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

[Dos Equis]

National Enquirer Editor David Perel told FOX News the tabloid stands by its claim that Edwards is the father.

“We absolutely believe the child is his," he said, challenging the former senator to take a DNA test.

"We'll publish the results no matter what they are," he said.

The admission Friday all but ends the speculation about his immediate role in the campaign of Barack Obama. Edwards, who dropped out of the presidential race in January, had been previously talked about as a potential vice presidential pick, or a cabinet member. But even his possible role as a speaker at the Democratic National Convention later this month was in doubt as the rumors of the affair continued to fester without a direct rebuttal.

"I think it's safe to say that John Edwards probably will not have a speaking role at the convention," political analyst Mary Anne Marsh said. "And whether he attends remains to be seen."

. . .

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,400481,00.html

Pretty bad to be to called out by a tabloid.

Also pretty safe to assume he will not be speaking at the convention.

[240 is Back]

he's out of the convention, to be sure.

obama can't get outta town fast enough to hawaii.

it's totally edwards' baby.  WTF was he thinking?  The youtube clips and extra interviews are on CNN now.  Those 2 are quite flirty together.  And her interview- she talks about how the 50s image of perfectly married and happy families are just a facade....

He's done with public service, no doubt.  He's rich.  Retire quietly.

[Dos Equis]

Oct 14, 12:54 AM EDT
Fla. congressman seeks probe after affair reports

By BRIAN SKOLOFF
Associated Press Writer
 
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, married with a child, declined to say Monday whether he had carried on an affair with a former aide and paid to keep her quiet, then called for an investigation by the House ethics committee into his own conduct.

Mahoney issued his statement hours after ABC News reported on its Web site that he had agreed to pay $121,000 in March to a former mistress and staff member after being threatened with a sexual harassment lawsuit. Mahoney said he would be vindicated.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called for an investigation.

The network, citing unnamed current and former Mahoney staff members, said the congressman began his affair with Patricia Allen, 50, in 2006 while he was campaigning for Congress, promising to return morals to Washington.

Mahoney won the race after former Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley resigned when it was revealed he sent lurid Internet messages to male teenage pages who had worked on Capitol Hill. Foley was cleared of criminal wrongdoing by state and federal authorities.

Mahoney's bid to earn another term representing a district that has traditionally leaned slightly Republican was already considered one of the more competitive House races this fall.

Telephone messages left by The Associated Press for Mahoney and his congressional and campaign staff members were not returned Monday.

A Mahoney spokesperson told ABC that Allen resigned willingly and "has not received any special payment from campaign funds."

"While these allegations are based on hearsay, I believe that my constituents need a full accounting," Mahoney, who faces a Republican challenger in November's election, said in the release. "As such, I have requested the House Ethics Committee to review these allegations. I am confident that when the facts are presented that I will be vindicated."

Added Pelosi in her own statement: "These charges must be immediately and thoroughly investigated."

In addition to the cash payment, ABC News reported that Mahoney promised Allen a $50,000 a year job for two years at the agency that handles his campaign advertising.

That company, Nashville, Tenn.-based Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle Inc., resigned from Mahoney's campaign later Monday.

"Tim Mahoney apparently included our company in a secret legal settlement without the knowledge of our firm. Our firm did not agree to any legal settlement," CEO Bill Fletcher said in a release. "If these allegations are true, Tim Mahoney's actions are unacceptable and not in line with FRCR's business ethics."

Mahoney is facing a stiff challenge in the November election. Former Army officer Tom Rooney, a lawyer whose family owns the Pittsburgh Steelers and a Palm Beach County dog track, is mounting a well-funded race aiming to win back the district for Republicans.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, heard rumors about an affair in early 2007 and confronted Mahoney, a spokeswoman said Monday.

"Upon hearing a rumor, Congressman Emanuel confronted Congressman Mahoney, told him he was in public life and had a responsibility to act accordingly and appropriately, and urged him to do so," the spokeswoman said. "They had no further conversations on this topic."

Friends of Allen's told ABC News that she wanted to end the affair, but Mahoney threatened to fire her is she did so.

"You work at my pleasure," Mahoney told Allen on a January 20, 2008 recorded telephone call, a portion of which was provided to ABC.

"If you do the job that I think you should do, you get to keep your job. Whenever I don't feel like you're doing your job, then you lose your job," Mahoney can be heard telling Allen.

"You're fired," he continued. "Do you hear me?"

Allen then asks why she is being fired, indicating there is another reason than her apparent inability to do her job.

"There is no why else," Mahoney responded.

"You're firing me for other reasons," Allen said on the call. "You don't, you're not man enough to say it. So why don't you say it."

Mahoney never admits to any affair in the portion of the tape obtained by ABC.

Allen did not return a telephone message from AP on Monday.

Allen's friends told the network that as part of the settlement, she was required to sign a letter of resignation indicating she left amicably.
 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MAHONEY_INVESTIGATION?refresh=1

[Dos Equis]

Fla. Congressman Reportedly Involved in 2nd Affair
Wednesday, October 15, 2008

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. —  A married congressman who faces accusations that he had an affair with a former aide and paid her to keep quiet about it also was having an affair with a second woman around the same time, a person close to his campaign told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Details of the second affair came hours after Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney held a news conference to address a story, first reported by ABC News, that he had been involved with the former aide. Mahoney acknowledged he had caused "embarrassment and heartache" to his family but denied doing anything illegal.

Mahoney, 52, won his seat in 2006 while promising to return morals and family values to Washington in the aftermath of the resignation of former Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Foley. Foley stepped down when it was revealed he sent lurid Internet messages to male teenage pages who had worked on Capitol Hill. Foley was later cleared of criminal wrongdoing by state and federal authorities.

Mahoney's seat was already considered to be one of the more competitive House races, and he has been facing a tough challenge in a district that traditionally leans slightly Republican. He faces former Army officer Tom Rooney, a lawyer whose family owns the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Mahoney himself did not directly address the first purported tryst during a news conference earlier in the day, but instead issued a statement taking "full responsibility for my actions and the pain I have caused my wife Terry and my daughter Bailey."

"No marriage is perfect," Mahoney said, "but our private life is our private life."

He said he never misused campaign funds and was confident he will be cleared of wrongdoing.

"I have not violated my oath of office, nor have I violated any laws," Mahoney said in the statement.

Mahoney's statement came one day after ABC News reported that he had an affair with an aide and then paid her $121,000 to keep her quiet and avoid a sexual harassment lawsuit. After the report, Mahoney called for an investigation into his own conduct by the House Ethics Committee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called for an inquiry.

ABC, citing unnamed current and former Mahoney staff members, said the congressman began his affair with Patricia Allen, 50, in 2006 while he was campaigning for Congress. Allen has not returned repeated telephone calls from The Associated Press.

On Tuesday night, a person close to the Mahoney campaign told the AP that Mahoney also was having a relationship with a high-ranking official in Martin County in his Florida district around the same time of the purported affair with Allen.

The person close to the campaign spoke only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to openly discuss Mahoney's private life.

The person said Mahoney was having the relationship with the official in 2007 while he also was lobbying the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a $3.4 million reimbursement for Martin County for damage caused by hurricanes in 2004. FEMA approved the money late last year.

Mahoney's congressional staff declined to comment on this alleged tryst, but noted Mahoney lobbies for FEMA funding throughout his district, and that Martin County has received $43 million from FEMA since 2004. Mahoney didn't take office until 2006.

Meanwhile, a high-level Democratic operative who has been involved with the Mahoney campaign told the AP Tuesday night that the FBI has begun reaching out to attorneys involved in the initial reported affair and accusations that he paid the woman to keep quiet. The person declined to be identified because of the FBI's involvement.

A telephone message left late Tuesday night on Mahoney's cell phone was not returned.

Republicans seized on the Allen scandal earlier in the day.

"We're pleased that an ethics investigation has been called for but quite frankly, we're not going to know the answers in three weeks unless Congressman Mahoney literally sits down ... and answers some questions," said Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Cole said he was concerned Mahoney may have used money from his campaign account to pay off the mistress, which could be illegal.

"The facts should come out," Rooney said at the news conference with Cole.

In addition to the cash payment, ABC News reported that Mahoney promised the former aide a $50,000 a year job for two years at the agency that handled his campaign advertising.

That company, Nashville, Tenn.-based Fletcher Rowley Chao Riddle Inc., resigned from Mahoney's campaign Monday. The company's chief executive said the firm knew nothing about a settlement with Allen.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,438161,00.html

[Dos Equis]

Oct 18, 2:02 AM EDT

Rep. Mahoney admits affairs, says he broke no laws

By BRIAN SKOLOFF
Associated Press Writer

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, embroiled in an adultery scandal and a tight race for re-election, admitted Friday to having at least two affairs but insisted he broke no laws and will not resign. The first-term Democrat conceded that one of the affairs began as he was running on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to male pages who had worked on Capitol Hill as teenagers.

Mahoney, 52, apologized to his wife, his daughter and his constituents, even as he maintained he hadn't been hypocritical.

"I can understand why people would feel that way and for those people, all I can say is, 'I'm sorry I let you down,'" Mahoney said in his first set of interviews since news broke this week that he had a sexual relationship with Patricia Allen, 50, whom he met while campaigning in 2006.

Allen went to work for Mahoney's congressional office, then his campaign. Mahoney said she was fired for performance issues, not because of the affair.

Allen threatened to sue Mahoney for sexual harassment, and they reached a settlement to avoid a public airing. Her payout came from Mahoney's personal accounts, not from campaign funds or federal dollars, he said.

Allen has not returned repeated telephone calls.

Mahoney also acknowledged he had an affair with a high-ranking Martin County official in his district around the time he was lobbying the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give the county a $3.4 million hurricane clean-up reimbursement. The funds were awarded last year.

He insisted, however, that he did nothing more for Martin County than he did for others in his district.

Mahoney confessed to "multiple" other affairs, though he wouldn't say how many.

"You're asking me over a lifetime? I'm just saying I've been unfaithful and I'm sorry for that," he said.

The multimillionaire venture capitalist maintained a distinction between his behavior in office and Foley's, though he wouldn't specify.

"With respect to the former congressman, I think that his situation is different from my situation," Mahoney said. "I don't want anybody to misinterpret that as me saying that somehow I'm more proud or whatever. I'm not saying that at all."

Foley was cleared of criminal wrongdoing and left Congress to go into real estate.

The FBI has contacted Mahoney as part of an investigation into whether he hired Allen to keep her quiet about the affair and whether he showed any preferential treatment to Martin County in exchange for sex.

Mahoney said he welcomed the FBI probe and has no reason to be concerned. He has called for his own investigation of his conduct by the House Ethics Committee, as has House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, though the inquiry may not be completed before the Nov. 4 election.

In a statement Friday, the ethics committee said it was reviewing the matter and would interview Mahoney and others.

Mahoney, whose district leans slightly Republican, said he will remain in the race. He insisted he did not violate his oath of office and said he takes pride in his record, if not his personal life.

"We did go to Washington and we got rid of the meals, the trips, we brought more transparency," he said.

That push for openness did not extend to his personal life. He said he settled the case with Allen because "whether you prevail right or wrong, at the end of the day, you're living in a glass house of public opinion."

"I was ashamed and did not want it to come to light, no doubt about it," he said.

All told, according to Mahoney's attorney Gary Isaacs, the congressman will have spent $141,903 to resolve the Allen matter - $61,903 to Allen; $60,000 to her attorney; and $20,000 to his own attorney.

Mahoney said he told his wife about the affairs "months ago," and hoped voters would forgive him and judge him on his work in office rather than his personal failings.

"I do feel like I let them down," he said. "I just hope that they can understand I'm a human being. I never presented myself as being perfect."
 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MAHONEY_INVESTIGATION?refresh=1

[Dos Equis]

Fla. Rep. Mahoney's Wife Files for Divorce Amid Sex Scandal
Wife of Democratic Congressman seeks divorce after he admitted to 'numerous' affairs and $122,000 payment to keep tryst with former aide quiet

AP

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

MIAMI -- The wife of a Florida congressman embroiled in an adultery scandal filed for divorce Monday.

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney admitted last week to having at least two affairs, including with an aide he paid off to keep her quiet about their relationship. His wife, Terry Mahoney, did not comment on seeking the divorce, and her attorney, Karen Steger, said "the petition speaks for itself."

The petition filed in a Palm Beach Gardens court asks for a dissolution of the marriage and for dividing assets, but does not give a reason. Florida is a no-fault divorce state.

Mahoney's campaign had no comment, calling it "a personal matter" and the congressman did not return a telephone call seeking comment. At a news conference last week, Mahoney apologized to his wife, his grown daughter and his constituents for his actions.

However, the first-term Democrat, in a tight bid for re-election, insists he broke no laws and will not resign. Voters chose him on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to teenage male pages who worked on Capitol Hill.

After ABC News reported the affair last week, Mahoney called for an investigation into his own conduct by the House Ethics Committee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called for an inquiry.

The 52-year-old Mahoney said he had a sexual relationship with 50-year-old Patricia Allen whom he met while campaigning in 2006. Allen worked for his congressional office, then his campaign. Mahoney said she was fired for performance issues, not because of the affair.

Allen threatened to sue Mahoney for sexual harassment and they reached a settlement to avoid a public airing of the affair. Her payout of about $122,000 came from Mahoney's personal accounts, not from campaign funds or federal dollars, the congressman says.

Mahoney is also being investigated by the FBI to determine whether he broke any laws when he hired a mistress to work on his staff. Investigators also are looking into whether Mahoney showed preferential treatment to Martin County in his Florida district when he lobbied for $3.4 million in hurricane cleanup funds awarded last year.

Mahoney acknowledges that at the time he was having an affair with a high-ranking Martin County official, but insists he did nothing extra.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/21/fla-rep-mahoneys-wife-files-divorce-amid-sex-scandal/

[Dos Equis]

Doesn't have the decency to quit. 

Oct 24, 5:26 PM EDT
Fla's Mahoney drops out of debate over TV presence

By BRIAN SKOLOFF
Associated Press Writer

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, embroiled in an adultery scandal, skipped a planned debate Friday because organizers wouldn't ban television cameras, leaving his opponent to debate an empty chair. Mahoney's campaign also signaled that he may be giving up public appearances entirely as he struggles to overcome reports of two affairs.

With Mahoney a no-show, Republican challenger Tom Rooney simply took questions during the luncheon held by the nonpartisan Forum Club of the Palm Beaches.

"Welcome to what has been billed as a debate between Tim Mahoney and Tom Rooney," said the group's president, Martha McNeal. "As you can see, the challenger Tom Rooney is here with us," McNeal said. "Unfortunately, last night the campaign manager for Representative Tim Mahoney informed us that the incumbent has declined to be a part of today's long-scheduled program."

Mahoney had committed to the debate before news broke last week of his adulterous affairs and potential legal and ethics violations that are being investigated by the FBI and a House panel. Mahoney's campaign said Friday they feared a distracting, circus-like atmosphere if national television media were allowed to attend the debate.

"The media has every right to cover this event," said Gayle Pallesen, the Forum Club's executive director.

Campaign officials said they don't know what Mahoney's plans are for the remainder of the race. A spokesman said Mahoney hasn't decided whether to continue with any more public campaign events or simply wait until Election Day.

"The congressman is taking it one day at a time," Mahoney spokesman Marc Goldberg said.

Mahoney has admitted to having at least two affairs, one with a former staff member whom he paid to keep quiet about the tryst. He is under investigation by the FBI and a House ethics panel, but refuses to resign or drop out of the race. His wife, Terry Mahoney, filed for divorce Monday.

Voters chose the first-term Democrat in 2006 while he ran on a family values platform to replace Mark Foley, a Republican who resigned amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to teenage male pages who had worked on Capitol Hill.

Mahoney's donations are drying up, endorsements are at risk and his public campaigning has come to a standstill. Since Oct. 15, Mahoney has reported just one $1,500 donation.

His challenger a former Army officer and lawyer whose family owns the Pittsburgh Steelers, was questioned by the debate moderator Friday on everything from Iraq to education, health care and energy. But he dodged a question from the audience about how the Mahoney scandal has helped his campaign.

"I will say this," Rooney joked. "My life has gotten infinitely more busy over the last 10 days."
 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MAHONEY_DEBATE?SITE=HIHAD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Dos Equis]

They're slipping.  Only a state senator??  She must have had an awfully big bra.   

Dianne Wilkerson accused of taking $23G in bribes
Faces up to 40 years of jail time if convicted
By Laurel J. Sweet
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 - Updated 1h ago

In a Beacon Hill brasserie just feet from the State House, where oysters on the half shell will set most back a tank of gas, Sen. Dianne Wilkerson slithered a greased palm up her cardigan and stuffed $1,000 in bribe money into her bra, federal prosecutors allege.

On any given weekday, No. 9 Park is the place for an ambitious legislator to be seen chewing the fat. But on June 18, 2007, Wilkerson, 54, was apparently unaware that the government informant who’d just handed her 10 $100 bills allegedly in exchange for her twisting the arms of a who’s who of political powerbrokers to obtain one liquor license had brought a hidden camera to lunch, as well.

“She has a long history of acting as if she is above the law,” assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil warned federal Magistrate Judge Timothy S. Hillman of the convicted tax cheat and serial campaign finance offender yesterday after the Roxbury resident made an initial federal court appearance on charges of attempted extortion and defrauding the public.

Wilkerson, who McNeil said had $6,000 cash on her when she was busted, has not yet been indicted by a grand jury, and therefore was not required to tender a plea. If convicted, however, she faces up to 40 years in prison.

The Senate chairman of the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight was merely “Miss Wilkerson” to Hillman, who released her on a $50,000 bond with the conditions she steer clear of witnesses in her case and not toss out a single piece of paper that comes her way, including junk mail.

“There is a substantial concern on the part of the government that records will be, quote, ‘lost,’ prior to trial,” McNeil said.

Said Hillman, “I can foresee the government bringing Miss Wilkerson’s trash to my lobby.”

What spilled forth yesterday in voluminous court documents is messy enough for Wilkerson. The State House stalwart is accused after an 18-month investigation by the FBI and Boston police of taking $23,500 in bribes and abusing her seat of power to manipulate legislation.

Wilkerson allegedly assured the informant she would “kick some tires” to get him a nontransferable liquor license for a proposed club called Dejavu that might otherwise cost him $300,000 to purchase.

In addition to reaching out to Mayor Thomas M. Menino and Senate President Therese Murray, Wilkerson allegedly boasted to the informant that she was impeding various bills before the Senate which, among other things, would raise the salaries of Boston Licensing Board members.

At an Aug. 31, 2007, rendezvous with the informant at the Fill-A-Buster restaurant on Beacon Hill, to which Wilkerson brought her grandchild, Wilkerson allegedly pocketed another $1,000. That night, records show, the senator dined and gambled at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Arrested at her home, Wilkerson spent much of yesterday in a steel cell with a petitioned-off toilet under the watch of U.S. Marshals, wearing a hip-length raspberry top and black slacks, not a hair of her silken bob out of place. In court, she let defense attorney Max Stern speak for her.

“What we have here is an occasion to engage in character assassination,” Stern balked. He later asked reporters to remember there is a “before” and “after” to photos that might appear incriminating.

As for the $6,000 Wilkerson had in her pocketbook, Stern said it was “money she withdrew from her savings account for current expenses.”

_jail_time_if_convicted/" class="bbc_link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/2008_10_29_Dianne_Wilkerson_accused_of_taking__23G_in_bribes:_Faces_up_to_40_years_of _jail_time_if_convicted/

[Dos Equis]

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney Claim: We Had An Open Marriage!
Posted by Jose Lambiet | Mahoney Scandal, Politicos, Scandals, Sex sells, Splitsville | Wednesday 29 October 2008 12:00 pm 

U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney reportedly told the lawyers who negotiated his payoff to a former mistress that he and his wife of 23 years, Terry, had an open marriage, Page2Live has learned.

“He didn’t seem too worried that his wife would find out he had a girl on the side,” said a source familiar with the March negotiations. “He said something about how he and his wife were not getting along, and that the two of them had an understanding.”


Mahoney’s agreement with Patricia Allen, a Hobe Sound woman who worked on his campaign and his congressional office here, was hammered out in a tough 10-hour mediation session in Miami, I’m told.

Three lawyers, the neutral mediator, Allen and Mahoney were gathered around a mahogany table for a day-long negotiations that lasted late into the evening.

The final deal: Nearly double the previously published number of $121,000!

Mahoney’s demeanor, the source said, was of “someone whose hand was caught in the cookie jar.”

“He was not a happy camper, but tempers never flared,” the source said. “He was a gentleman.

“His main concern was how much he’d have to pay the lady.”

Meaning?

“He’s the kind of guy who must still have his first nickel. He’s pretty tight with his money. The fact that people could find out that he did this didn’t seem to bother him that much.”

Terry Mahoney didn’t return calls. She filed for divorce last week, shortly after the Palm Beach Gardens rep admitted publicly to having “multiple affairs.” She reportedly flew to Oklahoma, where the couple’s daughter, Bailey, is attending college.

The financial package that Allen signed, meanwhile, is much higher than previously believed.

In the end, Mahoney’s indiscretion with Allen will have cost him upward of $227,000.

In addition to splitting a first payment of $121,000 with her lawyer, former Palm Beach County Bar Prez Greg Coleman, Allen is set to receive another $106,000 over the next two years.

Even with the story out, Allen has not responded to interview requests to make sure she gets that money.

Why $106,000? That represents two years of salary at Mahoney’s employ. Those payments are to start January 1.

Neither Coleman nor Mahoney returned calls.

http://www.page2live.com/2008/10/29/us-rep-tim-mahoney-claim-we-had-an-open-marriage/

[Dos Equis]

No charges for Spitzer??   

Ashley Alexandra Dupre Sits Down With Diane Sawyer
November 18, 2008 05:10 PM EST | 

NEW YORK — The prostitute at the center of the salacious scandal that brought down former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and generated national headlines is going to dish on her life as a pricey escort. ABC says Ashley Alexandra Dupre sat down with Diane Sawyer on the program "20/20."

Dupre reveals how an "upper middle-class, girl next door got into the profession and the psychological journey she continues to experience."

Spitzer resigned March 12 after it was disclosed he had used Emperors Club VIP. Dupre worked for the escort service.

On Thursday, federal prosecutors said they wouldn't bring criminal charges against Spitzer, marking the end of the saga.

Four people pleaded guilty to running the prostitution operation.

The show will air Friday at 10 p.m.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/18/ashley-alexandra-dupre-si_n_144700.html
 

[Dos Equis]

Bump for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.  I'm sensing a pattern here . . . .

[Dos Equis]

I heard that 4 of the last 8 Illinois governors have been arrested or convicted of a crime. 

[Dos Equis]

 

[Dos Equis]

Democrats dominating the list.  Maybe The Messiah can help turn the tide.   

CNN Poll: Blagojevich named naughtiest pol of 2008
Posted: 09:02 AM ET
 
Blagojevich, facing record low approval ratings in Illinois, tops at least one political poll this month.
(CNN) – Which politician should be top Santa's naughty list this year? If the American public had anything to say about it, Rod Blagojevich would beat out John Edwards and Eliot Spitzer for the title of the naughtiest politician of 2008.

Asked which political figure deserved a lump of coal this Christmas, the scandal-scarred Blagojevich was picked by more Americans than the other two candidates combined.

Nineteen percent thought that Edwards, who admitted cheating on his wife during his presidential bid, was the naughtiest. And 23 percent thought that Spitzer, who resigned as New York's government amid a call-girl scandal, should get the nod.

But 56 percent said that Blagojevich, who has been arrested on corruption charges, was the naughtiest pol in 2008.

Some of that may be due to the fact that Blagojevich's arrest happened more recently than the transgressions of Spitzer or Edwards, but there's likely another reason at work as well: Americans typically take a much dimmer view of corruption than of sex scandals, since the former is a violation of the public trust and the latter is usually considered more of a private matter.

The results are based on interviews with 1,013 adult Americans conducted by telephone on December 19-21, 2008. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/24/cnn-poll-blagojevich-named-naughtiest-pol-of-2008/#more-33488

[Dos Equis]

Ohio Watchdog: Dem. AG Ran Corrupt Office  

Monday, December 22, 2008 7:02 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Former Attorney General Marc Dann ran a vulgar and unprofessional office and misused campaign funds to make lavish payments to friends and family, the state's government watchdog said Monday in releasing the results of a six-month investigation.

Dann, a Democrat elected in 2006 on an anti-corruption platform, resigned in May amid a sexual harassment scandal in his office that included his admission that he had an affair with an employee.

The report by Inspector General Tom Charles said Dann hired a coterie of young women dubbed "the Dannettes" who were so unqualified and unprofessional in their dress and conduct that an office assistant was assigned to conduct etiquette training.

Dann used his position to indulge himself and gave well-paid top jobs to aides whose only qualification was their loyalty and friendship to their boss, the report said.

Charles said he was forwarding the report to Columbus and Franklin County prosecutors, the Internal Revenue Service and the Ohio Department of Taxation, among other entities.

Anthony Gutierrez, an aide at the center of the sexual harassment scandal who was later fired, could face felony ethics charges, Charles said. Dann, who Charles said declined to be interviewed for the investigation, could face sanctions from the Ohio Elections Commission regarding the way he spent campaign funds and public money.

Dann said in a conference call with reporters that Charles' report was littered with innuendo instead of facts and didn't document any substantive cases in which he had broken the law.

He also said the report was written with a bias that had grown from Dann's prior criticism of Charles. "He has never forgiven me for that," Dann said.

Among other findings in the report, Charles said Dann:

_Ballooned the size of the office's fleet of cars by buying 99 additional vehicles at a cost of $1.9 million and doling out some of the cars as perks to senior managers.


_Used state-owned airplanes 16 times, including ordering pilots to pick him up at his Youngstown home or drop him off at a cost to taxpayers of $8,175.

"There was either a general lack of understanding or a blatant disregard for the law and for how you run a public office," said state Auditor Mary Taylor, a Republican who released her own report Monday on Dann's use of state funds and resources.

The inspector general's report also said Dann used his campaign fund to buy food, beverages, snacks, newspapers and other items virtually every day he was in office, racking up $31,474 in expenses.

Soon after his election, Dann also set up a unique "transition account" to benefit himself and his associates, and to get around the campaign finance laws that govern typical campaign accounts, the report concluded. The account grew to include more than $195,000 in donations from businesses and individuals, including political action committees.

The only transition account addressed by Ohio election law is for the governor, the report noted, saying Dann was charting new territory.

All but $8,000 from that account has been spent, including about $12,000 that was spent on Dann's wife's business, Zesty Dishes. Thousands of dollars were also paid to Gutierrez and to Leo Jennings, who served as Dann's communications director before being fired in the fallout of the harassment scandal, the report said.

Jennings and Gutierrez were receiving their state salaries at the same time.

Dann said other statewide office holders had similar transition accounts. Taylor acknowledged having one Monday but said it was spent solely on expenses related to the January 2007 inauguration.

The report said Gutierrez also had a history of drunken driving charges. Vehicles assigned to Gutierrez were damaged on four occasions, and Gutierrez failed to file crash reports each time, the investigation found. Gutierrez spoke with investigators about other individuals in the office, but would not talk about allegations against himself.

State Treasurer Richard Cordray, a Democrat who won election in November, takes over the attorney general's office in January.
 
http://www.newsmax.com/politics/attorney_general_ohio/2008/12/22/164546.html

[Dos Equis]

What a croc.   

I guess this means the thread will be updated often in 2009.   

Carville Predicts Democratic Scandal Streak

Saturday, January 3, 2009 10:50 AM

Democratic political strategist James Carville predicts the Democratic Party -- already burdened by the Gov. Rod Blagojevich scandal -- will suffer more embarrassing scandals in 2009.

Carville, who made his political predictions for CNN.com, said the reason is based on simple math: More Democrats in elected office increases the likelihood of scandal.

"I firmly believe that there are streaks, and that political scandals happen in clusters," Carville said. "The Republican Party had its fair share of scandal and charges of deeply imbedded corruption preceding the 2006 election and leading up to the 2008 elections.

"It doesn't hurt to point out that these types of things are also more likely to harm the party in the majority -- Republicans had more elected politicians (315 Republican officeholders in House, Senate, and state governorships) leading up to 2006.

"With two big Democratic elections in a row, Democrats now hold a larger majority -- 340 U.S. representatives, senators and governors. Simple math and history point to the fact that the more elected officials a party has in office, the more likely its politicians will get caught up in some sort of scandal."
 
. . . .

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/carville_predictions/2009/01/03/167402.html

[Dos Equis]

Bump for Gov. Bill Richardson. 

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/04/cnn-confirms-bill-richardson-withdraws-for-consideration-for-obamas-cabinet/#more-34160

[Dos Equis]

A story posted by 333386.  But's only a mayor.    I'm sure another governor will be on the hot seat soon. 

Mayor Sheila Dixon indicted
Counts of perjury, theft, misconduct in office among 12-count indictment
By Annie Linskey and Julie Bykowicz | annie.linskey@baltsun.com and julie.bykowicz@baltsun.com
9:01 PM EST, January 9, 2009

Baltimore Mayor Sheila A. Dixon was charged today with 12 counts of felony theft, perjury, fraud and misconduct in office, becoming the city's first sitting mayor to be criminally indicted.

The case stems in part from at least $15,348 in gifts Dixon allegedly received from her former boyfriend, prominent city developer Ronald H. Lipscomb, while she was City Council president. She also is accused of using as much as $3,400 in gift cards, some donated to her office for distribution to "needy families," to purchase Best Buy electronics and other items for herself and her staff.

. . . .

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-dixon0109,0,3147190.story

[Dos Equis]

Democrats are really slipping.  Another mayor.  Where are the governors, senators, presidentical candidates.   

Wisconsin mayor resigns after sex-sting arrest  
RACINE, Wis. (AP) — The city of Racine, Wis., has received a letter of resignation from its mayor, who faces charges in an Internet sex sting.
City Council President David Maack says Tuesday's resignation of Mayor Gary Becker will allow the city to move forward without having to deal with the process of removing him from office.

Maack says the council will meet soon to decide whether to hold a special election or appoint someone to fill the roughly two years remaining in Becker's term.

The 51-year-old Becker was charged Thursday with six felonies. He's accused of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with someone he thought was an underage girl.

Becker's attorney, Patrick Cafferty, said his client intends to plead not guilty.
 
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-01-20-mayor-resign_N.htm

[Dos Equis]

Mass. House Speaker Resigns Amid Ethics Allegation 

Sunday, January 25, 2009 8:30 PM

BOSTON -- Massachusetts' House speaker said Sunday he would resign amid allegations a close friend used their relationship to push ticket-scalping legislation and paid off legal bills for the speaker's in-laws.

In a letter to colleagues Sunday, Democrat Salvatore DiMasi said his resignation as a state representative and as speaker would be effective at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

"No matter what the critics and cynics will say, all my actions as state Representative and as Speaker were based solely on what I thought was in the best interests of my district and the people of the Commonwealth," DiMasi said in his letter.

DiMasi has not been accused of any wrongdoing in the criminal investigation of his friend, Richard Vitale. He had won re-election as speaker earlier this month, despite questions into his involvement with Vitale, who once served as his campaign treasurer.

Vitale has pleaded not guilty to concealing his work as a lobbyist and having contact with the speaker while pushing ticket-scalping legislation on behalf of brokers. Earlier this week, court documents revealed Vitale also paid $7,500 in legal debts accumulated by DiMasi's in-laws in September 2007.

DiMasi said he would call for a caucus Wednesday to choose his successor.

DiMasi had earlier repaid an unusual $250,000 third mortgage he received from Vitale on his Boston condominium after the loan was disclosed by The Boston Globe. That loan could have been illegal if Vitale were a lobbyist, since the state's conflict-of-interest law prohibits members from accepting anything of value from lobbyists.

No direct allegations have been made against DiMasi, who has said he never spoke to Vitale about the bill.

DiMasi had been the House speaker since 2004, after his predecessor resigned under his own ethics cloud. He was first elected to his seat representing Boston's North End in 1978.

Vitale has denied acting as a lobbyist. His attorney said the work he did for the Massachusetts Association of Ticket Brokers was exempt from the state's lobbying registration requirements.

Attorney General Martha Coakley said Vitale was paid $60,000 in lobbying fees by ticket brokers interested in changing the state's scalping laws. She said Vitale communicated directly with DiMasi before the bill passed the House last year. The legislation died in the Senate.
 
http://www.newsmax.com/us/massachusetts_corruption/2009/01/25/175074.html

[Dos Equis]

Portland Mayor Won't Resign Over Lying About Teen 

Sunday, January 25, 2009 10:30 PM

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The mayor of Portland, Ore., said Sunday he would not resign despite calls for him to do so after he admitted he lied and asked a teenager to lie about their sexual relationship.

"Tomorrow, I go back (to) work as your mayor. I know I have let you down and made mistakes. I ask your forgiveness," Mayor Sam Adams said in a statement. "I believe I have a lot to offer the city I love during this time of important challenges."

Adams, who was just sworn in on Jan. 1, publicly apologized this past week for lying early in his campaign about the relationship with an 18-year-old man in 2005.

The scandal has resulted in an investigation by the Oregon attorney general and has divided the city and its gay and lesbian community. The police union and four Portland newspapers have called for his resignation, but Adams has found strong support to remain, including a Friday rally on his behalf at City Hall that drew more than 400 people.

In his statement, Adams said he would "work harder than I ever have in my life" to help see the city through the tough economic times.

Two of the leading business associations in Portland had taken a wait-and-see stance.

Steve Holwerda, Chairman of the Portland Business Alliance, said in a statement the board had differing views on whether Adams should resign but they agreed it was a critical time for the city and some of its major development projects.

"Whether or not he stays in office should be based on whether he can lead our city effectively and with the integrity that all our citizens deserve," Holwerda said.

But the board of the Portland Area Business Association went further and said Adams should remain in office, but added, "pending the outcome of official investigation."

The teenager, Beau Breedlove, was a legislative intern when he met the mayor at age 17. He and the mayor both say their sexual relationship started after his 18th birthday, in June 2005.

Breedlove, now 21, told The Oregonian on Saturday that the relationship was consensual.

"I do not see any relationship that I ever had with Sam as me being taken advantage of," Breedlove told the newspaper. "I do not feel like I was ever a victim."

When Adams confirmed the relationship this past week, he said it was inappropriate because of the age difference; Adams is now 45.

He also said he lied early in his mayoral campaign and asked Breedlove to lie as well because rumors at the time falsely suggested the relationship involved a minor.
 
http://www.newsmax.com/us/portlands_mayor/2009/01/25/175097.html

[Option D]

Report: Hillary Clinton Big Money Donor Wanted for Grand Theft
Wednesday, August 29, 2007

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton
A Democratic fundraiser who has raised $1 million for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says he has done nothing wrong and has asked no favors in return, but Norman Hsu didn't mention that he's a wanted man.

A California prosecutor says Hsu pleaded no contest to grand theft, was sentenced to three years in prison and then disappeared, The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

. . .

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295031,00.html

What is going on with these Democrats?  Fieger indicted for illegal campaign contributions to Edwards.  http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=164964.0

Married L.A. mayor sleeping with a news reporter who covers him.   http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=157718.0

S.F. mayor sleeping with his campaign manager's wife.   http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=123851.0

Married New Jersey mayor having homosexual affair.   http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/12/mcgreevey.nj/

Member of Congress accepting bribes.  http://www.getbig.com/boards/index.php?topic=152739.0

How did I do Berserker?   

JESUS H CHRIST

[Dos Equis]

Ok, now this one I don't get... The guy was an OF AGE consenting adult... 18 is not a crime.

What's the big deal on this one?

He lied about it:  "Adams, who was just sworn in on Jan. 1, publicly apologized this past week for lying early in his campaign about the relationship with an 18-year-old man in 2005."

[240 is Back]

Democrats dominating the list. 

that's because there's just so damn many of them with jobs as governors, senators, congressmen, and senators.

[Dos Equis]

Of course he lied about it... Everyone was trying to act like the guy was underaged, which he was NOT.

This is like Clinton lying about a blowjob... a complete sham.

What's the sham?  If he lied about something to try and get elected, then it's a legitimate story.