Lopez.

Silver said Assembly lawyers are reviewing the situation, but noted former Queens state Sen. Hiram Monserrate wasn’t ousted from the Senate until after he was convicted in 2009 of assaulting his girlfriend.

“I think one of the precedents of Hiram Monserrate is it resulted from a criminal action that was determined in a criminal court,” Silver told reporters at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte.

“So currently, that's under review by the Kings County/Staten Island district attorney and that would have to be held in abeyance until then," Silver said.

Silver said the Assembly ethics committee had questioned whether the incidents merited expulsion before issuing its findings last month.

"If there is a criminal charge and a criminal conviction, that would be a different set of circumstances that might trigger a Monserrate type situation," Silver said.

The state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics, which has launched an investigation of the Lopez case, met behind closed doors for nearly two hours Tuesday.

Commission members declined to comment afterward, but a source familiar with the investigation said subpoenas connected with the probe went out Tuesday night. James Freedland, a spokesman for state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, said his office turned documents over to JCOPE probers last week.

"We have already provided the Commission and the press with copies of all communications with the Assembly in our possession relating to this matter, and stand ready to work with JCOPE to ensure a full and fair investigation," Freedland said.

New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox demanded Silver resign for giving his blessing on the secret settlement.

"Silver's actions were unethical and wholly unbecoming of a member of the New York State Assembly, let alone its Speaker,” Cox said.

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NC DEM STATE SENATE CANDIDATE ARRESTED FOR TRAFFICKING HEROIN
 Breitbart ^ | 20 Oct 2012 | TONY LEE

Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2012 5:52:04 PM by Snuph

A North Carolina Democrat running for state Senate was arrested for trafficking heroin on Thursday. According to the Raleigh News-Observer, Castalia town commissioner Clarence Bender was arrested during a traffic stop. Nash County and Drug Enforcement Agency officials had been investigating Bender for two months.


(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...

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‘Democrat of the Year’ loses title after felony conviction
 The Daily Caller ^ | 10/31/2012 | Daily Caller

Posted on Wednesday, October 31, 2012 8:25:15 AM by


Jefferson County, Colo. Democrats have revoked 66-year-old Estelle Carson’s 2012 “Democrat of the Year” award, following her conviction on Thursday for stealing from a 71-year-old woman who suffers from both partial blindness and cerebral palsy.

Carson was found guilty of felony identity theft and felony theft from an at-risk person for stealing checks from the woman to pay for cable, cellphone and Internet bills.

-snip-

Chris Kennedy, chairman of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, disregarded the [criminal investigation] warning.

“After much consideration, my decision was that the award being presented by my organization and the alleged financial exploitation need to be compartmentalized, one having no bearing on the other. Thus I decided to present the award to Estelle,” Kennedy wrote in an email following the event.


(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...

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California Democratic campaign treasurer gets eight years for fraud


 




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By Mary Slosson

SACRAMENTO | Wed Nov 28, 2012 6:10pm EST
 
(Reuters) - A Democratic campaign treasurer accused of defrauding the campaign war chests of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and other California politicians was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $10.5 million in restitution on Wednesday.
 
Kinde Durkee, who controlled the funds of some 400 political candidates and groups, was arrested in September 2011 and charged with criminal mail fraud. She pleaded guilty in March as part of a deal with federal prosecutors.

Durkee, 59, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California and was ordered by Judge Kimberly Mueller to spend 97 months in federal custody and pay $10,529,915.76 in restitution.

Mueller said the loss of campaign funds "certainly" affected the democratic process and shook the faith of citizens who had made campaign donations.

"I want to take this opportunity to apologize for my actions," Durkee said in court. "I take full and complete responsibility for what I have done."

The arrest of the longtime treasurer for Democratic politicians left the campaigns of a number of elected officials in disarray.

Prosecutors have said in court documents that Durkee used money siphoned from her clients to pay expenses such as the mortgage on her condominium, visits to Disneyland, charges on her credit cards, medical bills and her own firm's business costs.

Feinstein has said in documents filed with the Federal Election Commission that she lost at least $4.5 million to Durkee.

Mueller ordered Durkee to undergo mental health treatment while incarcerated, saying she would have to learn to "avoid behavior patterns that led to this situation."

Both the judge and Durkee's lawyer, Daniel Nixon, declined to elaborate on the nature of Durkee's mental health issues.

Durkee, dressed in a simple black outfit, began to cry during the discussion of her mental health and behavior.

"This was a very egregious offense. It was a deep violation of the trust of her clients, and had a profound impact," U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner of the Eastern District of California told reporters after the sentencing.

Under the terms of her plea agreement, to help make restitution to her former clients, Durkee must sell a property in Burbank, California, that had housed the offices of her now-defunct business, Durkee & Associates. She has already liquidated roughly $91,000 from her 401(k) savings account to make payment toward that restitution, her lawyer said in court.

"Unfortunately, like many fraud cases, this is a case in which most of the money that was taken was spent years ago," Wagner said. "There's really no winners in this situation."

Durkee must turn herself in to federal custody on January 2.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

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Inside the Beltway: Bill and the hoodie
 

 
Two decades have passed since nightclub entertainer and blond bombshell Gennifer Flowers stepped before cameras and announced she had a 12-year affair with then-Gov. Bill Clinton, joining a roster of attractive women who reported similar dalliances, wanted and unwanted. Miss Flowers has stepped forward once again to reveal that in 2005, Mr. Clinton offered to come visit her once again.
 
"I picked up the telephone, and it was him. I said, 'No, you can't come over here. No way.' I said 'No, you can't come to my house.' He said, 'I'll put on a hoodie and jog up there.' He used to do that. I said 'No. No. And I want you to leave me alone.' And that was the end of it," said Miss Flowers, now 62, as she sipped wine and laughed languidly through an interview with WGNO, an ABC affiliate in New Orleans.
 
She also had advice for Paula Broadwell, still generating scandalous news coverage of her affair with former CIA Director David H. Petraeus.
 
"Call me, Paula," Miss Flowers said, miming a phone to her ear. "I'll give you some really good advice."

The self-described "cougar," author and motivational speaker, incidentally, is currently shopping around a new reality show titled "The Real Housewives of New Orleans," in which she plays herself.
 
"I'm always looking for romance," she explains.


Read more: Inside the Beltway: Bill and the hoodie - Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/28/inside-the-beltway-bill-and-the-hoodie/print/#ixzz2Ddz5Iwki
 Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

[Beach Bum]

Dem on trial seen as part of old Chicago politics
By MICHAEL TARM  By MICHAEL TARM
 
CHICAGO (AP) — The grizzled Chicago Democrat has compared himself to a virile hog, likened a then-chief prosecutor to a Nazi and bragged about directing government investigators to kiss his posterior.

William Beavers' you-can't-touch-me bravado will be put to the test as the former police officer-turned-politician beats a path — well-worn in Illinois — to a federal courthouse for testimony at his tax-evasion trial this week.

The combative Cook County commissioner stands accused of diverting more than $225,000 from campaign coffers to feed a casino-gambling habit and for other personal use without reporting it. Jury selection began Monday, and opening statements are expected later this week.

With his booming voice and devil-may-care persona, the 77-year-old Beavers is seen by many as an artifact of old-school Chicago politics.

"He's of a generation that felt, if you win election, the seat isn't in the public trust — it's yours as a spoil of war," said David Morrison, of Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. "You now have license to look out for yourself and your family."

Beavers also is accused of failing to declare that he took more than $68,000 in campaign money and put it in a city fund to double the monthly pension he got for his years as an alderman to more than $6,000.

He pleaded not guilty to four tax-related counts, each of which carries a maximum three-year prison term.

There's a bit of deja vu at Beavers' trial. It's taking place in the same courtroom as that of disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The judge is the same, as are many of the defense attorneys and some of the prosecutors.

Blagojevich is serving a 14-year prison sentence on multiple corruption convictions, including charges that he tried to sell President Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat.

One question that Beavers' cases raises, says Tom Gradel, a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, is whether Chicago politics is no longer as corrupt as it was in his heyday.

"Beavers wasn't bashful about talking about his wheeling and dealing," he said. "But I don't see too much difference in the new school. Now, it's about campaign contributions, whereas old school may have relied on kickback from employees."

Politicians, he said, operate "on the borders between what's acceptable and criminal" and are good at adapting.

"Once that line is changed by law enforcement, they move into different grayer areas — away from the clearly criminal areas," he said.

Other much-younger Illinois politicians have recently found themselves in legal trouble. Last month, 47-year-old Jesse Jackson Jr., once viewed hopefully as a new-age politician, resigned from Congress amid an investigation of his campaign finances.

One of Beavers' attorneys is Sam Adam Jr., who was Blagojevich's lead lawyer at the Democrat governor's first corruption trial. That trial ended with the jury deadlocked on all but one charge, leading to a second decisive trial.

Adam's penchant for showmanship and delighting in verbal brawls meshes well with Beavers' public image.

Beavers' most famous rhetorical flourish came several years ago when he offered a favorable estimation of his own influence by calling himself "a hog with big nuts."

He's hardly proven a wilting flower since his February indictment.

Within minutes of entering a not guilty plea, he walked down to the lobby of Chicago's federal courthouse and accused then-U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald of using "Gestapo-type tactics" to win convictions. Fitzgerald, who was responsible for the indictment of Blagojevich and dozens of other Illinois politicians, retired over the summer to enter private practice.

Beavers has said he was indicted in an act of retribution by investigators for refusing to wear a wire against another county commissioner, John Daley, the brother of former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. U.S. District Judge James Zagel barred defense attorneys from broaching that allegation at the trial.

Zagel did say they could argue Beavers eventually paid back the money in question and amended his returns after he learned he was under investigation. However, Zagel said that claim would only be admissible if it came from Beavers' mouth on the witness stand.

As he left court Monday, Beavers told reporters he would testify. "No question about it," he said.

Gradel, for one, doesn't think Beavers' gushing confidence will play well with jurors.

"He's glib and still may think the world is as accepting as it was 30 or 40 years ago of this behavior," he said. "The public isn't as intolerable as I'd like them to be. But they aren't as tolerable as they were."

http://hosted2.ap.org/HIHON/aee9b8599e9e4e98b1993fdb31c3baf3/Article_2012-12-03-Chicago%20Corruption-Commissioner%20Trial/id-d3f11a94a25747c78cb467fa3cdf5693

[Beach Bum]

http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Jesse-Jackson-Jr-Signs-Plea-Deal-190383261.html


He going away. 

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New Details Are Leaking Out About The Sen. Bob Menendez Case, And It's Looking Worse And Worse
 


Brett LoGiurato|Feb. 11, 2013, 8:44 AM|6,918|23
 




Getty Images/Drew Angerer
 
Senator Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
 
New details leaking out about the ethics case surrounding Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) do not paint a pretty picture for the Senator.
 
The New York Times has new details today about evidence that Menendez aided friend and donor, Dr. Salomon E. Melgen, in getting a $500 million port contract. According to the Times, Menendez also used his clout to halt a U.S. plan to send port security equipment to the Dominican Republic, something that would have hurt his friend's business.
 
From the Times:
 
n recently obtained e-mails, the degree to which Mr. Menendez sought to intervene on behalf of Dr. Melgen’s interests became clearer.
 
In a January e-mail exchange with Customs and Border Protection in the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Menendez’s staff did not mention Dr. Melgen or his company, Boarder Support Services, by name.
 
But the aide asked if the United States government was planning to donate additional port security equipment to the Dominican Republic. The aide explained that if such a donation occurred, the Dominican government, perhaps under pressure from criminal elements there, might intentionally limit the use of the equipment so that drugs or other contraband could still flow through the country’s ports on the way to the United States.
 
Only by hiring the unnamed private contractor, the e-mail said, could the United States be assured that port security in the Dominican Republic would be enhanced.
 
"We’re thinking that Sen. Menendez forgot to mention this when he gave the Senate Democrat leadership assurances that there was nothing to the charges against him," the Republican National Committee said in an email blast along with the story this morning.
 
The new details from the Times came after a Sunday story in Menendez's home-state paper, The Star-Ledger, which provides several examples of cases in which Menendez intervening to Melgen's benefit preceded hefty donations to the Senator or aligned campaign committees.
 
According to the Ledger, Melgen and his family have donated about $50,000 to Menendez over the past 10 years. That's peanuts compared to the $700,000 they have provided to the Majority PAC, the Super PAC set up to help elect Democrats like Menendez.
 
And there are the free flights that Melgen provided Menendez to the Dominican Republic, for which Menendez reimbursed Melgen after they became public. According to National Journal, the $58,500 repayment represented as much as 87 percent of Menendez's net worth.
 
The Washington Post also reported last week that Menendez intervened on Melgen's behalf when the latter was accused of overbilling the government by $8.9 million for care at his clinic.
 
In an editorial on Saturday, the Times called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to relinquish Menendez's gavel as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, saying he "was never a distinguished choice for chairman."


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/bob-menendez-corruption-allegations-donor-salomon-melgen-dominican-republic-2013-2#ixzz2KbyuVj8J

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Radio Talk Show Host Charged with Mortgage Fraud (Chicago Raised Community Activist, BHO Sychophant)
 Mortgage Fraud Blog ^ | Thursday, 07 February 2013 | Rachel Dollar

Posted on Wednesday, February 13, 2013 9:58:14 PM by DogByte6RER



Radio Talk Show Host Charged with Mortgage Fraud

Warren Ballentine, 41, Durham, North Carolina, and formerly of Country Club Hills, Illinois, a lawyer who hosts a national radio talk show, was indicted on federal charges for allegedly engaging in two mortgage fraud schemes that defrauded lenders of a total of approximately $9.7 million.

The defendant allegedly schemed with others to obtain more than two dozen fraudulent mortgage loans and represented buyers at multiple closings, knowing that they were fraudulently qualified for loans to purchase homes in Chicago, Illinois, and various southern suburbs.

Ballentine owns the Law Office of Warren Ballentine, LLC, in Country Club Hills. He was charged with two counts of bank fraud, two counts of making false statements to lenders, and one count each of mail fraud and wire fraud in a six-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of approximately $9,775,000 in alleged fraud proceeds.

Ballentine is scheduled to be arraigned before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly in Federal Court in Chicago.'

According to the indictment, between December 2004 and February 2005, Ballentine schemed with others to fraudulently cause various lenders to make at least eight loans totaling approximately $3.6 million by making false statements in loan documents, including applications, HUD-1 settlement statements, and occupancy statements concerning the buyers' intention to occupy the homes they purchased as a primary residence.

Ballentine then represented buyers recruited by others at real estate closings, knowing that they had signed and submitted false documents and had been fraudulently qualified to purchase the properties in Chicago, Monee, Woodridge, and Mokena, Illinois.

Between February 2005 and May 2006, Ballentine allegedly engaged in a similar, separate scheme with others to fraudulently cause various lenders to make at least 20 loans totaling approximately $6.1 million by making false statements in mortgage documents, including the buyers' intention to occupy the homes as a primary residence. Ballentine also represented these buyers at closings, knowing that they had been fraudulently qualified for the loans based on false documents, including some that Ballentine advised them to sign at closings. These homes were scattered throughout Chicago and other suburbs, including Country Club Hills, Richton Park, and Markham, Illinois.

Each count of the indictment carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine or, as an alternative, the Court may impose a fine of twice the gross gain or twice the loss, whichever is greater, and restitution is mandatory. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The indictment was announced by Gary S. Shapiro, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Cory B. Nelson, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Thomas P. Brady, Inspector-in-Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Chicago.

The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Yonan.

[Beach Bum]

They are in a world of hurt.

Jesse Jackson Jr., wife charged in federal cases
By Pete Yost
Associated Press
POSTED: 11:55 a.m. HST, Feb 15, 2013
LAST UPDATED: 11:59 a.m. HST, Feb 15, 2013

WASHINGTON » Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has been charged with spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses. His wife was charged with filing false income tax forms.

Federal prosecutors filed a charge of conspiracy against the former congressman and charged his wife, Sandra, with one count of filing false joint federal income tax returns for the years 2006 through 2011.

In a statement, the former congressman says he offers no excuses for his conduct and fully accepts responsibility for the improper decisions and mistakes he has made.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/191459871.html

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Jesse should just claim racism.