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Governor Ultrasound indicted
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 9:01 PM
ELVISCHRIST
Quote:Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, once viewed as a rising star in the GOP, and his wife were indicted Tuesday on federal corruption charges accusing the couple of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in loans, shopping sprees, money for their daughter's wedding — and even a joyride in a Ferrari — from the owner of a company that makes health supplements. The 14-count indictment portrays the former governor as deeply entrenched in credit card debt even before he took office and willing to accept lavish gifts from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, who hoped the first couple's endorsement for his products would yield big profits for his company.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 10:36 PM
AURAPTOR
America loves a winner!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 1:42 AM
SHINYGOODGUY
Quote:Originally posted by ElvisChrist: Former Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell, Wife Indicted Quote:Former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, once viewed as a rising star in the GOP, and his wife were indicted Tuesday on federal corruption charges accusing the couple of accepting tens of thousands of dollars in loans, shopping sprees, money for their daughter's wedding — and even a joyride in a Ferrari — from the owner of a company that makes health supplements. The 14-count indictment portrays the former governor as deeply entrenched in credit card debt even before he took office and willing to accept lavish gifts from Star Scientific CEO Jonnie Williams, who hoped the first couple's endorsement for his products would yield big profits for his company. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/va-gov-bob-mcdonnell-wife-indicted-21614637 I guess Geezer was too busy editing the facts out of his Wendy Davis coverage to notice this one.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 9:21 AM
NIKI2
Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...
Quote:1. It All Started With An Inauguration Dress According to the indictment, Bob McDonnell and Williams, the now-former CEO of an embattled dietary supplements company called Star Scientific, had never met before McDonnell began running for governor -- and they only met in 2009 after McDonnell's staff asked Williams if they could use his private plane for the campaign. It didn't take long for more favors to pile up. In December 2009, after a successful Election Day, the McDonnells allegedly met with Williams at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. Bob McDonnell was in town for a political event. During their meeting, Maureen McDonnell asked Williams for help finding a designer dress to wear at her husband's upcoming inauguration. One of Bob McDonnell's senior aides soon raised concerns about the idea of Williams buying Maureen McDonnell a dress -- which set her off. "I need to talk to you about Inaugural clothing budget," Maureen McDonnell wrote in an email to the aide on Dec. 21, 2009. "I need answers and Bob is screaming about the thousands I'm charging up in credit card debt. We are broke, have an unconscionable amount in credit card debt already, and this Inaugural is killing us!! I need answers and I need help, and I need to get this done." Later, Maureen McDonnell told Williams she would take a "rain check" on the dress. 2. The McDonnells Were Deeply In Debt If the email from Maureen McDonnell doesn't make it clear, the rest of the indictment does: the McDonnells were struggling financially when they moved into Virginia's Executive Mansion. As has been previously reported, Bob McDonnell and his sister co-owned a small real estate company company called MoBo, which owned and rented out a couple of homes in Virginia Beach, Va. According to the indictment, the properties needed "capital infusions of up to $60,000 annually to meet mortgage payments and other expenses." The McDonnells turned to friends and family for loans to make up the money. They thought about selling, but the property values were falling. In early May 2011, Maureen McDonnell and Williams meet privately at the Executive Mansion. According to the indictment, she told Williams that she and her husband "were having severe financial difficulties" and did not know how they would pay for their daughter's upcoming wedding expenses. She asked Williams for a $50,000 loan, as well as a $15,000 to pay the remaining catering costs for the wedding. According to the indictment, Maureen wasn't just asking for a handout. "[Maureen McDonnell] also told [Williams] that she could help Star Scientific but that she needed [Williams'] financial assistance," the indictment states. The McDonnells money trouble connected to the rental houses appears to have continued for much of Bob McDonnell's time as governor. On Feb. 10, 2013, McDonnell sent an email to his five children, and copied Maureen. "Kids," he wrote. "Asking for help. need to rent the beach houses at Sandbridge more. Willing to give your friends a discount for the times it's tougher to rent." 3. Bob McDonnell Allegedly Knew About The First Big Loan From Williams A big lingering question in the scandal was just how much Bob McDonnell had known about the $120,000 in total payments that Williams made to him and his family in 2011 and 2012. In October, a private spokesperson for McDonnell said the Republican had not been aware of the first $50,000 payment, made in May 2011, until "after the funds had been spent." The indictment offers a different version of events, one that Williams reportedly gave to federal investigators. According to the document, Williams spoke with Bob McDonnell before making the first loan, and McDonnell told Williams about "the defendants' financial difficulties." Williams allegedly agreed to provide the first $50,000 with a two-year term at five percent interest. He also informed McDonnell that loan paperwork wouldn't be necessary. 4. But Some Of Williams' Help May Have Come As A Surprise On Jan. 25, 2012, Bob McDonnell got an email from his brother-in-law, who was helping to manage the rental properties. "For MoBo, I talked with [Maureen] last week and she had me talk to the guy who is helping us," the brother-in-law wrote. "He said he was going to call me the next day to get an address so he could send the first check. I did not hear from him and I left [Maureen] a message yesterday. We'll need to get that in the next week so we can keep up-to-date." Two days later, Bob forwarded that email to Maureen. "Maureen who are we talking about that is helping us and talking to [the brother-in-law]?? [Williams]?" he wrote. Maureen replied the same day. "Just got home. I'll talk w u upstairs." she wrote On March 6, Williams had an assistant write out a check to MoBo for $50,000. The loan, which was not documented, allegedly included a two percent interest rate and a three-year term. 5. Bob McDonnell Asked For $20,000 Via A Text Message The indictment contains documentation of McDonnell allegedly asking Williams for money. "Per voicemail would like to see if you could extend another 20k loan for this year," McDonnell texted to Williams on May 18, 2012." Call if possible and I'll ask [the brother-in-law] to send instructions." Williams responded, also by text: "Done, tell me who to make it out to and address. Will FedEx." 6. People Discussed Using Virginia Employees As Dietary Guinea Pigs This is perhaps the craziest idea contained in the indictment. In August 2011, following an email from Bob McDonnell to Virginia's secretary of health, Maureen McDonnell met at the Executive Mansion with Williams and one of the secretary's senior policy advisors. At that meeting, according to the indictment, Williams discussed the idea of having Virginia government employees use Anatabloc, Star Scientific's anti-inflammatory dietary supplement, "as a control group for research studies." This wasn't the only time this kind of idea came up. In October 2011, according to the indictment, Maureen McDonnell accompanied Williams and a research scientist who consulted for Star Scientific to a company event in Grand Blanc, Mich. They took Williams' private plane, and during the flights there and back, they discussed the potential health benefits of Anatabloc, the company's anti-inflammatory dietary supplement, and the need for clinical studies. The scientist later emailed Maureen McDonnell a summary of their discussions. In it, he suggested it might be useful "to perform a study of Virginia government employees… to determine the prevalences [sic] of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions." 7. Bob McDonnell Told Virginia Officials That He Took Anatabloc On March 21, 2012, Bob McDonnell met with Virginia's secretary of administration and one of the secretary's aides, to talk about the state's employee health plan, and ways to reduce costs. At that meeting, McDonnell pulled some Anatabloc out of his pocket. He allegedly told the secretary that Anatabloc had beneficial health effects, and that he was taking it, and that it was working well for him. McDonnell allegedly suggested that they reach out to the "Anatabloc people." 8. Maureen McDonnell Allegedly Lied To Law Enforcement The indictment contains a number of examples of Maureen McDonnell allegedly trying to cover her tracks. One of the more overt instances took place in February 2013, when Maureen was interviewed by law enforcement officials about the money Williams had given the McDonnells in 2011. According to the indictment, Maureen McDonnell "falsely claimed that there was a loan agreement that she had signed and that she was making periodic payments on the $50,000 loan." She also "falsely claimed that [Bob McDonnell] had met [Williams] 'many years ago.'" http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/mcdonnell-indictment-revelations
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 1:46 PM
GEEZER
Keep the Shiny side up
Quote:Originally posted by ElvisChrist: I guess Geezer was too busy editing the facts out of his Wendy Davis coverage to notice this one.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 2:00 PM
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 2:24 PM
BIGDAMNNOBODY
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: I guess Geezer is constitutionally incapable of addressing the actual issue of a thread nowadays, and only capable of trying to turn the conversation to some other story--about a Democrat, of course. The concept of starting his own thread has become incomprehensible to him...and/or apparently he doesn't want to discuss Gov. Ultrasound, but can't refrain from posting.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014 6:17 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: I guess Geezer is constitutionally incapable of addressing the actual issue of a thread nowadays, and only capable of trying to turn the conversation to some other story
Thursday, January 23, 2014 9:39 AM
Thursday, January 23, 2014 6:30 PM
Quote: Clearly said I didn't want to discuss them and why I brought them up
Thursday, January 23, 2014 6:55 PM
Quote:The McDonnells were both indicted this week on public corruption charges for allegedly accepting and concealing tens of thousands of dollars in payments and gifts from Williams. The case against them begins with the conversation about the dress. In the government's telling, it was Maureen McDonnell who initiated the gifts-and-cash aspect of the McDonnells' relationship with Williams. When one of the governor-to-be's senior aides later pushed back against the idea of Williams buying her inauguration dress, Maureen got mad. "I need to talk to you about Inaugural clothing budget," she wrote in an email to the aide on Dec. 21, 2009. "I need answers and Bob is screaming about the thousands I'm charging up in credit card debt. We are broke, have an unconscionable amount in credit card debt already, and this Inaugural is killing us!! I need answers and I need help, and I need to get this done." Maureen later told Williams she would take a "rain check" on the dress. The indictment against the McDonnells is full of similar moments, which portray the former Virginia First Couple, and Maureen in particular, as the takers in their relationship with Williams. (Here's a good place to remember that Williams has been cooperating with prosecutors since the summer.) The result is a reversal of a standard scandal script. Instead of a donor shaking down a politician, it was the politician and his wife allegedly shaking down the donor. Another example: On May 2, 2011, Williams met privately with Maureen at Virginia's Executive Mansion. Maureen confessed to Williams that she and Bob were having serious money problems. They didn't know how they were going to pay for their daughter's upcoming wedding. She asked Williams for a $50,000 loan and, after he asked how much money was needed for the wedding, she asked for an additional $15,000 to cover catering costs. Maureen also, according to the indictment, told Williams she "could help Star Scientific but that she needed [his] financial assistance." For those who have been following the story, Maureen's prominent role in the indictment was not a surprise. Her part in the case began getting serious attention in mid-2013, when the governor and his team began drawing bright lines between her past actions and his. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Maureen over the summer communicated to prosecutors that she felt responsible for her and her husband's relationship with Williams. Her attorney asked if there was a way to resolve the case without charges for Bob. According to the Post, prosecutors weren't interested. Months later, Bob reportedly rejected a proposed deal where he would have pleaded guilty to a single felony bank fraud charge while his wife avoided charges. The indictment made public this week does provides plenty of examples of Bob McDonnell availing himself of Williams' deep pockets. (At one point the governor allegedly sent Williams a text message asking for $20,000.) But it's Maureen's words and actions that stand out the most. "Pls call [Williams] today get him to fill u in on where this is at," Maureen wrote on Feb. 10, 2012 to the same governor's aide she had emailed about the inauguration dress. "Gov wants to know why nothing has developed w studies after [Williams] gave $200,000. I'm just trying to talk w [Williams]. Gov wants to get this going w VCU MCV." The email followed an earlier one concerning the possibility of state universities submitting grant applications to research one of Star Scientific's products. Since the indictment was filed on Tuesday, both Bob McDonnell and his legal team have argued that he broke no laws when he accepted the gifts and money from Williams. But the case against the McDonnells also alleges that the couple took steps to conceal the money they'd received from Williams. Bob filled out a loan application that left out Williams loans to him and his family, while Maureen, once again, took more dramatic action. On Feb. 28, 2013, law enforcement agents interviewed Maureen McDonnell. According to the indictment, Maureen lied to the agents about the $50,000 loan Williams had given the McDonnells, saying she had signed a written loan agreement and that she was making periodic payments. She also claimed that her husband had met Williams "many years ago," when, she said, they worked together at a hospital supply company. A number of days later, Maureen gave a box and a letter to Williams' brother, and asked him to deliver it to Williams for her. In the box was some of the clothing Williams had bought for Maureen back in 2011 during a luxury shopping trip in New York. There was also a handwritten note made out to Williams and his wife. "I can't begin to thank you how special you made me feel on [the McDonnells' daughter's] wedding day and on our 35th Wedding Anniversary Day all dressed up in the beautiful outfits you adorned me in on both momentous occasions," Maureen wrote. "I'm so happy we've been able to share so many significant milestones in our lives with you both! I truly hope your daughter will now be able to enjoy these lovely outfits and show them off on many grand occasions. If not, I'm sure there are many exemplary charitable organizations like we talked about who would welcome the opportunity to auction them for a wonderful cause having been worn only once by the First Lady of Virginia to her daughter's Wedding at the Executive Mansion and celebrating her 35th Wedding Anniversary with the Governor. Actually, if that happens I think I'll be there to bid on them myself! Please know that we cherish our friendship with you and look forward to many more wonderful memories together ahead! XOXO! Maureen McDonnell" http://talkingpointsmemo.com/muckraker/maureen-mcdonnell-gifts
Thursday, January 23, 2014 11:15 PM
Thursday, January 23, 2014 11:16 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Niki2: Did that PRECISELY to draw a parallel with what you and Rap do consistently, as well as to make a statement about perspective about that particular issue. Clearly said I didn't want to discuss them and why I brought them up; you know that full well and are merely doing exactly the thing I pointed out: trying to change the subject and trolling.
Friday, January 24, 2014 9:05 AM
Friday, January 24, 2014 9:14 AM
Quote: Corzine fails to win dismissal of CFTC's MF Global lawsuit Tue Jan 21, 2014 4:58pm GMT By Joseph Ax NEW YORK, Jan 21 (Reuters) - A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a bid by former MF Global Holdings Ltd Chief Executive Officer Jon Corzine to dismiss a U.S. regulator's lawsuit that claims he played a key role in causing one of the country's biggest bankruptcies ever.
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