It’s the kind of stuff that can’t be made up. But hey – it’s not as if Sarah Anderson hasn’t had video-worthy activities in St. Paul before – let’s look!

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)

That, Ladies and Gents, is a Tweet from the Independence Party Of Minnesota, the Party that (for now) has Major Party status.

Overwhelmingly, Democrats in Minnesota oppose the GreedOverPrinciples Party’s bigoted and hateful proposal to amend Minnesota’s Constitution by restricting the rights of our LGBT Brothers and Sisters. Specifically, they want to deny the right of our LGBT Sisters and Brothers to marry, thereby insuring Minnesota stays a state where marriage is an institution of “One Man And One Woman (at a time).”

And according to that tweet from the Independence Party, they reject Republican bigotry and hate, too.

Add into that Ron Paul’s strong showing in Minnesota last night, and it looks like Minnesota may be the very first state to reject an anti-LGBT amendment to a State Constitution!

To ensure defeat, there’s a lot of work to be done. Fortunately, Minnesotans United For ALL Families is out there working hard – I saw ‘em at my Caucus Precinct last night, and was told they were all over this great state.

Go show ‘em some love, would ya? When I pledge allegiance to the flag, it ends: “…with Liberty and Justice for all.”

Yes, “all” - which includes my LGBT Brothers and Sisters.

Yours, too.

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

In Part 5 we looked at at the official FEC Complaint – filed 12 Jan 2012 – by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (“CREW”). In Part 6 we looked at the MN GOP misrepresenting their expenses. In Part & we looked at how the MN GOP categorized pay for a guy that they very well may have been paying to run for state senate – Lakeville’s Dave Thompson in SD-36.

Today in Part 8 of the continuing Cooked Books Series we’re going to take a look at a MN GOP Campaign Finance Report line item that begs the question: did the State GOP pay for a lawyer for a State Representative’s lawyer in a drunk driving case?

Here’s the background: endorsed GOPer 2010 candidate for Governor Tom Emmer’s campaign was getting hammered over alcohol related incidents, including a certain paid campaign staffer that happened to be Emmer’s kid. The campaign did NOT need any more alocohol-related incidents. Apparently, campaign “consultant” Mark Buesgens, state rep from district 35-B, didn’t get the memo – he got caught driving drunk with an open bottle of vodka.

Team Emmer’s Drinking Team promptly dumped Buesgens. Note the “note” at the bottom of the last entry: “final payment.”

(link to image here)

Now, the “official story” put out by Team Emmer’s Drinking Team was: “Hey! It’s just a coincidence, but: just the day before Buesgens got caught driving drunk into the ditch, we ditched him and he went to work for the State GOP!!!”

Yeah, “right.”

Let’s take a look at the timeline, as reported on Buesgen’s court records:

(link to image here)

September 18th, 2010 – Busgens gets caught in a ditch with an open bottle of vodka; blows a .16 blood-alcohol content.

September 24th, 2010 – Buesgens cited in Wright County

November 5th, 2010 – Guilty plea entered, case all but settled (final disposition November 23rd, 2010.

Now, remember how in the scramble to distance themselves from the guy in the ditch (with an open bottle of vodka), Team Emmer’s Drinking Team said “Hey! Buesgen’s isn’t OUR bad boy; he’s the GOP’s!!!”

Well, Buesgens does indeed show up on the State GOP’s state Campaign Finance Report for 2010:

Five days after blowing a .16, Buesgens has the good fortune of getting a check from the State GOP for $2,584.62.

Five days before his drunk driving & open bottle case is all but over, Buesgens pulls another check from FEC Tony & Co for $8, 615.38 — for a grand total of eleven grand: $11,000.00.

Coincidences? Or, do those checks look like “retainer & final payment” to defend a drunk driving & open bottle case?

At any rate, it sure looks like a sweet deal for Buesgens; he goes from about $7k a month with Emmer to $11k with the GOP!!!

I’d ask the State GOP for an explanation of why Buesgen’s $11k paydays – in about a month – was for actual work, and not just a pass-through to Buesgen’s lawyer, but: it’s not like they really like to talk to the ol’ TwoPutter. Not that I – or anyone else for that matter – would/should believe ‘em; after all: reasonable people no longer have any reason to believe anything a GOPer official – party nor elected – has to say.

The State GOP needs to prove that the $11k Buesgens got was for actual work – because it sure looks like it simply paid a defense attorney for the actual work of defending one of their own.

If I were a GOPer, I’d be mad as (heck) to think my political donations went to a defense attorney for a guy that drove drunk into the ditch with an open bottle of vodka.

As a progressive, I’m simply not surprised. After all, today’s GOP is morally bankrupt, intellectually dishonest, and institutionally corrupt.

There’s a LOT more, in the GOP’s state and federal financial reports so:

Stay tuned!

And, let’s hope some prosecutor, somewhere, is thinking: “Isn’t it about time to get a Grand Jury together, and do a little digging ourselves?”

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)

Today in Part 7 of the continuing Cooked Books Series we’re going to take a look at how the MN GOP categorized pay for a guy that they very well may have been paying to run for state senate – Lakeville’s Dave Thompson in SD-36.

Long story, short: for over 7 years, Thompson was a RWNJ Shock-Jock on AM radio in the Twin Cities. Looking for a better gig, he decided to run in 2009 against FEC Tony (pictured above) for state GOP Party Chair. Thompson lost; as best as I remember it, it really came down to this: Thompson wanted the $100k (+/-) that came with the job; ol’ FEC Tony would do the gig for free. Why would FEC Tony do the gig for free? That, gentle readers, is a story for a later day! At any rate, FEC Tony beats Thmpson for party Chair. Here’s where it gets interesting….

According to media reports, shortly after winning, FEC Tony & Dave Thompson agreed to a contract wherein Thompson would do consulting for GOP candidates. All told, the number being reported is Thompson has taken home a cool $70k.

Here’s the kicker: that $70k being reported, is being reported as coming from FEC reports. Because, the MN GOP hasn’t reported any dough being sent Thompson’s way on their State Campaign Finance Reports.

Which means for the MN GOP to NOT have any more FEC problems than they already have, ALL of the dough better have been spent for Thompson “consulting” for Federal Candidates only.

Stay tuned!

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)

Today in Part 6 of the continuing Cooked Books Series we’re going to take a look at the MN GOP misrepresenting what one of their expenses was for – let’s look!

OK, everybody got that? “Cadfael Investigative, Inc” & “”Office Copies” & “$5,000.00″ that’s a line item on the MN GOP’s state Campaign Finance Report.

That one jumped out at me because we know that you can’t believe what Republicans say, ESPECIALLY in campaign reports. Why would an investigative company be running up a tab for “office copies”??!?

Well, take it away, Minnesota Public Radio’s Tom Scheck!

Chairman’s spending decisions on insiders helped lead to GOP debt
by Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio,
Catharine Richert, Minnesota Public Radio
January 20, 2012
.
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PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA

The spending included some peculiar choices, too.

One was a payment of $5,000 the party made in November 2010 to Cadfael Investigative Group. The owner, Tom Rucke, said he was paid to look into allegations of voter fraud extending from the 2010 governor’s race. He said he reported some allegations to the Hennepin County Attorney’s office, the agency that would typically do that type of investigation. (full story, here)

OK, the question was: “Why would an investigative company be running up a tab for “office copies”??!?”

The answer is: they weren’t.

“…look into allegations of voter fraud…” is what the expense was for, but the MN GOP reported it as “office copies”??!?

Why would they do that?

Well, as we noted in Part 4 of this continuing Cooked Books Series, they also misrepresented what a Vendor’s address was.

There’s a pattern here, and it’s this: reasonable people have no reason to reasonably believe anything a GOP Official says.

Then-RNC Chair Michael Steele said it best: “You have absolutely no reason – none – to trust our words or actions at this point.”.

True then, true now, and tomorrow won’t be any different.

It’s getting near the point that a RICO Investigation of the Minnesota GOP is warranted.

Stay tuned!

Oh – and make sure you go read Tom Scheck & Catharine Richert’s story at Minnesota Public Radio…

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

“(W)e refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.”

We’ve come a long way since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke those words on a fateful summer day in 1963.

But despite the great strides that have been made over the last half century, there is still work required of us to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity of which King dreamed.

While we are a rich country, too many children attend failing schools.

While many Americans prosper, too many are working too hard for too little.

While bigotry and intolerance are rightly shunned, too many politicians in Washington still quietly seek to perpetuate divisions–based on race, religion, gender and sexuality. They still tell us that those who differ from us are to be feared.

Yes, we’re a better, stronger, more just society than we were in 1963, but there is work left to be done.

So as we honor Dr. King on Monday, let us also take time to renew the calling of his life and make it our own–in this election and beyond.

Sincerely,

Brian Barnes

www.barnes.mn

Brian Barnes has announced his candidacy to replace the guy on the “right” – Erik Paulsen. What can I say about Paulsen in just a few words? Well, career-politician Erik Paulsen first door knocked me WAY back, when running for the Minnesota State House – I didn’t like Paulsen’s politics then and I damn sure don’t like them now. Oh – and his voting record closely resembles Michele Bachmann’s. If you believe the 1% needs devoted water carriers in Washington D.C., Paulsen’s just the guy.

Brian Barnes, on the other hand, has been a union member. He’s been active in the Democratic Party (“DFL” here in Minnesota). He’s a graduate of the Coast Guard Merchant Marine Academy, achieved the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Naval Reserves, is a successful businessman. Oh – and Brian is an Eagle Scout, too.

It’s a clear contrast. And if you support the 1% and Erik Paulsen, you need not do a thing – Wall Street Fat Cats are making sure Paulsen has PLENTY of dough for November’s election. If you support the 99%, Brian can use your help, and you can help out via Brian’s Act Blue page.

It’s fitting Brain Barnes took that quote to honor Martin Luther King Day; that quote is from MLK’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech, which Dr, King delivered on August 28, 1963. As Brain said above, we HAVE come a long way since Dr. King’s speech – and there’s work left to be done. So, let’s DO IT!

To help you get ready for Monday’s Martin Luther King Day, here’s a YouTube of Dr. King’s speech, over music – enjoy!

(the song above – “Spiritual High (Part 3)” – is from the album “Mood Food” by Mood Swings, and is available where I buy my music – The Electric Fetus. If you like Chrissie Hynde, check out “Spiritual High (Part 1)” – Chrissie singing at her best!)

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)

In

Today in Part 5 of the continuing Cooked Books Series we’re going to take a look at the official FEC Complaint – filed yesterday – by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (“CREW”).

CREW Files Second FEC Complaint Against Republican Party of Minnesota
January 11th, 2012

Washington, D.C. – Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against the Republican Party of Minnesota (RPM) and its former chairman and treasurer, Anthony Sutton. The complaint alleges the RPM violated the Federal Election Campaign Act and a conciliation agreement the party signed less than five months ago with the FEC by deliberately hiding its debts from FEC investigators. Back in 2007, CREW had filed a similar complaint against the RPM, leading the FEC to impose a $170,000 fine last summer.

“The Republican Party of Minnesota’s FEC reports haven’t reflected the party’s actual financial condition for nearly a decade and make a mockery of the public’s right to know,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan. “There appears to be ample evidence Mr. Sutton, repeatedly lied to FEC investigators for years to achieve the party’s political goals. Party officials signed a conciliation agreement with the FEC pledging the party would clean up its act and – less than six months later – we discover absolutely nothing has changed.” (more, here)

OK, a little about that $170,000 fine – the MN GOP had to make a $20,000 down payment; it agreed to pay off the remaining $150,000 debt in ten equal installments. I’m just putting this paragraph in because I enjoy seeing this picture of a GOPer check to the Feds! I’ll be even happier when I can link to a picture of a MN GOPer doing a perp walk, though….

Back to CREW’s complaint:

On December 30, 2011, the RPM held a news conference to announce the party had conducted an internal review revealing $2 million in debts, including $415,211 that had never been reported to the FEC. According to party officials, they had been fighting with party treasurer Anthony Sutton over the release of party financial information, but had been unable to obtain the records until Sutton resigned. As RPM’s treasurer, Sutton appears to have filed false reports with the FEC.

Federal law requires state committees like the RPM to disclose all outstanding debts and obligations. In addition, knowingly and willfully filing false reports with the FEC is a federal crime. (more, here)

“…knowlingly and willfully filing false reports with the FEC is a federal crime.”

Bring on the Perp Walk!!!

OK, a little more from/for Part 4 of the continuing Cooked Books Series. We demonstrated how the MN GOP reported the address of a registered vendor – “Fundraising Assoicates” – as a duplex a few miles away from their actual registered address (“7705 Tanglewood Court“). We went on to point out that “Fundraising Associates” had it’s registered address appear on a FEC report filed by a Michele Bachmann related entity just around a year earlier, in 2010 (“4035 W. 65th Street“).

While perusing the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board’s 2010 report by the MN GOP, this item jumped out!

Yep! In 2010, the MN GOP reported to the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board the correct address of “Fundraising Associates” – in 2011, they put down an apparently bogus address.

How does that happen? WHY does that happen? Was it deliberate?

Let’s go back to CREW’s Melanie Sloan:

“The Republican Party of Minnesota’s FEC reports haven’t reflected the party’s actual financial condition for nearly a decade and make a mockery of the public’s right to know. There appears to be ample evidence Mr. Sutton, repeatedly lied to FEC investigators for years to achieve the party’s political goals.”

“There appears to be ample evidence Mr. Sutton repeatedly lied…”

Yep – sure is! Even on the little stuff, such as where a vendor does business.

Which reminds me of what then-RNC Chair Michael Steele once said: “You have absolutely no reason – none – to trust our words or our actions at this point.”

Stay tuned – the best is yet to come!

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

Today in Part 4 of the continuing Cooked Books Series we’re going to take a look at how a reasonable person has no reason to believe anything a Republican says a vendor and what appears to be a fake address. While perusing the December 20th, 2011 MN GOP Federal Elections Commission (“FEC”) filing – covering the month of November 2011 – the following stuck out. Why? Because there simply isn’t an address in Minneapolis that has a street number of “7705.” Let’s look!

(link to FEC Report here)

OK, to recap so far: we know that you can’t believe what Republicans say, ESPECIALLY in FEC reports – after all, on December 20th, 2011 the MN GOP reported they only owed $542,005 when the real number was double that — and possibly closer to a cool $2 million. And, of course, there’s that $170,000 fine theFEC smacked ‘em with just a few months ago…

So when an address shows up with a street number that can’t possibly be in the city they say, well – that bears some digging into. And a simple mapquest search shows that that address is NOT in Minneapolis!

We’ll start with the company – “Fundraising Associates” – first. If you go to the Minnesota Secretary Of State’s office, you’ll find that “Fundraising Associates is in fact a bona fide company. Except, as noted in the preceeding link, it’s NOT at “7705 Tanglewood Court” – it’s registered at “4035 W 65th Street #427, Edina MN 55435.” And it’s registered to a “Zandra Wolcott.”

What type of building is “4035 W 65th Street”? It’s an apartment building. OK, no big deal there; a lot of people work out of their homes these days. But, what is “7705 Tanglewood Court”? It’s a duplex, smack dab in the middle of a residential area in Edina.

So, why would the MN GOP have a “Payee address” for a company that’s registered and apparently working out of an apartment listed to a duplex some other place? Hmmm….

… Better check the property tax records! Here’s what they show:

Owner Name: Golden Valley Microwave FDS
Taxpayer Name & Address: Norman M Gabrick, 4910 Malibu Drive, Edina 55346
Homestead Status: Non-Homestead

Who is “Golden Valley Microwave FDS”? A quick googlesearch indicates that it’s now a subsidiary of ConAgra Foods.

ConAgra Foods??!? Why is a vendor’s check going to a duplex owned by ConAgra Foods??!?

It’s not like “Fundraising Associates” hasn’t been listed on FEC Reports before… let’s look!

Yep – in 2010, in a “Minnesota-Bachmann Victory Committee” FEC Report, Zandra Wolcott was reported as receiving $25,000 — at the address registered with the MN Secretary Of State.

But now, a year later and now a MN GOP vendor, her checks are being sent to a “non-homestead” (read=”rental”) duplex a couple of miles away from her apartment/registered business address?

Why? Is that duplex just a sham address? Or is the MN GOP claiming that the money went to Wolcott, but it was really sent to someone else?

Those questions (and more!) I didn’t get to ask Zandra Wolcott. Here’s the only question I got to ask:

“When you gave your bills to the MN GOP, did you use your business address or an address for a duplex a few miles away from your office?”

I got to ask it, but: no answer. In an exceedingly short phone conversation, Ms. Wolcott referred me to Pat Shortridge at the MN GOP — and her attorney, Tony Trimble.

Yes, Tony “Recount” Trimble – the MN GOP lawyer, who’s recount bills the MN GOP may try to weasel out of paying.

Say, there’s a plan! Ask questions about a fishy FEC transaction to a former ENRON lobbyist – now running the MN GOP – and a lawyer that the MN GOP probably owes big bucks to! One can easily assume a response along the lines of “not intended to be a factual statement”, or, perhaps, “I only lied because I had to”…

What we know, is there’s (stuff) in the MN GOP’s campaign finance reports that’s simply not true.

What we don’t know is who put down what appears to be a fake address on an FEC report – the vendor, or the MN GOP? And why?

And how many OTHER fake addresses has the MN GOP reported to the FEC?

In digging into this one, I’ve been hearing allegations of shell LLC’s and other sham addresses, etc that the MN GOP has been reporting.

So stay tuned — the best is yet to come!!!

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)

Today in Part 3 of the continuing Cooked Books Series, we’re going to take a quick look at one thing that got the MN GOP into trouble last time, and how it sure looks like it’ll keep them in trouble this time. As CREW’s Melanie Sloan noted on Minnesota Public Radio just the other day:

“We seem to be seeing a repeat of the same kind of problems with the Republican Party’s finances,” said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington D.C. (More, at MPR.org)

Back in February 2007, long time MN GOP employee Dwight Tostenson sent a memo to the GOP’s Executive Committee outling what he thought were – to paraphrase – real bad accounting. REAL bad. One thing Tostenson noted was the Party was taking employee payroll deductions for retirement accounts — but NOT depositing the deductions into the employee’s retirement accounts! That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a HUGE “no no”! At that time, MN GOP employee retirement accounts were being administered by American Express Financial. American Express Financial was later spun off to become “Ameriprise Financial”.

On the December (covering the preceeding month,November) RPM (“Republican Party of Minnesota”) FEC Filing, Schedule D lists a debt owed to Ameriprise Financial Services in the amount of $7,636.64. “Nature of Debt” was listed as “Administrative/Salary/Overhead FEA Empl” — here it is:

(link to above)

This interested me, because in The Tostenson Memo, prepared by former MN GOP Staffer Dwight Tostenson, one of his allegations was that the MN GOP was taking payroll deductions for employee retirement purposes, and not depositing said withholdings into the employee’s retirement accounts – administered by Ameriprise American Express.

So I looked in the MN GOP FEC Schedule B Filings – Disbursements – for the month, and found no disbursements to Ameriprise.

Nor was there a disbursement in the preceeding months of October (Filing #753549), September #750371, August #745520, July #742600, June #737692, May #731962, nor April #729605.

But I noticed a funny thing, as I worked back to April – until April’s FEC Filing, the debt to Ameriprise never changed – always $7,636.64 on Schedule D (Debts and Obligations)

In April, the MN GOP’s Schedule D reported Ameriprise twice – the first time, $3133.85 – same “Nature of Debt” as above.

The second listing for Ameriprise, in the amount of $1,000.62, has “Standard Transfer: FEA Employees IRA Con” as the “Nature of Debt.”

Now, I’m not saying that the debt to Ameriprise Financial reported all those months in 2011 ($7,636.64) is in fact payroll deductions for deposits into employee retirement accounts – I’m not saying that at all.

But I will repeat what Mealanie Sloan of CREW said, above:

“We seem to be seeing a repeat of the same kind of problems with the Republican Party’s finances,” said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington D.C. (More, at MPR.org)

Yep! Sure seems to be a repeat!

And a willful one at that.

I’m going to continue to dig into the financial disaster brought about by the alleged “Party of Fiscal Responsibility” – that’s becoming known as the MN GOP’s Cooked Books Scandal.

Hopefully, some one in the law enforcement persuasion will, too.

Because really: Does anyone expect the newly elected MN GOP Chair “ENRON Pat” Shortridge to?

Stay tuned!

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject; comments welcome there)

And seriously, you can’t make this up! The MN GOP was in trouble with the Federal Elections Comission; argued to the FEC that the FEC should be lenient because it wanted to clean up it’s mess and would hire a vendor to do just that – and then ends up owing the vendor more than they reported to the FEC!!!

Link here to read The Tostenson Memo (Tostenson is a former MN GOP Employee) that is the basis of CREW’s FEC Complaint – a complaint which was filed in 2007.

Today’s bombshells (again) are reported via MPR’s Tom Scheck:

Government watchdog groups say MNGOP should face fines
By Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio

Two government watchdog groups are calling on state and federal regulators to fine the Minnesota Republican Party for violating campaign finance laws.

Republican Party officials had hoped that their financial problems would be put to rest once they disclosed their troubled finances last week. That disclosure prompted more questioning from a government watchdog group that already won legal victories against the party.
.
.
“We seem to be seeing a repeat of the same kind of problems with the Republican Party’s finances,” said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington D.C.
.
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“It’s a black and white issue,” Sloan said. “The FEC will have no question but that the Minnesota GOP has violated the conciliation agreement. The only question is what exactly will the FEC do about it and how seriously will they take it.”

Republicans also have problems at the state level. Mike Dean with Common Cause Minnesota says he filed a complaint to the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board on Thursday asking them to look into several alleged campaign finance violations. Dean said the Republican Party of Minnesota conspired to circumvent the state’s disclosure laws. He said the party didn’t disclose that they were helping manage a fund aimed to finance the 2010 recount.
(More, at MPR.org)

“.seem to be seeing a repeat…”

Gee – why is that?

Well, I’d suggest it’s because of what I often say: Today’s GOP is morally bankrupt, intellectually dishonest, and institutionally corrupt.

As has been pointed out before, one person pointing that out was then-RNC Chair Michael Steele: “You have absolutely no reason – none – to trust our words or our actions at this point.”.

And here’s why the MN GOP is not going to get away with sweeping this one under the rug: there’s two groups going after ‘em for their corruption now: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington – which again, nailed ‘em last time, and Common Cause MN.

The GOP’s financial problems are not going away.

Stay tuned!

(Graphic by Tildology)

(cross posted at MnProgressiveProject.com; comments welcome there)