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Watchdog Files Ethics Complaint against Murkowski
From the Anchorage Daily News:
A government watchdog group filed an ethics complaint Wednesday against U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, charging that her 2006 purchase of an exclusive Kenai riverfront lot was a “sweetheart deal” from Anchorage businessman Bob Penney.The complaint, brought by Ken Boehm, chairman of the conservative-leaning National Law and Policy Center of Falls Church, Va., also charged that Murkowski filed false information about the land deal on her annual financial disclosure and obtained special treatment on a mortgage from the Ketchikan bank where her sister serves as a director....
Boehm said the difference between the price paid and the true value amounted to an illegal gift to Murkowski of between $70,000 and $170,000, based on the estimates of the real estate agents....
Boehm’s 15-page complaint says, “The facts in this case are so strong that it is hard to imagine a more compelling case for violation of the Senate Gift Rule.”
Josh
Zachary
Eating their own now.
July 26, 2007 12:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
In reviewing the NLPC complaint and the accompanying documents, I noticed that Sen. Murkowski stated the bank from which she obtained the loan was "First Bank" in Kenai, Alaska. According to the First Bank website, First Bank does not have a branch in Kenai (southcentral Alaska). All of First Bank's branches are located in Southeast Alaska. See: http://www.firstbankak.com/home/
This appears to be yet another example of inaccurate reporting by Sen. Murkowski of this transaction.
July 26, 2007 12:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Question: was Laura McGann's original story based on the NLPC's probing into the land deal? Boehm is quoted in the first story, but it's not clear if NLPC is reacting to the revelation or if the story was reporting NLPC's investigation.
In other words, who first noticed the discrepancy?
July 26, 2007 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any second now, Fox Noise will be calling her a Democrat.
July 26, 2007 1:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
So where's our troll?
July 26, 2007 2:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
After listening to Josh's commentary, I find it interesting that the announcer (seemingly a friend of the Murkowsky's when he used their 1st names) thought ethics investigations were "rediculous".
One question, though. Has the purchased price been documented, yet? It has been stated as fact, but the only source I have heard came from a statement by Murkowsky. Just curious....
July 26, 2007 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Murkowski said today she'll sell back the land to Penney. Wonder if she'll make a profit.
July 26, 2007 2:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Selling is and admission of guilt
Wonder if they will investigate Mayor Begich and former VECO hack Knowles on their real estate transactions and city contracts to cronies?
goddamn this is good stuff
July 26, 2007 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Looky dat! Murkowski is going to sell the land now.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MURKOWSKI_LAND?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-07-26-15-21-41
July 26, 2007 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
ugh. tinyurl is your friend.
http://tinyurl.com/2ubq6r
July 26, 2007 3:48 PM | Reply | Permalink