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    Who are the NERD fund donors Mr Snyder?

    Raise the curtain.

    What price Congressional favors? $10,000 (but only if its off the books)


    By Nick, Section News
    Posted on Mon Jun 29, 2009 at 07:01:00 AM EST
    Tags: Corruption, Democrats, Detroit, Conyers, Congress, Stabenow, Papas, scandal, bribery, ethics (all tags)

    If Monica Conyers federal conviction late last week for accepting bribes in exchange for votes didn't prove Michigan Lefties were officially off the rails her refusal to resign from the Detroit City Council may have sealed the deal.  But none of that means this can't get much, much worse for the city of Detroit.

    The Ivory Tower reports this morning that Sam Riddle, a Detroit Democrat and well known political consultant is coming clean about additional dirty deeds, some directly involving Congressman John Conyers (D-Detroit):

    Riddle said Conyers even helped draft a letter sent by her husband, Congressman John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., to help a man with whom she had financial ties...

    In that deal, Riddle said, Monica Conyers arranged for Riddle to get a $20,000 contract with Greektown entrepreneur Dimitrios (Jim) Papas in about 2007. Riddle said Papas hired him for crisis consulting and political advising -- but he was never asked to do any work. She then demanded $10,000 of that money as a "finder's fee," Riddle said.

    At some point after Papas paid him, Riddle said, John Conyers sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of a controversial hazardous waste injection well in Romulus that one of Papas' companies was seeking to operate.

    Papas, you'll remember, is the same "gentleman" who paid Senator Debbie Stabenow's (D-Michigan) husband Tom Athens to work illegally as a lobbyist backing the same toxic waste dumping project.  The sort of dumping project that Stabenow had explicitly campaigned against, before realizing it represented an opportunity for her family to make serious illegal bank.

    Not a bad collection Papas had there.  A United States Senator, a United States Congressman and the top dog on the Detroit City Council, all either directly on the payroll or accepting cash through one paper-thin degree of separation.  

    Meanwhile, Senator Stabenow and Congressman Conyers refuse to answer questions about the lifestyle they've enjoyed thanks to Papas generous "giving" or the Congressional favors that cash has purchased.

    But while Stabenow has managed to skate thus far on the dirty dealings that happened under her roof, Conyers may not be quite as lucky.  The Ivory Tower reminds readers:

    Ethics rules prohibit House members from contacting federal agencies on matters in which they have a personal financial interest. It is unclear whether John Conyers knew of any financial connection between his wife and Papas.

    Point A... arguing that a 21 term Congressman could somehow not know about the "professional relationship" between his wife and the specific company for which he went to bat is inane.  The man would almost literally have to be senile.  Point B... if you're going to make that argument then we've got a whole separate set of issues to deal with.

    Either way, ethics rules are ethics rules and John Conyers clearly violated them.  

    Another Detroit Democrat embroiled in a federal ethics probe?  That's JUST what the Motor City needed.  Maybe Monica isn't the only Conyers who should be considering resignation this morning.

    < SW Michigan Tea Party Patriots of Berrien County Independence Day Tea Party!! | Monday in the Sphere: June 29 >


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    This is Good for Detroit (none / 0) (#2)
    by Rougman on Mon Jun 29, 2009 at 10:20:33 AM EST
    This corrupted dirtbag has been on the take for nearly as long as his trophy wife has been alive.  

    Seriously, I do really think that this could be exactly what Detroit needs.  If the voters of that city refuse to take their garbage to the curb perhaps the Obama DOJ will do the heavy lifting for them.  

    We can always dream.


    Obama's DOJ?!? (none / 0) (#3)
    by KG One on Mon Jun 29, 2009 at 10:31:19 AM EST
    Ha hahaha hahahahaha hahahahahahaha hahahahahaha

    haha ha ha. uh,sorry!

    Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

    hahahahahahahahahaha.....

    Financial disclosure (none / 0) (#7)
    by mccarthy on Mon Jun 29, 2009 at 02:48:51 PM EST
    Members of Congress are required to file financial disclosure forms which also show income derived by their spouces.  I would bet that not one penny of this bribe money was properly reported on Conyer's financial disclosure.  I would also bet that they filed a joint tax return and also did not disclose this income to the IRS.  

    Ted Stevens was convicted of a felony for filing an incorrect financial disclosure.  Is Conyers going to be forced to amend his financial disclosure to reflect the bribe money accepted by his wife??

    Does he intend to file a corrected tax return and pay taxes and penalties on that bribe money??

    Will the Obama justice department seek this??

    They also owe state income tax on that same money.   Will the Granholm administration take steps to collect??

    And if not any or all of the above one must ask why not??

    Is this a rhetorical question... (none / 0) (#8)
    by KG One on Mon Jun 29, 2009 at 04:38:19 PM EST
    ...or are you being serious?

    I hope that it is the former?

    It's a proven fact that democrats do not go after democrats.

    That minor "oversight" will be quickly forgotten by the MSM within a week.

    Based on what? (none / 0) (#9)
    by stevenstmason on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 12:54:48 AM EST
    Nick continuously claims that Stabenow has changed her position on the wells in Romulus based on the activities of her husband. He equates her with Monica Conyer's bribe-induced vote switching or the letter from John Conyers to the EPA on the same issue.  Yet Nick has failed to produce one document or statement by Stabenow showing any change in her position or any effort by Stabenow that is contrary to her often-stated opposition to the wells. Her husband's behavior and activities are inexcusable. But Nick's attacks on Stabenow are based on his own unsubtantiated claims that have nothing behind them. Where's the proof Nick?

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