Iowa

Split-Personality Iowa Embezzler Who Donated To Political Campaigns Gets 6 Years

Rachel Slajda | January 26, 2011, 1:55PM

Phyllis and Marla Stevens

A woman who embezzled $6 million from the insurance company where she worked, spent $175,000 on political campaigns and blamed it all on her split personalities has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Prosecutors say that Phyllis Stevens, who is 59, siphoned money off Des Moines-based Aviva USA for years by creating fake insurance agents and paying them huge commissions, which were wired into a bank account that Stevens and her wife, Marla, held in another state.

The Stevenses donated some $175,000 to state and federal candidates in 2006 and 2008, They chose mostly Democrats, including former Rep. Betsey Markey (D-CO) and Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) and Democratic groups, like MoveOn and the Democratic Party of Iowa, but also gave to some Republican women.

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Minuteman PAC

Minuteman PAC -- Now With More Islamophobia?

Jillian Rayfield | August 31, 2010, 8:30AM

Minuteman volunteer Haskell (no last name) of Houston, looks across the Mexico border from atop his vehicle as a Border Patrol helicopter passes overhead.

The border patrolling Minuteman are primarily known for their vehement opposition to illegal immigration. But now, amidst the country's recent anti-mosque fervor, it seems one arm of the group is dabbling in a new kind of campaign -- fear-mongering about radical Islam.

In an e-mail last week, the Minuteman PAC used an attack on Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) to fundraise against his re-election campaign, referring to Carson as an "Islamist" who is "championing Islam, the Ground Zero Mosque and Sharia law in America!"

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Loretta Sanchez

Sanchez On 'Muslim Intern Spy' Hunt: 'I Am Appalled'

Justin Elliott | October 15, 2009, 6:12PM

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA)

We told you earlier about the strong statements from Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and André Carson (D-IN) denouncing the call by four Republicans for the sergeant at arms to probe whether a Muslim advocacy group planted "intern spies" on the Hill.

But it looks like Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) was first out of the gate on this one.

She released this statement yesterday:

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CAIR

Dem Rep Who Posed With Fake Intern Condemns GOP Anti-Muslim 'Fearmongering'

Christina Bellantoni | October 15, 2009, 3:58PM

Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) and "CAIR intern" Dave Marshall, aka Chris Gaubatz

Rep. André Carson had no idea the guy he posed with at an Islamic event was a fake intern, and thinks the accusations that the Council on American Islamic Relations planted spies on Capitol Hill is "shameful."

A spokesman for Carson (D-IN), one of two Muslim members of Congress, told TPM the campaign to investigate whether CAIR spies were interns is "fearmongering at its worst."

Justin Ohlemiller, Carson's communications director, said in an interview the photo is one of dozens members of Congress take every week with constituents and at events. He didn't know the man was pretending to be Muslim and doesn't recall interacting with him.

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André Carson

Right-Wing Spy Posing As Muslim Intern Snagged Pic With Congressman

Justin Elliott | October 15, 2009, 1:21PM

Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) and "CAIR intern" Dave Marshall, aka Chris Gaubatz

Chris Gaubatz, who went undercover as a Muslim to infiltrate the Council on American-Islamic Relations for a new book from WorldNetDaily, posed for a picture with Muslim Democratic Rep. André Carson (IN) while under guise as "CAIR intern" Dave Marshall.

The picture with Carson, who became the second Muslim member of Congress when he took office in 2008, was taken at the convention of the Islamic Society of North America in Ohio last year.

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