Conflicts and Crooks, Obama and Democrats

93,000 crooks or thereabouts have been created, according to Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, by Obama's idiotic, wrongheaded and typically-ignorant $8,000 federal first-time home buying tax credit or welfare payment. We've lost trillions of dollars in the government's U. S.-bankrupting dictates to Democratic Party-controlled Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Federal Housing Authority, so what's another $500,000,000? Citizens offered $8,000 simply to lie after Fannie and Freddie encouraged so-called "liar loans"? See how easy for the government to create criminals?. And it's nothing to Obama who will leave office in wealthy disgrace. That's the disgrace.

Raj Rajaratnam has donated millions of dollars to Sri Lanka Rebels, the brutal killers dubbed the "Tamil Tigers",  and the U. S. Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama's successful campaign for U. S. President.  Oh, yes, he's accused being at the center of the largest insider-trading case in decades, involving his Galleon Group and executives from IBM, Intel, McKinsey, and Intel.

Democrat Birmingham, AL, mayor Larry Langford is accused of accepting bribes of $235,000 for steering $7.1 million in bond business to a crony, which pushed Jefferson County to the brink of bankruptcy.  Jury selection continues.  OOps, update: October 29, 2009: CONVICTED!

Failed-Obama-nominee Gov. Bill Richardson, whose corrupt "play for pay" investigation got sidetracked, got it put on front burner when Saul Meyer, of Aldus Equity, Dallas, pled "guilty" to urging investments onto the New Mexico's Educational Retirement Board and its State Investment Council which enriched Democrat donors and supporters of the governor to the tune of some $22,000,000.   He said he gave into intense political pressure.

Massachusetts, strongbed of corrupt Democrats.  Five years ago Democrats changed Massachusetts law to rob the Republican governor, Mitt Romney, of the ability to appoint an interim senator.  That was then, now is now.  So with the death of Teddy Kennedy his senate seat is vacant and President Obama needs every vote he can get for his massive takeover of the American healthcare system.  Presto! The law gets changed back so Democrat governor Deval Patrick can appoint a Democrat, party hack Paul Kirk, to vote Obama's way.  Shame?  Honor?  None of each.  Machiavellian Democrats know best.

And more:  the Federal Democratic Food and Drug Administration approved an implantable knee device made by ReGen Biologics Inc's Menaflex because four Democrats from New Jersey, Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez and Representatives Steve Rothman and Frank Pallone Jr. demanded it, clearly NOT in exchange for the $26,000 in campaign contributions ReGen made to them.

September 22, Hassan Nemanzee, close to Bill Clinton and finance chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committe as well as a major donor to Democrats, was indicted for stealing upwards of $290,000,000 in part to donate to Democrats, from three major banks.  Myriad Obama campaign entities will donate his contributions to charity.  ACORN perhaps?

September 9: Former chief fund raiser for former Illinois governor, Rod Blagojevich, pleaded guilty to fraud in A roofing job at O'Hare Airport. 57 months, plus another 37 months on an unrelated tax case. What state is our president from?

Senator Charlie Rangel, Chairman of Color of the United States House Ways and Means Committee, is not a crook. Only he forgot or was too naive to know that he was "rich", or at least richer than he had earlier disclosed on his required 2007 financial disclosure form. We is worth up to $2,500,000 (high number) not the $500,00 (low number) he said. He forgot: he had a quarter to a half a million dollars in a savings account; vacant land in New Jersey; Yum Brands (KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut's owner); PepsiCo. And $75,000 in income from a beachfront villa in tony Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. And poor Mr. Rangel is forced to live in rent-stabilized apartments in Manhattan. Four of them in ritzy Lenox Terrace.

It seems clear to me that Eric Holder, president Obama's Attorney General (since he certainly doesn't represent either most Americans or the Constitution), lets liberals go and goes after Republicans. Case in point. Last January the Justice Department filed a civil suit against the New York Black Panther Party and three of its black panthers, for violating LBJ's 1965 Voting Rights Act by scaring voters with weapons, racial comments and militaristic uniforms. The Panthers didn't respond and that should have been that. A conviction. But no. Even though six career attorneys in Justice recommended continuing to pursue it, an Obama-appointed Associate Attorney General, Thomas Perrelli, said no with no explanation. The Obama Justice Department lets Democrats, especially black ones, get a "get-out-of-jail-free" card, or rather simply a pass and with that there goes the Rule of Law. Even liberals were outraged, but not the left-leaning national media, well except the way-liberal Village Voice whose publisher said it was "the most blatent form of voter intimidation I've ever seen."

Now off to Dallas where five black Democrat defendants, including a black former Democratic mayor pro tem and his wife and city planning commissioner were charged by federal prosecuters of pressuring developers to award contracts to minority friends. But since they are all black, it must be racism and they have asked the U. S. Attorney General, Eric Holder, to review the case. Shall we vote on the outcome?

Hassan Nemazee, a major fundraiser for the Democratic Party with close ties to the Clintons, former president Bill and present Secretary of State Hillary (I guess we've lost the Rodham), is an alleged crook. He "borrowed" $74 million from Citigroup Inc. by faking documents He was once finance chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a national finance chairman for Mrs. Clinton's failed presidential campaign then fundraiser for successful candidate Barack Obama, our president.

While this is small potatoes, it does indicate a continuing fraud on America by Democratic-leaning trial lawyers. Hinds County, Mississippi, Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter will plead guilty to lying to an FBI agent investigating his giving unfair advantage to Democrat contributor and fund-raiser extraordinaire, Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, chief architect of the multi-billion tobacco settlements of the 1990s. Dickie and Bobby indeed. Bobby also faces conspiracy, obstruction and mail fraud.

(Typed the day before Teddy Kennedy died.) How hypocritical and blatantly disgusting: Nearly-dead, Harvard cheater and possible girl-killer, hopefully-soon-to-be-former Senator Edward F. ("Teddy") Kenndey has asked that the law of succession be changed again to get another Democrat to take his absent-for-a-year place in the Senate. Teddy asked in a letter for the Democratic-controlled Legislature to allow Governor Deval Patrick, duh, a Democrat, to select a temporary replacement for Teddy "should a vacancy occur". This would reverse a provision which replaced an identical former provision when a Republican was government whereby a special election needed to be held. Get that? Teddy didn't want a Republican to appoint a Senator, but of course a Democrat should be able to. The Rule of Law? There is no Rule of Law, because the Ends -- of Democrat Rule -- Justify the Means -- the means being shredding our Constitution, one of the very tenets on which this great country was founded. Empathy indeed.

August 21, 2009: a Democrat 12-year Secretary of State, Rebecca Vigil-Giron, of New Mexico was indicted in a scheme to steal federal election funds. She is alleged to have given money to a political consultant and two Democratic lobbyists. Some $3.7 million is unaccounted for and thought to be or have been placed in their personal accounts. The 50 counts against each include:

• Four counts of fraud over $20,000 or, in the alternative, embezzlement over $20,000
• 11 counts of money laundering over $100,000.
• Five counts of money laundering over $20,000.
• Eight counts of tax fraud.
• 13 counts of tax evasion.
• Four counts of making or permitting false public vouchers.
• One count of soliciting or receiving an illegal kickback.
• One count of offering or paying an illegal kickback.
• Two counts of tampering with evidence.
• One count of conspiracy.

This on the watch of important Democrat governor Bill Richardson, who himself is under federal investigation for allegedly engaging in yet another Democrat "pay for play" scam to steer state financings to campaign contributors. This same old same old in a Democrat-controlled state included these Democrats indicted or conviced: two state treasurers, the former leader of the state senate, a director of affordable housing and two utilities regulators. Oh, BUT WAIT! Today, August 27, 2009, according to the Associated Press, the investigation of Richardson, nominated to be Obama's Commerce Secretary before withdrawing because of the investigation, "was killed in Washington". No doubt because the Attorney General is busy investigating CIA agents who were protecting America and Americans. Have no doubt Richardson will join Obama's corrupt administration.

When you thought they couldn't get any more low, "Fraud by Trial Lawyers Taints Wave of Pesticide Lawsuits", Wall Street Journal, Front page, Wednesday, August 19, 2009: [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125061508138340501.html]. U. S. trial lawyers, all significant, if not major, funders of the Democratic Party which won't rein them in in exchange for such contributions, have stooped even lower. They descended on impoverished peasants in Chinandego, Nicaragua, panting over money from a settlement of $2,100,000,000 by Dole Food Co. Thousands of former- or fraudulent pinapple plantation workers were signed up bu U. S. trial lawyers. The pesticide was used in the '60's and '70's until 1977 when it was noticed that the chemical DBCP (dibromochloropropane) caused sterility in some men. In 1979 the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency banned it. Dole legally used it until 1980. Long story short, California Superior Court Judet Victoria Chaney dismissed suits citing "clear and convincing evidence" of fraud "permeates and discredits all such cases. Although only one lawyer has been investigated so far, another lawyer who flew down to attempt to reap the illicit dollars in Nicaraguy was Walter J. Lack, Esq., of Erin Brockovich movie fame.

And down below a few paragraphs is the discussion of the mass arrests of primarily-Democratic politicians, operatives and hangers-on (and on Republican). Good work one might think; well, no, not from a Democratic administration. The top federal prosecutor faces an internal ethics investigation for answering a question about New Jersey corruption with "The few people that want to change it seem to get shouted down. So how long that cycle's going to continue I just don't know." Apparently he might have been talking about his former boss Republican Chris Christie's challenge to incumbent New Jersey governor Democratic Jon Corzine. Perhaps U. S. Attorney Ralph Marra is being "shouted down".

And down there in Birmingham, Alabama, its mayor, Larry Langford, a Democrat, was bribed by investment banker William Blount, former state Democratic Party chairman, who pleaded guilty to paying thousands of dollars to the mayor in return for getting some bond financing work. Pay for Play cost $230,000, Mr. Blount said.

August, 2009: Democrat governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania hired Bailey Perrin Camp & Bailey, attorneys at law, from Houston to prosecute Jansen Pharmaceuticals (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson)manufacturer of antipsychotic drug Risperdal. I wonder how Governor Honest Ed selected the law firm way away in Texas (Houston)? Perhaps because law firm founder F. Kenneth Bailey was donating upwards of $90,000 to Honest's 2006 re-election campaign? Perhaps? Oh yes, that selfsame law firm has invested (bribed?) hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Democratic Attorneys General Association as well as countless individual attorneys general, who, if you don't know, make the decisions to farm out lawsuits. How do you say "Pay to Play"? The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will hear a legal challenge to these dirty activities.


United Brotherhood of Carpenters, Detroit Branch's, now-former executive secreatry-treasurer, Walter Mabry, was bribed to "invest" $77 million in a crooked "private equity" fund according to sources. Other "investors"? Millwrights Local 1102. International Operating Engineers Local 324. Michigan Teamsters Joint Council 43. Monies from the rank-and-files' pensions. Many of these are underfunded. Not so the bosses' pensions: Operating Engineers Washington DC bosses' pension fund is overfunded. And probably makes better investments. BUT hey, Obama thinks unions bosses disclose too much of this bitter information. His administration is cutting back disclosures demanded by the Bush Administration.."not be a good use of resources" to discover fraud by union bosses!

Democrat-appointed University oi Chicago trustees are under fire (two resigned so far) for dismissing the Rule of Law for their own AFFIRMATIVE ACTION initiatives. They created separate admissioins criteria for applicants sponsored by elected officials, big donors and themselves. Hundreds of them. "Less qualified." "From influential families." Chicago - Illinois - Democrats - Obama. Hmmmmmmm.

July 31, 2009: Judge Bobby DeLaughter, Hinds County Missdisssippi Circuit Court pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, a federal charge, in giving unfair advantage to former huge Democratic contributor and trial attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, in asbestos lawsuits.

This might be a stretch, but prime Obama-backer NBC and MSNBC's owner the General Electric Company settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission for civil fraud and other charges that GE misled investors in 2002 and 2003. Please see another post, "Governmnet Success in Running Companies" (today) and see that the SEC is "suing Mr. Maynard Jenkins, former CEO of CSK Auto (parts) Corporation which had formerly settled with the SEC and restated financials for $4,000,000. Mr. Jenkens was not accused of any wrong-doing. Let's see the SEC voted 3 (Democrats perhaps?) to 2 (Republicans perhaps?) to sue. You decide: arbitrary or the Rule of Law?" My question is, will the SEC sue the CEO of GO, Jeff Imholt? No because Imholt is a major backer of Obama and a member of his economic team. And GE is in hock to the U. S. government while it owns NBC, the primary mouthpiece of the Obama Administraion. I am certain the writers of the U. S. Constitution would have frowned on the conflict of interest with the government being in some control indirectly of the media.

(August 5, 2009) Former Louisiana Democratic Congressman William Jefferson was convicted for bribery schemes aimed at enriching him and his family.
A federal jury in Alexandria, Va., convicted him on 11 of 16 counts.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124950747812708973.html

Michael Froman left Citigroup in January to become a senior White House aide for national security and international economic affairs and has known President Obama from Harvard Law. Don't know about his basketball play. He left Citigroup's private infrastructure fund in a tatters, losing $126,000,000 in the $3,400,000,000 fund from a breakup fee on a Chicago deal that couldn't get funded. (Chicago, huh? Wonder who got that money?) He walked with $4,000,000 cash and a demand for $10,000,000 more.

While this thread consists of Democrats who are legally or morally challenged, the Obama Administration thinks private health insurer companies are dishonest, thus needing a "means and mechanismn to keep [them] honest." So while his fellow Democrats are feasting on the public trough, if some of it is from prisons, he accuses law-abiding insurance companies of dishonesty because, in essence, they make profits. And in President Omama's world, profits are only gotten illegally.

But on to New Jersey, the Chicago of the East. 44 people were charged July 24, including several mayors of New Jersey cities, rabbis, and one Republican. Yes, one out of 44, 2%, was a Republican, leaving 43 or 98% if them Democrats, so clearly this sweep of crooks was bi-partisan. Payoffs, bribes, money laundering and even human kidney sales. Mr. Dweeb oh, I mean Mr. Solomon Dwek was caught in 2006 with his hand in some crooked-cookie jar and ratted the rest of them out. Nice guy. He was a real estate developer, Syrian Jew and formerly, I guess, a philanthropist.

Timothy Geithner won confirmation as President Barack Obama's treasury secretary in spite of his possible criminal activities in not paying taxes. Unfortunately this reinforces the fact that Democrats are above the law. Because Obama said, "Tim's work must begin at once", everything illegal he did is OK. That is the moral picture of Obama's self-righteous, self-centered administration. Whatever you want, Mr. President...Throw Geithner into the pool with other possible tax cheats such as Charlie Rangel, moral liars such as Eliot Spitzer and former-Democratic almost-candidate John Edwards, conflict-of-interesters such as Barney Frank and Chris Dodd and out-and-out indicted crooks such as Rod-O Blag-O. A group of which to be proud. This as of January 2009.

But the real tragedy is the continued clueless weakness of Republicans. They are continuing their losing streak. America is the real loser.

I will be updating this regularly with news of Democrat vs Republican crooks (a term I use to describe those indicted, convicted, acting immorally or illegally all as defined by me).

DEMOCRAT CROOKS

Pick for Protocol Post Corrects Failure to File Taxes in 2 Years:
By ALISON LEIGH COWAN Published: June 18, 2009 (The New York Times) President Obama’s choice as chief of protocol for the State Department, a position that carries the status of an ambassadorship, did not file tax returns for 2005 and 2006.

The nominee, Capricia Penavic Marshall, has placed blame for the problem on the Postal Service and on miscommunication between her husband and their accountant. Ms. Marshall was social secretary in the Clinton White House. Tax issues have bedeviled several high-level Obama appointees and cost the administration at least two of its picks. The protocol chief customarily helps plan events for visiting leaders and helps oversee protocol matters for the president and vice president abroad.

Thursday, June 18, 2009: DETROIT Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, the wife of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr., has been ensnared in a federal bribery investigation and is discussing a possible plea deal, The Washington Times has learned. Court papers say the council member accepted bribes from a consultant in connection with a City Council vote to approve a $1.2 billion sludge hauling contract. And on June 26 the good wife of this most important black Democrat (first elected in 1964) pleaded "GUILTY!" to conspiracy to commit bribery. Of course, Mr. Conyers was said to have not known. Of course. And she'll have some lame community work to pay off her sentence. Now this is the self-same Conyers who started an investigation of ACORN then like a hot potato dropped it, saying "the powers that be" waved him off. The only power to be I can think of is President Obama, and does this have any little thing to do with spouse crook Monica? (She resigned from the Detroit City Council and faces 5 years and $250,000.)

June 2009: Hmmm, while not a crook, it seems as if President Obama is protecting a friend and supporter of his, Kevin Johnson, a Democrat and mayor of Sacramento, CA, who plays basketball with our president and was a former NBA player. Obama did not follow Congress' own rules in firing Inspector General official Gerald Walpin. Walpin investigated, reported on and was fired personally by Obama: Johnson used to run a nonprofit academy St. Hope which improperly used AmeriCorps recruits to recruit students to his academy for politicking, to run and perform personal duties for Johnson, such as washing his car and driving him around, and doing bookkeeping for St. Hope. Johnson apparently settled for a small amount to run for mayor. And in another instance is the Teaching Fellows Program run by the Research Foundation of the City University of New York. Walpin's audit [www.cncsig.gov/AuditReports.html] uncovered myriad violations including duplicate awards of $16 million and costs of over $750,000. Walpin's directives were stonewalled by AmeriCorps' parent organization, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which is now chaired by, as a payoff to, Democratic Alan Solomont for political fund raising. AmeriCorps now is $6 billion in a bill signed by Obama in April. Obama is a political animal, Mr. Walpin is unemployed for being a "government-employed whistle-blower" and blowing the whistle on Obama's cronies.

(In an irony, the First Lady Obama ran the AmeriCorps-funded nonprofit Public Allies in Chicago from 1993-1996 and served on its national board. It, too, was investigated by the Inspector General's office and violated basic rules including a lack of internal controls over education grants and living allowances given to people not being legal citizens or permanent residents.)

Walpin's office questioned duplicate educational awards of more

Rep. Peter Visclosky was subpoened related to federal investigations of defunct PMA Group and its clients. Visclosky, senior Democrat on House Appropriations Committee, received $1.36 million, Murtha $2.37 million and Rep. James Moran (D. Va.) nearly $1 million from PMA and its clients. In a complete coincidence, these and other Democrats inserted into spending bills specific earmarks to benefit PMA clients. In another coincidence, Democrats have successfully blocked Ethics Committee motions to investigate PMA.

6/9/09 Democrat from Chicago indicted (Isaac Carothers, chairman of Chicago City Council's police and fire committee) and pleads not guilty to taking $40,000, campaign money and sports tickets for fixing a zoning case. In Obama-Chicago this is hard to believe.

Trial Lawyer Extraordinaire Gene Cauley, who rose from obscurity to extort settlements worth tens of millions of dollars against a variety of corporations was named one of the top lawyers in 2005 by the National Law Journal! But lately he couldn't account for $9,300,000 of settlement money against Bisys Group Inc. The Democrat will plead guilty to two felonies, wire fraud and criminal contempt. Cauley is following in the footsteps of his mentor felon Bill Lerach, also a huge contributor to Democrats, who fronted the cash for Cauley to start his lawfirm. The judge might look for business-jet invoices for the money.

Every day: ACORN, a criminal enterprise? Monday May 2, 2009, the state of Nevada charged ACORN with fraud; the registrar of voters in Las Vegas said he believes 48% of the forms submitted by ACORN are fraudulent. The Deputy Election Commissioner in Philadelphia (a Democrat) complained of at least 1,500 fraudulent voter registrations last fall. Ditto, Matthew Porrer, St. Louis deputy elections director (also a Democrat). In my own Washington State ACORN was fined $25,000 for voter registration fraud in 2007. There have been and are on-going investigations in 14 other states. It finally got to Congress where New York Representative Gerald Nadler chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties was asked by Rep. (Michigan Democrat) John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee to hold hearings. But then he reneged, "Just joking" he didn't say, after changing his mind. (Did ACORN ask him to?) And get this the Chariman of the House Financial Services Committee, inimitable Barney Frank voted for an amendment to a mortgage bill to withhold from receipt of federal housing or legal assistance grants any entity indicted for boter fraud. Later he gutted it and said he, well, really hadn't read it. (Par for that course.) So ACORN can still apply for $2,000,000,000 in funds for doing stuff. And Obama's own Internal Revenue Service filed three tax liens for almost $1,000,000 against ACORN concerning employee withholdings. And last year ACORN's parent, Citizens Consulting Inc. was paid $832,000 by the Obama campaign which was incorrectly described as "staging, sound, lighting" but was actually for getting out the (Democrat) vote. ACORN and the Democrats want free and identification-less voting while Republicans typically would like only proven citizens to vote. Go figure. More on this crime syndicate (?) coming in all probability, but certainly not from its related party, the Democratic Congress.

June 5, 2009: Countrywide Financial Corp., former CEO and others were charged with fraud. Anthony Mozilla was an architect of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investing billions into "sub-prime" mortgages and he provided top Democrat Congressmen with sweetheart mortgages apparently as inducements (vehemently denied, duh!, by said Congress members) to pass laws allowing such activity, which quickly became one of Fan and Fred's largest activities.

May 20, 2009, Norman Hsu, former top fund raiser for the Democratic Party, was convicted of four counts of campaign-finance fraud in New York. To Mr. Hsu, Hillary Clinton said: "What am I going to do with you, Norman? You are working so hard for me...I've never seen anybody who has been more loyal and more effective..." And Mr. Loyal Hsu pled guilty to a Ponzi scheme last month swindling at least $20 million. Our Secretary of State is a great judge of character!+-

May 4, 2009, The chairman of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, Stephen Friedman, sat on the board of directors and had -- and increased -- a stock holding in Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. when it received speedy approval to convert to a bank holding company and receive $10 billion in capital for the Treasury Department. While Friedman argues no conflcit of interest (duh!) he WAS in violation of the rules which bar such stock holdings. Then, of course, he was given a waiver by the Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner. Before and after the waiver, Friedman purchased 52,600 shares (bringing his holdings to 98,600) which, as of today, show a profit of $2.7 million. At the urging of that self-same New York Fed, American International Group (AIG) was bailed out to the tune of $85 billion then and counting (fast) which allowed it to repay $8.1 billion owed to...yes...Goldman Sachs. At the time that repayment transaction was not disclosed.

May 4, 2009: President Barack Obama pledged that lobbyists wouldn't run his administration except when they will. (How do you spell hypocracy?) Recently former lobbyist, William Corr, former executive director of lobby organization "Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids" funded by pharmaceutical companies with a stake in curtailing smoking with the products Nicorette gum and NicoDerm patches, was nominated for #2 in Department of Health and Human Services. The biggest financial supporter of his organization is the Robert Wood Foundation, a large shareholder of Johnson & Johnson producer of those two smoking-cessation products.

4/22/09
Did President Obama's auto czar Steven Rattner's former firm Quadrangle Group "intentionally deceive" the city of New York's pension funds when it failed to disclose paying a finder's fee to now-indicted political advisor' Hank Morris for a New York Pensioin Funds' investment in Rattner's firm's hedge fund? The New York City's comptroller's office is conducting an investigation. The suspense continues.

4/22/09
Democratic Representative from California, Jane Harman, denied any wrongdoing when she was wiretapped having as she said, "casual conversations and kid[ding]around" with pro-Israel lobbyists about seeking leniency for two of them being investigated for espionage by trying to influence the Bush administration. And apparently she was trying to convince Queen Nancy Pelosi to put her on the House intelligence committee, whatever. Change as usual.

4/16/09 News Alert from The Wall Street Journal

Steven Rattner, leader of the auto task force, was one of the investment-firm executives involved with payments now under scrutiny in a state and federal probe into an alleged kickback scheme at New York state's pension fund.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123992516941227309.html#mod=djemalertNEWS

April Fools Day, 2009: "Cabinet pick has tax trouble" (Seattle Times page A4) Another Obama cabinet selection, this time Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, made "errors" on tax returns, this time for fudging charatable contributions, the sale of a home and business expenses. Only $8,000 and "unintentional".

"FBI investigates generous donor to Dicks, Murray" (Seattle Times, March 23, 2009, front page http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008906547_pma23.html ). Seems the PMA Group, Arlington, VA, has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to mostly Democratic members of the Appropriations Committees in exchange said politicians earmarked millions of dollars to PMA clients. These Democrats have killed any effort -- so widely advertized while they and President Obama were running for office -- to rein in such extortion. Hopefully the FBI -- under Obama's Justice Department -- will be allowed to really investigate and also hopefully it won't all be swept under the table by these dirty politicians donating "questionable donations" to charity.

And from another blog, March 30, 2009:
Criminal Inquiry Into Murtha Lobbyist Heats Up
Monday, March 30, 2009 2:28 PMBy: Rick Pedraza

The PMA Group, a lobbying firm that was raided in November as part of a federal criminal probe into embattled Rep. John Murtha, D-Penn., has closed up shop after reports that federal prosecutors recently raided the office and home of its top operative Paul Magliocchetti, the New York Times reports. Magliocchetti, who is under investigation for making campaign donations in the names of other people, reportedly directed tens of millions of dollars in contributions to lawmakers while steering hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarked contracts back to his clients at PMA. Murtha earmarked millions of dollars for the Electro-Optics Center at Penn State University, which then rerouted the money to clients of PMA Group, a military-oriented lobbying firm that has close ties with Murtha, Politico reports. Former PMA staff members familiar with the inquiry tell The Times that prosecutors are focusing on the possibility that Magliocchetti used straw campaign contributors to give large sums in coordination with PMA, whose offices were raided by the FBI in November.
The front, which allegedly funneled illegal donations to friendly lawmakers, carries a felony charge that could result in a minimum sentence of five years.
Prosecutors also are looking into whether violations of longstanding Congressional ethics rules occurred, which could lead to more serious bribery charges if linked to official acts by Murtha.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Murtha has collected $2.37 million in campaign contributions from PMA lobbyists, the Associated Press reports.
“All the combustibles are here for a very salacious set of allegations that could go far beyond his campaign finance problems,” Stanley Brand, a Washington criminal defense lawyer, tells The Times. Murtha, who is head of the House defense appropriations subcommittee, was involved nearly three decades ago in the Abscam corruption probe, a federal investigation that convicted several lawmakers of taking bribes in return for doing business with the government.
A spokesman for Murtha says the lawmaker had done nothing wrong and is not involved in the investigation. The FBI is continuing its investigation into whether Murtha earmarked special-interest spending provisions in return for campaign contributions. “We have not been contacted by any federal agency,” Murtha spokesman Matt Mazonkey tells Newsmax, “and no one is suggesting that Congressman Murtha has anything to do with this investigation.”

"Acting Director of OTS (Office of Thrift Supervision) Put on Leave Amid Probe (From the Wall Street Journal March 27, 2009 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123812215116454401.html )
This was backdating a capital infusion into IndyMac Bankcorp a bank which arguably a letter by Senator Charles Schumer (Democrat) put into failure. This same bank is being bought by investor including Uber Democrat George Soros. Hmmmmmm.

It is reported (The Wall Street Journal, March 20, 2009, page A14, "Congress's Own Liechtenstein") that Democrat, Representative Pete Stark, from California has been claiming --illegally -- that he lives in Maryland to beat the punitive taxes in his home dacha, California. He, along with fellow Congressperson, Democrat from New York (another Soviet colony) Eliot Engel, has been told nada, you can't do that, Comrade Mr. Congressman.

From some blog today, March 19, 2009:
White House Calls Vivek Kundra's 1997 Theft Conviction 'Youthful Indiscretion'Eric Krangel, Silicon Valley Insider. Should a crime committed 12 years ago stick with you forever? That's the question being asked of America's CIO Vivek Kundra. Earlier this week, it surfaced Vivek pled guilty to a charge of misdemeanor theft (less than $300) back in 1997, when he was 22. Nick Shapiro, White House spokesman, weighs in: "Twenty years ago, Vivek committed a youthful indiscretion. He performed community service and we are satisfied that he fully resolved the matter." (1997 was twenty years ago?) There's also an ongoing FBI investigation into bribery and kickbacks at Vivek's old office. "Mr. Kundra has been informed that he is neither a subject nor a target of the investigation," the White House says. Still no word on just what it is Vivek stole.

3/12/2009 Chris Dodd, Chair Senate Banking Committee. Received two preferential-rate mortgages from Angelo R. Mozilo, founder of Countrywide Financial Corporation in 2003. In addition, he -- like President Obama -- entered into a real estate transaction, in Dodd's case a 10-acre estate on the island of Inishnee on Galway Bay off the Ireland Coast, County Galway, purchased with a shady "investor" who sold his share back to Dodd at a low-call price, thus increasing Dodd's net worth by potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. Along with them was Edward Downe, Jr. a convicted insider trader for whom Dodd got then-president Clinton to grant a pardon. It is possible that Sen. Dodd lied on his Senatorial disclosure documents about this transaction.

From another blog, 2-29-09 Economic Crisis, The Audit — April 28, 2009 06:12 PM
Bronte Capital with a Major Scoop on Alleged Fraudster, By Ryan Chittum

John Hempton the excellent Aussie blogger who writes Bronte Capital appears to have a blockbuster of a scoop.
A Connecticut hedge fund called Ponta Negra Group, run by 27-year old Francesco Rusciano has been frozen by the SEC, which accused it of fraud. Hempton was all over this a few weeks ago, but had to take down his posts when Ponta Negra lawyers threatened to sue him. They’re back up now.
But the big news here is Hempton’s discovery that the allegedly fraudulent fund has some, um, oddly coincidental connections to Vice President Joe Biden’s son and brother, who run a firm called Paradigm Global. The firms are run out of the same floor at 650 Fifth Avenue in New York, share the same “marketer,” a guy named Jeffrey Schneider of Onyx Capital LLC, whose website is currently down, and the SEC filing gives a phone number for Ponta Negra that goes through Paradigm’s switchboard.

This wouldn’t be the first time the Bidens’ fund has intersected with an alleged fraudster. Two months ago it was discovered to be entangled with disgraced financier Allen Stanford in a $50 million fund co-branded Paradigm Stanford Fund and marketed by Stanford.
Mr. Schneider was involved in that joint venture, which the Bidens say they made without ever even meeting Mr. Stanford: A Paradigm marketer, Jeffrey Schneider, confirmed accounts provided by others that he brought in the Stanford business. Stanford would bring clients to the fund and Paradigm would manage it, according to Mr. LoPresti. Now, I suppose there could just be an amazing amount of coincidences here. Hempton is good on the “to-be-sure” stuff:
I was worried at first that Ponta Negra might be a legitimate fund headquartered in another cubicle on the 17th Floor of 650 Fifth Avenue. It turns out that there are several funds also HQ’d there. Paradigm it seems does all the signage on the floor – but once you get past the couple of Paradigm people on the front desk you find several doors behind which reside several hedge funds – a hedge fund hotel if you want. Most of the offices were empty mid-morning – which was very surprising. These funds are largely marketed by Paradigm. Still there could be a fund (Ponta Negra) independent of Paradigm on the 17th floor. There could be – they too would need to employ a Jeffrey Schneider as a marketing agent.
But let’s face it:
Ok – by this point you should at least be open to the possibility that the Vice President’s son and brother employ someone who uses the good Biden name and a stolen client list to market Ponzi schemes. There is no allegation here that the Bidens are involved. Just that their standard of due diligence is low. Very low. Now the Biden’s hedge fund hotel contains an assortment of other colourful funds. One of them is a SIPC registered broker dealer who also manages client money. This broker dealer does not list their auditor anywhere on their website. However they report startlingly good funds management results for 2006 and 2007 though they have surprisingly failed to update their website to include 2008 results. Their website boasts that their trades will be completed with zero commissions and transaction charges allowing them to focus exclusively on the investments that best meet the needs of the clients without the concern of transaction charges and hidden revenue sharing…
Here’s what Dow Jones says about Rusciano:
According to the complaint, Rusciano previously worked at UBS Securities before forming the Ponta Negra Group, but was later forced to resign after he allegedly misreported certain Brazilian bond transactions and non-deliverable forwards. He now also faces charges by the Federal Reserve that he engaged in illegal trading and banking practices and schemed to defraud UBS by trying to conceal major losses, the complaint said. After starting up his own company, the SEC further claims he never disclosed the Fed’s allegations against him or the reasons why he left UBS.
Not only did Hempton break the news on what he originally called a “Ponzi scheme” before having to take it down under legal threat, he’s put together this Biden family connection.
Just outstanding work.
It wouldn’t be the first time a fraud has been cracked by a blogger before the big media and regulators lumber around to it. Alex Dalmady broke the Stanford scandal, with a big push from Felix Salmon, then at Portfolio—and got disgracefully little credit by the media.
This is going to be a big story. I’ll be eyeballing the press closely to see how it handles attributing the news to the Bronte Capital blog.
(h/t Felix Salmon)

A fund of hedge funds managed by the brother and son of the Vice President of the United States, Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. , was marketed exclusively by disgraced and accused Texas "financier" (crook?) R. Allen Stanford. It is alleged by the Securities and Exchange Commission that he engaged in an $8 billion fraud. The fund, co-branded by Stanford Financial Group and the Bidens' Paradign Global Advisors LLC was Paradigm Stanford Capital Management Core Alternative Fund and had $50 million, including $2.7 million of Stanford cash for seed money. Little Biden son, Hunter, wanted to be a hedge fund operator like the big boys and apparently bought Paradigm with Uncle James -- Joe Biden's brother. Apparently Joe didn't want HuntHunt to be a lobbyist, which he was, when Daddy ran for President, which he laughingly did. Even John Edwards beat him. And with respect to its purchase the Bidens are suing some guy named Anthony Lotito Jr. who sounds like an Italian. Can't say it's illegal, but did those 104 investors ($49.8 million) want something from VP or Senator Honest Joe? Also can't say if HuntHunt or Uncle Jim knew anything about hedging or investing. The hugely successful asbestos litigation firm, SimmonsCooper invested put up $2,000,000 for Hunter and Uncle Jim after teaming with another Joe son, Beau Biden's firm in Wilmington, Del.In 2005, SimmonsCooper shifted its focus away from Madison County, Illinois, after Chief Judge Edward Ferguson transferred the mammoth asbestos docket from Circuit Judge Nicholas Byron to Circuit Judge Daniel Stack. The firm targeted Delaware because many businesses incorporate there and the firm's roster of defendants always includes Delaware corporations.No one at SimmonsCooper held a Delaware law license, so Beau Biden's firm filed the suits and SimmonsCooper identified itself as, "of counsel."Beau Biden dropped an asbestos defense client to accommodate SimmonsCooper.At the same time, Joe Biden resisted asbestos litigation reform in the Senate judiciary committee. HuntHunt and Uncle Jim reportedly bought Paradigm from a drug addict with a partner who specialized in providing ACCESS to public employee retirement funds for money managers and apparently had been engaged in touting a number of penny stock "investments". In addition there were rumors of "side deals", kickbacks and representation by a lawyer heading to prison for fraud. All this is too sick for me to continue. He is our vice (so to speak) president, anyone interested in this crap can Google it all.

And speaking of ..."Texas Businesman Sought for Influence in Corridors of Capitol. (The Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, February 18, 2009, page A13) and the next article down. "SEC Charges Financier Stanford With 'Massive' $8 Billion Fraud". Both are about Texas "businessman" R. Allen Stanford, of the Biden article above, and how 1) he stole and 2) contributed greatly to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D. N.Y.), iand $250,000 to the Democratic Party, among other Democratic coffers. His main lobbiest is Ben Barnes, "influential Democratic lobbyist and fund-raiser, Men Barnnes to whom he paid $1,125,000 lobbying for Stanford Financial Group. Stanford is also fighting the IRS over $70,000,000 in back taxes and interest.

Is the NY Times (or Seattle Times, for that matter) railing about Democrat corruption yet?

REPUBLICAN

Ummm, none this year so far, oh wait some senator just announced that he had had an affair.