Con Man

Another Hilton Lie? Work Of Art He Claimed Was His Own Bears Sticker Of LA Furniture Store

Justin Elliott | November 6, 2009, 4:43PM

A rendering of Mother Theresa handed over by Michael Hilton.

Perhaps we didn't give American Police Force chief Michael Hilton enough credit earlier this week when we reported on his excuse for not handing over works of art to help pay off a hefty fraud judgment in California. Now Hilton, who has admitted the APF deal in Hardin, Montana, was bogus, has allowed a courier for one of his victims to take the art from his Santa Barbara home.

But, as the Billings Gazette reports, Hilton's description of the works, which he claims are his only assets and include a rendering of Mother Theresa, was false:

Read more »

Charlie Crist

Revealed: Pictures Of Gov. Crist's $50K Birthday Cake From Accused Fraudster

Justin Elliott | November 6, 2009, 1:43PM

Cake image courtesy of Miami Herald; Crist image courtesy of Broward-Palm Beach New Times.

Two Florida newspapers have published pictures of the birthday cake for Charlie Crist sponsored to the tune of $52,000 by Fort Lauderdale super attorney Scott Rothstein.

Remember, Rothstein has been accused of orchestrating a gigantic fraud scheme out of his firm, but Gov. Crist claims that Rothstein is just another supporter, suggesting this week he hardly knows the man.

Read more »

Astroturf

Bonner's 'Independent' Ethics Adviser Backs Out Over Ad Flap

Zachary Roth | November 6, 2009, 1:38PM

Jack Bonner, Bonner & Associates, and James Thurber, American University

The "independent" ethics adviser that astroturf lobbyist Jack Bonner told Congress he'd retained in the wake of the flap over those forged letters to lawmakers has backed out of the role, citing the TPMmuckraker-driven fallout over an ad he placed this week praising Bonner.

James Thurber, a long-time political science professor at American University, told National Journal he'll recommend a different ethics adviser for Bonner's firm, and noted:

I teach a class on ethics and lobbying and I have never had anything like this. There have been articles about this and I have received phone calls. I never am going to do [ads] like this again, thanking people. I'll do it through personal correspondence.

Read more »

Steve King

Patriot Games: GOP Reps Pick Tea Party Rally Over National-Security Votes

Zachary Roth | November 6, 2009, 12:29PM

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) at the Capitol Hill tea party.

When it's a choice between strengthening the Patriot Act, or showing up for the Tea Party Patriots, what's a GOP lawmaker to do? We'll give you one guess...

Several Republican members of Congress yesterday blew off votes on the signature anti-terror legislation of the post 9/11 era to attend Michele Bachmann's Tea Party rally against health-care reform.

Read more »

Nidal Malik Hasan

Conservative Says Hasan Acted On Orders Of Muslim Brotherhood: What Do We Know?

Justin Elliott | November 6, 2009, 11:02AM

FBI agents outside the apartment of Major Nidal Malik Hasan (inset)

One conservative writer is already declaring -- without citing any evidence -- that Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged shooter who killed 13 at Fort Hood yesterday, was acting at the behest of the Muslim Brotherhood. So it's a good time to lay out what we do and don't know about the Fort Hood shooting case and the Army psychiatrist at the center of it.

In an interview with Frontpagemag, author Dave Gaubatz blames the Fort Hood killings on, among other Muslim groups, the Council on American-Islamic Relations. He says that Hasan was carrying out "the orders of the Muslim Brotherhood." And he suggests that Hasan was sent out by radical Muslim leaders:

Read more »

Scott Rothstein

Crist Denies Close Ties, But Accused Fraudster Was A Friend Who Even Sponsored Crist's Birthday Cake

Justin Elliott | November 5, 2009, 4:55PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and Scott Rothstein

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's assertion that accused fraudster attorney Scott Rothstein was nothing more than another campaign supporter is starting to look even thinner.

A Florida source familiar with the situation tells TPMmuckraker that Rothstein often bragged about his closeness to Crist, now a candidate for US Senate. The source says Rothstein once remarked: "It's one thing when you've got the governor on speed dial. It's another thing when the governor has you on speed dial."

"They were friends," the source tells us. "To say anything else is ridiculous."

Read more »

Bill Sparkman

AP: Authorities Look At Possibility Of Suicide In Death Of Census Worker

Justin Elliott | November 5, 2009, 4:21PM

Bill Sparkman

Anonymous officials tell the AP they are looking at whether Bill Sparkman, the Census worker found dead in rural Kentucky in September with the word "fed" written on his chest, may have committed suicide.

The wire service reports that investigators have recently "grown more skeptical that 51-year-old Bill Sparkman died at the hands of someone angry at the federal government." It continues:

Read more »

Charles Rangel

Rangel Supporters: Think Of All The Good He's Done!

Alex Amend | November 5, 2009, 2:17PM

Fmr. New York City Mayor David Dinkins

A star-studded lineup of New York City Democrats, including former mayor David Dinkins, and former state comptroller Carl McCall, held a a rally on the steps of City Hall today in support embattled Harlem congressman Charlie Rangel.

Citing Rangel's long record of public service, Dinkins told the crowd: "Folks seem to have a short memory."

Read more »

Bernard Kerik

Kerik Faces Prison Time After Guilty Plea For Lying To Bush White House

Justin Elliott | November 5, 2009, 11:42AM

Fmr. NYC Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik

Former NYC police commissioner and Rudy Giuliani crony Bernie Kerik today pleaded guilty to lying during his vetting to become George W. Bush's Secretary of Homeland Security. It was the first of eight expected pleas, in exchange for which prosecutors will suggest 27 to 33 months in prison, the AP reports.

The pleas by Kerik, who has been in prison since Oct. 20 when a judge revoked his bail for giving out sealed information, are designed to resolve three separate criminal cases.

In the White House case, Kerik was accused of falsely denying to Bush vetters that he had an improper relationship with city contractors who performed pricey renovations on Kerik's Bronx apartment.

Read more »

Charles Rangel

Report: Ethics Panel Will Clear Rangel And Others In Caribbean Trip Probe

Justin Elliott | November 5, 2009, 11:37AM

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS)

The House ethics committee will likely clear five Democratic members of Congress including Charlie Rangel (D-NY) of wrongdoing in an investigation into whether a privately financed trip to the Caribbean broke House travel rules, Roll Call reports this morning.

The case, which involves a trip the members took on the dime of the Carib News Foundation, is perhaps the flimsiest in the slew of ethics charges against Rangel.

Read more »

Scott Rothstein

Rothstein Roundup: FBI Agents Search Firm, And What Was TD Bank's Role?

Justin Elliott | November 5, 2009, 10:49AM

Scott Rothstein

Dozens of FBI and IRS agents spent the night sifting through files at the firm of south Florida attorney Scott Rothstein, the politically connected ally of Charlie Crist who has been accused by investors of running a massive fraud scheme, local media report.

WPLG 10 has video outside Rothstein, Rosenfeldt and Adler's office building in Fort Lauderdale, where FBI and IRS agents searched the 16th floor through the night. A source told WPLG that 40 agents were involved. Partner Stuart Rosenfeldt said: "We want them to search and look for eveything they need to find evidence of any crimes that may have occurred."

Read more »

Jack Bonner

University Probing Ad Placed By Bonner's "Independent" Ethics Adviser

Zachary Roth | November 5, 2009, 9:15AM

Jack Bonner, Bonner & Associates, and James Thurber, American University

American University is investigating the ad praising astroturf lobbyist Jack Bonner that ran in Roll Call yesterday in the name of one of the school's department's.

"The university is aware of the ad and is looking into the facts of the situation," a university spokeswoman told TPMmuckraker. "The university does not endorse individuals or organizations."

Read more »