Coleman Misleads State Fair Visitor on Links to Pay-to-Play Oil Scandal
Posted in Press Releases on August 26th, 2008
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Another Day, Another Ethics Mess For The Special Interest Senator
Saint Paul [08/26/08] – Under fire for his ties to a pay-to-play oil scandal that has already resulted in the indictment of a fellow Republican Senator, Alaska’s Ted Stevens, and the conviction of two Coleman donors and oil executives on bribery charges, Norm Coleman (R – Big Oil) responded to constituent questions about the scandal the same way he has since questions about his ethics arose: he lied.
Communications Director Andy Barr:
“They say it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up. Well, here it IS the crime: Coleman donors – whose money he refuses to return – have been convicted of bribing public officials. And Ted Stevens – whose money Coleman also refuses to return and who paid for Coleman’s luxury fishing trips to Alaska – has been indicted after accepting improper gifts. But now Coleman is adding the cover-up, lying to a constituent about his role in the affair. It’s time for Norm Coleman to come clean about his fishy relationships with special interests – and it’s time for a change in Washington.”
The following interaction occurred at Coleman’s State Fair booth:
VOTER: I saw the Al Franken commercial about Alaska…
COLEMAN: Wait, I gotta tell you. I went on a charity fishing trip. 501C3, prove me – yeah, run it by the Ethics Committee. There are 74 boats in that; one of them obviously had somebody in it who had trouble. I wasn’t fishing with him!
In fact, Coleman WAS fishing with Bill Allen, the person “who had trouble.” Not only that, Allen helped to organize the trip and joined Stevens in donating and bundling money for the Coleman campaign.
Coleman still refuses to return contributions from Stevens, Allen, and another convicted VECO executive.
Click here to watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwyZhpud_Ao
Get the facts:
FACT: Convicted VECO President Bill Allen Helped Organize And Participated In Coleman’s Free Luxury Fishing Trips To Alaska
VECO President Bill Allen Participated With Coleman In 2004 Kenai River Classic; Was A Longtime Organizer Of The Classic. According to the Kenai River Classic website, Coleman attended the 2004 Kenai River Classic, as did VECO President Bill Allen. According to National Public Radio, “For years, Bill Allen was a supporter of two Alaskan charities with ties to the state’s senior senator, Ted Stevens, and his former Republican colleague Frank Murkowski. The charities have spent millions on lavish fishing tournaments, bringing Washington bigwigs to Alaska to catch salmon and mingle with executives and lobbyists.” [Kenai River Classic Website, via the Internet Archive, Accessed 8/20/08; National Public Radio, 10/15/07]
FACT: Allen And Indicted Senator Ted Stevens Bundled Thousands Of Dollars For Coleman’s Campaign
Stevens And Convicted VECO Executive Bill Allen Bundled Money For Coleman. According to National Public Radio, “The experience of Norm Coleman shows this process in action, and the risks of these relationships: In the summer of 2002, Stevens and Allen worked together to pump more than $100,000 into hard-fought Senate races. Coleman, in Minnesota, got close to $25,000 from Stevens — including a bundle of contributions from Alaskans dominated by Allen’s company.” [National Public Radio, 10/15/07]
FACT: Coleman Refuses To Return $12,000 In Contributions He Got From Stevens, $2,000 From Allen And Another Convicted Former VECO Executive.
Coleman Has Taken $32,000 From Stevens’ PAC And Campaign Committee. According to the Center for Responsive Politics and the Federal Election Commission, Coleman’s campaigns and PAC have taken $30,000 from Stevens’ Northern Lights PAC. His 2002 campaign took $10,000, his 2008 campaign took $10,000 and his PAC took $10,000. Coleman’s 2002 campaign also took $2,000 from Stevens’ campaign. [Center for Responsive Politics; Federal Election Commission]
Coleman Took $6,000 From VECO Employees, Including Convicted Executives Bill Allen And Rick Smith. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Coleman’s campaigns have taken $6,000 from employees of VECO, including $1,000 from CEO Bill Allen and Vice President Rick Smith. [Center for Responsive Politics]
Coleman Participated In Stevens’ Fishing Trips Three Times. In October 2007, National Public Radio reported, “Coleman won, and a few months later Stevens invited him to Alaska for a fishing trip. Coleman took his son, and returned for three straight years. Cultivating a close relationship with Stevens, who controlled billions in federal spending, was an important part of Coleman’s job. But accepting these free trips carried a risk, says Merideth MeGehee at the Campaign Legal Center … Federal election law allowed political committees to pay for Coleman’s flights to Alaska. Senate ethics rules let him accept free flights from Anchorage to the fishing tournament, and to stay free at a private riverside home. Federal law, however, does require political committees that pay for such trips to register with the Federal Elections Commission. The committee Stevens’ allies set up to pay for Coleman’s first trip to Alaska didn’t — and that may be a violation of campaign finance laws, according to a former FEC general counsel and other experts.” [National Public Radio, 10/15/07]
