TPMMuckraker
Norm Coleman

Coleman Wants Campaign To Pay Cost Of Responding To TPM Story -- Even Though It Never Responded

Zachary Roth | May 12, 2009, 2:22PM

Now this is some chutzpah...

Norm Coleman is arguing that he should be able to use campaign funds to pay his legal bills in connection with the Nasser Kazeminy allegations, citing the need to respond to inquiries on the subject from TPMmuckraker and others in the media. But we're kind of unclear about what expenses the Coleman camp incurred here -- because they never responded to us in the first place.

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Topics: FBI, Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Coleman Again Won't Say Whether He's Heard From Feds On Kazeminy Probe

Zachary Roth | April 17, 2009, 11:21AM

Losing his Senate seat may be the least of Norm Coleman's worries.

It's looking more and more like the former Minnesota senator has heard from federal investigators who are investigating the Nasser Kazeminy allegations.

Asked by the Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial board whether he had been contacted with the FBI in connection with the probe, Coleman refused to say, instead pivoting to attack the paper:

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Topics: FBI, Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Coleman Wants To Use Campaign Money For Legal Fees

Zachary Roth | December 17, 2008, 11:35AM

How can Norm Coleman afford the services of Doug Kelley, the high-profile attorney he just hired on connection with the allegations in the Nasser Kazeminy lawsuit? After all, as Kazeminy himself is alleged to have said: "US senators don't make shit."

The answer: he plans to use campaign funds.

"We intend to have any legal fees related to what we believe to be a politically inspired legal action to be covered by the senator's campaign," said Coleman spokesman Luke Friedrich, Politico reports.

The FEC allows politicians to use campaign funds only if their legal bills arise from their official duties or their campaigns. Coleman, a Minnesota GOP senator, has claimed that suit only came to light because of his reelection fight, in which he is currently locked in a recount with Democrat Al Franken -- though many of the allegations pre-date the campaign.

The lawsuit claims that Kazeminy, a friend and supporter of Coleman, used a company he owns, Deep Marine Technologies, to pass money to the senator by making payments to the insurance broker, Hays Insurance, that employs Laurie Coleman, Norm's wife.

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Topics: Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Lawyer For Coleman's Wife Is "Aggressive Defender of Celebrity Defendants"

Zachary Roth | December 16, 2008, 5:09PM

We told you earlier today that Norm and Laurie Coleman have hired separate lawyers in connection with the FBI investigation into the Nasser Kazeminy allegations.

And here's a bit more evidence that the pair are taking the allegations very seriously indeed:

According to a recent St. Paul Pioneer-Press report (via Nexis), Laurie Coleman's attorney, Earl Gray, is "known as an aggressive defender of celebrity defendants." In other words, Gray doesn't appear to be the kind of lawyer you hire if you don't think you're going to be under much scrutiny.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the high-profile cases Gray has been retained for (all sourced to news reports found via Nexis):

- the "Love Boat" case, in which then-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper, was charged with sexual misconduct stemming from his conduct during a 2005 team boat ride.

- a case earlier this year involving star University of Minnesota football player Dominic Jones, who was accused of rape, and eventually convicted of unwanted sexual conduct, in an incident captured on a cellphone video.

- a city council member who pleaded guilty last month to hiring a prostitute.

- a teacher accused this year of having sex with a 14-year-old student.

- a widely publicized 1984 child-sex ring case.

And despite his name, Earl Gray may not be every prosecutor's cup of tea (sorry!). The Star-Tribune described him in 2006 as "a street-fighter in the courtroom whose aggressive, even abrasive legal tactics can leave prosecutors bruised and bitter."

The paper added:

'He aggressively attacks police and prosecutors for perceived mistakes in a criminal investigation,' said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom ... 'He is very good at creating smoke screens out of nothing.' Fred Karasov, an assistant Hennepin County attorney who has successfully tried cases against Gray, said he 'can be intimidating, aggressive, some would call him abrasive.'

Laurie Coleman is central to the allegations involving her husband. A lawsuit claims that Kazeminy used a company he owns, Deep Marine Technologies, to pass money to Norm Coleman, by making payments to the insurance broker, Hays Insurance, that employs Laurie Coleman.

And we hear that Norm Coleman's lawyer, Doug Kelley, is no wilting flower either. More to come on him, most likely...

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Topics: Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman

Nasser Kazeminy

Separate Lawyers For Norm And Laurie Coleman

Zachary Roth | December 16, 2008, 11:05AM

So Norm Coleman has hired a lawyer in connection with the claims made in the lawsuit against his longtime supporter Nasser Kazeminy. And so has Coleman's wife, Laurie.

But notice that the Colemans hired separate lawyers. That suggests that, perhaps prompted by the news that the FBI is now involved, the Minnesota senator and his wife are taking these allegations very seriously indeed.

Laurie Coleman is central to the allegations involving her husband. The lawsuit claims that Kazeminy used a company he owns, Deep Marine Technologies, to pass money to Norm Coleman, by making payments to the insurance broker, Hays Insurance, that employs Laurie Coleman.

The hiring of separate lawyers could also mean that the Colemans' interests in the case diverge. But we'll have to wait to see how this plays out before drawing any firmer conclusions...

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Topics: Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Coleman Lawyers Up

Zachary Roth | December 16, 2008, 9:33AM

More signs that Norm Coleman is taking the allegations in the Nasser Kazeminy lawsuit very, very seriously.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that all four of the principals in the alleged scheme to pass money to Coleman -- Kazeminy, Coleman, his wife Laurie Coleman, and Jim Hays of Hays Insurance -- have hired high-powered Minnesota lawyers.

The Strib runs down the details:

Norm Coleman has hired Doug Kelley, Laurie Coleman is represented by Earl Gray, Hays is aligned with Doug Peterson and Kazeminy has secured the services of Joe Friedberg.

Kelley, Gray and Peterson are former federal prosecutors now engaged in criminal defense and white-collar litigation. For years they have been mainstays in the federal judicial system in Minnesota, working cases ranging from fraud to drugs to homicide.

In the past, Friedberg has been the attorney representing Winthrop & Weinstine law firm in Minneapolis, which once employed Coleman and currently claims Kazeminy as a client.

The paper adds:

[T]he attorneys have retained a Twin Cities-based private investigations company composed of former FBI agents to gather information about the case, according to two people with knowledge of the developments.

Last week it was reported that the FBI had launched an investigation into the allegations in the lawsuit, which revolve around charges that Kazeminy, a longtime friend and supporter of Coleman, tried to pass money to the senator by having a Kazeminy-owned company, Deep Marine Technologies, make payments to Hays Insurance, which employed Laurie Coleman. The lawsuit was filed by Paul McKim, the former CEO of Deep Marine.

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Topics: Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman

FBI

Report: FBI Probing Charges In Kazeminy/Coleman Suit

Zachary Roth | December 10, 2008, 9:12AM

The FBI is looking into the allegations against Nasser Kazeminy, a close friend and supporter of Minnesota senator Norm Coleman, reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

The paper reports: "Agents with the FBI have talked to or made efforts to talk to people in Texas familiar with the allegations, according to a source familiar with the situation."

The lawsuit, filed by the former CEO of a company owned by Kazeminy, alleges, among other things, that Kazeminy tried to use the company, Deep Marine Technologies, to pass money to Coleman via an insurance company that employed the senator's wife.

Coleman's campaign, which is in the midst of a recount against Democrat Al Franken to decide the fate of Coleman's seat, released the following statement last night:

"We are not aware of any investigation that is under way, nor have we been contacted by any agency with respect to this matter. As we have said repeatedly, we welcome any investigation of these lawsuits by the appropriate authorities to get to the bottom of these baseless, sleazy and politically inspired allegations.

That denial -- which Coleman's Senate office had declined to offer to TPMmuckraker despite repeated calls -- would appear to rule out the possibility of Coleman having been contacted by Senate ethics investigators, though there may be wiggle room in the wording. A Minnesota good government group last month called on both the FBI and the Senate to launch probes.

The FBI, contacted by the Pioneer-Press, did not confirm or deny the existence of the investigation.

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Topics: FBI, Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Coleman's Office Won't Say Whether He's Under Investigation In Kazeminy Case

Zachary Roth | December 5, 2008, 3:32PM

Is Norm Coleman under investigation in connection with the claims made in a lawsuit alleging that a longtime supporter, Nasser Kazeminy, used an insurance company that employs Coleman's wife to illegally pass money to Coleman?

Could be...

Last month, a Minnesota good-government group sent letters to the FBI and the Senate ethics committee, calling on both to investigate the charges. Coleman quickly responded by declaring in a statement:

I not only welcome such an investigation, but I am eager to have it move forward immediately.

That forthright response made us wonder whether Coleman -- who currently is locked in a knife-edge recount with Democrat Al Franken to hold onto his Senate seat -- might already have been contacted by investigators, and was trying to get out ahead of the news by appearing to welcome a probe.

Both the FBI and the ethics committee have declined to provide any information about whether they're looking into Coleman.

So we've been calling Coleman's office to ask whether he's heard from investigators. In fact, in the last few weeks, we've left at least ten detailed voicemail messages for Leroy Coleman, the senator's Washington press secretary (and no relation) asking exactly that question. And we've received no response whatsoever.

Which is sort of curious. You'd assume that, had Coleman not been contacted, his press secretary would take 30 seconds to call us back and tell us that.

Draw your own conclusions...

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Topics: FBI, Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman, Senate Ethics Committee

Bailout

Barofsky Hold: Not Norm Coleman...

Zachary Roth | December 1, 2008, 2:13PM

A staffer for Sen. Norm Coleman unequivocally denied to a TPMmuckraker reader that the Minnesota senator is blocking Neil Barofsky's nomination to be inspector general for the bailout, and said that Coleman wants the appointment to go forward.

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Topics: Bailout, Henry Paulson, Norm Coleman, Treasury Department

Norm Coleman

Coleman's NRSC Decision Benefits Ethics Chair -- Who Could Head Coleman Probe

Zachary Roth | November 14, 2008, 5:21PM

A good catch by The Huffington Post yesterday, in response to the news that Norm Coleman is dropping out of the race for chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) to focus on the Minnesota recount -- and is throwing his support behind John Cornyn, who will almost certainly now win the post.

HuffPo notes that Cornyn, of Texas, is also currently the GOP chair of the Senate Ethics Committee - the body that could well investigate whether Coleman accepted gifts from his longtime supporter Nasser Kazeminy.

Earlier this week, the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a good-government group that ran anti-Coleman ads during the election, publicly called on the Ethics Committee, as well as the FBI, to look into sworn allegations, made in a lawsuit, that Kazeminy passed $75,000 to Coleman by having one of Kazeminy's companies make payments to an insurance brokerage that employs Laurie Coleman, the senator's wife.

So Coleman's decision to drop out of the NRSC race directly benefits one of the people who will have the most influence over the direction of any investigation by the Ethics Committee.

Coleman's Senate office has not responded to numerous requests from TPMmuckraker to comment on whether he has already been contacted by investigators.

But there's another wrinkle beyond HuffPo's catch: But for the GOP chair of the supposedly non-partisan Ethics Commitee to also serve as head of the NRSC -- an explicitly political post -- might appear to present a conflict of interest.

Cornyn's office did not immediately respond to a call from TPMmuckraker asking whether Cornyn intended to serve in both roles at once.

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Topics: Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman, Senate Ethics Committee

Norm Coleman

Taking Stock Of The Coleman-Kazeminy Charges

Zachary Roth | November 13, 2008, 1:46PM

As Norm Coleman gets set for a recount in his bid to hold onto his Minnesota Senate seat, it's worth considering where things stand on the allegations that surfaced in the waning days of the campaign about Coleman's relationship with his friend and longtime associate, the businessman Nasser Kazeminy.

Here's what we know:

Late last month, in a suit filed in Texas, Paul McKim, the former CEO of Deep Marine Technologies (DMT), alleged in a sworn statement that Kazeminy -- who owns DMT -- directed him to make payments totaling $75,000 to the Hays Companies, a Minnesota insurance brokerage that employs Coleman's wife Laurie Coleman. The payments, claimed McKim in the suit, were not for legitimate work performed by Hays for DMT, but rather were a way for Kazeminy to funnel money to Coleman.

Soon afterwards, a group of DMT investors filed a separate suit naming both Kazeminy and McKim as defendants, and making similar allegations.

Since news of the suits surfaced in late October, none of the principals has offered responses that have put the matter to rest.

Coleman has vehemently denied the charges, and even cut a last-minute TV ad suggesting, with little evidence, that the campaign of his opponent, Democrat Al Franken, was behind them. And yesterday, when a progressive Minnesota watchdog group that ran ads attacking Coleman during the campaign held a press conference at which it called for investigations by the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee into the matter, Coleman quickly said in a statement that he would welcome such probes, and that he wanted them to start "immediately." (Coleman's Senate office did not immediately respond to a detailed message from TPMmuckraker asking whether he has already been contacted by investigators.)

But neither Norm Coleman nor Laurie Coleman have offered details on the nature of her work for Hays.

Neither has Hays. Soon after news of the allegations broke, the company put out a statement calling the charges "libelous and defamatory." It said that Laurie Coleman "has been an Independent Contractor for Hays Companies since 2006," but offered no further detail on what she does for the company, beyond saying that she "receives no compensation related to the services we provide for our client Deep Marine Technology."

What are those services? Again, the statement was vague, saying only: "In the first half of 2007, we were retained to provide our risk management consulting services, and that work continues at this time."

As for Kazeminy, after initially remaning silent, he eventually hired a top Minneapolis-based crisis management expert, who late last week issued a tautological denial on his behalf: "Mr. Kazeminy vehemently denies the false and baseless claims made against him in recent weeks."

It's also worth noting that Norm Coleman and the Hays Companies may not have been on the same page about the arrangement between the firm and Laurie Coleman - a former model and actress who, according to state records examined by TPMmuckraker, only received her insurance license in October 2006. As we reported earlier this week, Norm Coleman wrote on his Senate disclosure forms for 2006 and 2007 that Laurie Coleman receives a salary from Hays - which would appear to contradict Hays' assertion that she's an independent contractor.

And according to FEC records examined by TPMmuckraker, Hays has been a frequent financial contributor to Coleman's Senate campaigns.

We may have to wait for possible law-enforcement or congressional investigations to get to the truth about Coleman's role in the alleged scheme. But it's certain that, barring any compelling explanations from any of the principals said to be involved, questions about the affair won't be going away any time soon.

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Topics: FBI, Hays Companies, Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman, Senate Ethics Committee

Norm Coleman

Coleman Camp: Sec of State's Comments on Recount Were "Offensive"

Zachary Roth | November 12, 2008, 3:57PM

The Republicans' apparent effort to de-legitimize the coming recount in the Minnesota Senate race continues.

Yesterday, we reported that the NRSC was distributing to the press a negative research document attacking the man who'll oversee the recount, Minnesota's secretary of state Mark Ritchie, as a partisan Democrat with ties to ACORN, among other alleged sins.

Today, the campaign of incumbent Republican Norm Coleman doubled down on that strategy.

This morning, in an interview with MSNBC, Ritchie was asked about the Coleman camp's criticism of the recount. He replied: "Their goal is to win at any price. They've invested millions and millions of dollars. We consider this part of the normal political rhetoric."

Ritchie added: "We're used to the political rhetoric being amped up. That's part of their job -- to win at any price."

Ritchie seemed to be trying to say that amped-up political rhetoric is to be expected from both sides. But his comments were clumsy at best, and they offered Coleman an opening.

Soon afterwards, the Coleman campaign released a statement calling the remarks "offensive" and saying they underscore "our concerns about his ability to act as an unbiased official in this recount."

With the first count almost complete, Coleman leads by around 200 votes. Although that's easily within the margin that triggers an automatic recount under state law, Coleman has fought the notion of a recount from the start. He originally called on Al Franken, his Democratic challenger, to waive his right to a recount -- a request Franken quickly declined.

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Topics: Mark Ritchie, Norm Coleman, Voting

Norm Coleman

Good Government Group Calls On FBI, Senate, To Probe Coleman

Zachary Roth | November 12, 2008, 12:19PM

A Minnesota good government group that works with Democrats and progressives has called on both the Senate Ethics Committee and the local FBI office to investigate allegations that GOP senator Norm Coleman accepted $75,000 in gifts from a friend and supporter.

Alliance for a Better Minnesota (ABM) is also circulating a petition to demonstrate public support for the desired probes. It will release letters to the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee at a press conference this afternoon at the state capitol.

The claims against Coleman were made in a lawsuit filed last month against Nasser Kazeminy, a close associate of the senator. The suit, filed by the former CEO of the Kazeminy-owned Deep Marine Technology, alleges that Kazeminy passed money to Coleman's wife, Laurie Coleman, by ordering Deep Marine to make payments to the Hays Companies, an insurance broker that employed her. Kazeminy and Coleman have denied the claims, and Coleman has not been formally charged with any wrong-doing.

A press release announcing Alliance for a Better Minnesota's effort was forwarded to TPMmuckraker by the communications office of Minnesota's Democratic party.

Coleman faces a recount in his high-profile Senate re-election fight against Democrat Al Franken.

Late update: Here are the letters sent by ABM to the FBI and the Senate Ethics Committee.

And here's a response from Coleman to ABM's move.

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Topics: Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman, Senate Ethics Committee

ACORN

Before Recount, GOP Smearing Minnesota Sec Of State

Zachary Roth | November 11, 2008, 5:00PM

The recount in the Minnesota Senate race hasn't even begun yet, but already the GOP is working to delegitimize it in advance, by smearing the man who will run it as a partisan Democrat.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has been distributing to reporters a three-page "backgrounder" that attacks Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, a Democrat, for having spoken at the Democratic convention this summer, and for having "led a voter registration coalition that included ACORN," among other alleged sins.

In the first vote count, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman currently holds an edge of around 200 votes over Democratic challenger Al Franken, though that number may continue to dwindle as more votes are counted. Either way, the margin is easily close enough to require a recount under state law, which will begin next week under Ritchie's supervision.

Despite the backgrounder's sometimes hysterical compilation of anti-Ritchie greatest hits -- it claims that "the Communist Party USA Wrote Encouragingly Of His Candidacy," citing an unsourced line from a report in the Minneapolis Star Tribue -- there's no evidence that Ritchie has ever used his role as the state's top elections administrator to advantage Democrats.

But that likely misses the point of the GOP gambit, which appears to be to cast public doubt on the integrity of the recount process, thereby bolstering Coleman's claim that's he's the rightful winner and that a recount is unnecessary -- just the strategy pursued by George Bush's campaign in Florida in 2000.

Indeed, Coleman's shrinking lead in the first count has already prompted him to try to question the ongoing vote counting. A lawyer for the campaign yesterday told The Politico: "We're not going to sit idly by, while mysterious, statistically dubious changes in vote totals take place after official government offices close."

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Topics: ACORN, NRSC, Norm Coleman, Voting, voter fraud

Norm Coleman

Coleman, Hays, Appear To Differ on Wife's Employment Status

Zachary Roth | November 10, 2008, 4:27PM

One of the key questions in the lawsuit filed against Nasser Kazeminy, a close friend and supporter of Minnesota Republican senator Norm Coleman, relates to the nature of the work done by Coleman's wife Laurie for the Hays Companies.

And on that score, there seems to be a noteworthy amount of confusion among the principles.

Let's back up. The suit, filed late last month in Texas by the former CEO of Deep Marine Technologies, alleges in part that Kazeminy set up a scheme to pass money from DMT, which he owns, to Coleman, through the Hays Companies, a Minneapolis-based insurance broker. The suit claims that Laurie Coleman received $75,000 from Hays, without performing legitimate work for the company, and that these payments were an effort by Kazeminy to get money to Norm Coleman.

The senator -- who faces a recount in his reelection race against Democrat Al Franken -- has denied the allegations. And Hays Companies, in a statement issued after the suit was made public, called them "libelous and defamatory."

But are the two on different pages as to the nature of Laurie Coleman's relationship with Hays?

In that statement, Hays declared that Laurie Coleman "has been an Independent Contractor for Hays Companies since 2006," without elaborating as to the nature of her work for Hays.

But on his Senate disclosure forms for 2006 and 2007, Norm Coleman explicitly lists the type of income that his wife received from Hays as "salary" -- which by definition would render Laurie Coleman an employee, rather than an independent contractor.

Of course, Norm Coleman may simply have been imprecise in filling out the disclosure form and used "salary" as shorthand for compensation. But it's a discrepancy that would be worth resolving.

Calls by TPMmuckraker to Norm Coleman's campaign and Senate offices, and to a lawyer for the Hays Companies who has been handling questions on the lawsuit, were not immediately returned.

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Topics: Hays Companies, Nasser Kazeminy, Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Key Player Not Denying Allegations Against Coleman

Zachary Roth | November 2, 2008, 3:27PM

In the last few days, Norm Coleman, who's in a desperate fight to hold onto his U.S.
Senate in Minnesota, has had to answer questions about appearing in a suit filed against one of his supporters, a politically connected multimillionaire named Nasser Kazeminy.

Paul McKim alleges in the suit that last year Kazeminy used Deep Marine Technologies to funnel $75,000 to Coleman, a Republican, through the Hays Companies, an insurance brokerage that employs Coleman's wife, Laurie. McKim was formerly the CEO of Deep Marine, which Kazeminy owns.

The suit claims that Deep Marine last year sent money to Hays in three $25,000 installments. These payments, it alleges, were a way for Kazeminy to get money to Coleman, rather than payments for legitimate insurance services provided by Hays.

Of course, these are only allegations -- one reason we've been wary of rushing to judgment here. But it's worth noting that Hay's owner, Jim Hays, doesn't seem to be strongly denying the charges that his firm was involved in the alleged scheme.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Friday:

Jim Hays, owner of the Hays Companies, could not be reached for comment. His attorney, Dan Walseth, said Hays Companies has "a fee arrangement with them [Deep Marine] ... to provide insurance advice with them. I don't want to go any further than that.

And later, the company issued a statement saying that it provides risk management consultation to Deep Marine Technology, and adding, "We stand by our reputation as leaders in our industry and will not engage in empty speculation that is clearly meant to interfere with the election."

If Hays really had performed legitimate services for Deep Marine, you'd expect its owner to simply declare that on the record.

Coleman, too, has yet to offer a detailed denial. At a press conference held Friday to address the issue, Coleman called the allegations "absolutely false" and "defamatory." But the centerpiece of his remarks was a counterclaim that the Al Franken campaign had conspired with the Star Tribune to embarrass Coleman by exposing the contents of the lawsuit.

And Kazeminy has not publicly commented on the allegations.

Coleman and Kazeminy have had a close working relationship. The Star Tribune reports that in 2005, Kazeminy had provided $2,870 in flights for the Colemans, according to Senate disclosure forms.

And as we noted at the time, last month Harpers reported:

I've been told by two sources that [local businessman and political contributor Nasser] Kazeminy has in the past covered the bills for Coleman's lavish clothing purchases at Nieman Marcus in Minneapolis. The sources were not certain of the dates of the purchases; if they were made before Coleman joined the Senate in 2003, he obviously would not be required to report it under senate rules. But having a private businessman pay for your clothing is never a good idea if you're a public official (Coleman was mayor of St. Paul from 1994 to 2002).

In response, Coleman did not directly address the charge, saying that no one other than he or his wife had bought his suits, and adding: "If my friends have shared gifts with me and my family - or I have shared gifts with them - if they rose to the level of having to be reported - they were reported."

So in the absence of exculpatory evidence -- or even a clear and detailed denial of the charges form the principals in the case -- it looks like the claims will continue to dog Coleman, until election day and beyond.

Late Update: The Hays Companies also released the following statement Friday, which again does not directly deny the charges at the center of Coleman's role in the lawsuit -- that Hays acted as a pass-through for Kazeminy to funnel money to Coleman:

Minneapolis -- We believe the allegations in the lawsuit referenced in a story in today's Star Tribune newspaper -- a lawsuit to which we are not a party -- are libelous and defamatory, and we intend to protect our name and our reputation vigorously with whatever means necessary.

The allegations that we are not licensed to perform services in Texas are simply false, as are other allegations contained in this disreputable lawsuit that refers to Hays Companies.

Laurie Coleman, who is fully and legally licensed to sell insurance in Minnesota, has been an Independent Contractor for Hays Companies since 2006.

We are pleased with her work, and we find any allegations that she accepted money for work she was not responsible for to be outrageous and contemptible.

Laurie Coleman receives no compensation related to the services we provide for our client Deep Marine Technology.

In the first half of 2007, we were retained to provide our risk management consulting services, and that work continues at this time.

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Topics: Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Coleman Assures Constituents He Dresses Himself

Kate Klonick | October 10, 2008, 1:12PM

No one dresses Norm Coleman, except Norm Coleman . . . and maybe, sometimes, Mrs. Coleman.

At least that's what the senator, who finally faced the media at a press conference today, says amid reports that he received pricey suits as gifts from political contributor and local businessman, Nasser Kazeminy.

"While I have answered honestly the question about suits and jobs - I will say as clearly as I can. Nobody except my wife or me bought my suits," Coleman said this morning according to text of the statement released by his campaign.

"If my friends have shared gifts with me and my family - or I have shared gifts with them - if they rose to the level of having to be reported - they were reported."

Well thanks, for the non-specific denial Norm, but we weren't asking if they were reported, we were asking if Kazeminy did in fact buy you suits from Nieman Marcus.

Coleman and his staff's bizarre refusal to directly answer questions about whether Kazeminy bought him suits has been documented on tape and turned what seemed like a relatively small impropriety into what local bloggers have affectionately dubbed, "Suit Gate."

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Topics: Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman Gets Pressed on Suits

Kate Klonick | October 8, 2008, 1:32PM

As we told you yesterday, the newest skeletons in Sen. Norm Coleman's political -- and literal -- closet are Nieman Marcus suits supposedly bought for Coleman by a political contributor.

And as we mentioned in a late update, Coleman was confronted by a member of the Minnesota press as he exited a cafe. Well it turns out the kerfuffle was caught on tape.

Take a look:

Late update: This just went up a few minutes ago. It's a pretty baffling press conference. To wit, Coleman's press flak repeats the phrase "the Senator has reported every gift he has ever received," NINE times in just under 4 minutes of questioning. This would have been a totally adequate response if the reporters had been asking him whether Coleman reported the gifts on his financial disclosure forms. . . but they were after something far simpler: Did the Senator ever receive a gift of suits?

You have to watch:

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Topics: Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

The Senator's New Clothes

Kate Klonick | October 7, 2008, 3:51PM

Does Senator Norm Coleman pay for any of his personal expenses?

In what is becoming a clear pattern, reports show that his political contributors have paid for an array of Coleman's basic expenses, including his rent, his utility bills, his trips to the Bahamas, and -- in the latest revelation -- even his clothes.

From Harper's:

I've been told by two sources that [local businessman and political contributor Nasser] Kazeminy has in the past covered the bills for Coleman's lavish clothing purchases at Nieman Marcus in Minneapolis. The sources were not certain of the dates of the purchases; if they were made before Coleman joined the Senate in 2003, he obviously would not be required to report it under senate rules. But having a private businessman pay for your clothing is never a good idea if you're a public official (Coleman was mayor of St. Paul from 1994 to 2002).

Oddly, the Coleman camp didn't issue a denial to Harper's inquiries, stating only, "[a]s required, any gift Norm Coleman has received from his friends has been fully reported."

Late update: Coleman gave a slightly more heated denial to the Kazeminy clothing question to a Pioneer Press reporter, who caught the incumbent senator as he was heading out of a cafe in Fergus Falls, MN:

"First of all, every gift I've ever received has been reported, ok. But the idea of responding to the things bloggers throw out is something I'm not going to get into. There are very awful things that are said about people on the blogs," he said.
[Reporter Dave] Orrick then asked for a simple yes or no answer on the suit question.

"That's the answer, period. You can read it in the answer," he said.

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Topics: Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Coleman On Cheap DC Rent: Minnesotans Are Glad I Live So Humbly

Eric Kleefeld | August 15, 2008, 4:57PM

Norm Coleman took some tough questions today from the press back in Minnesota about his interesting housing deal in Washington, which involves him renting a studio apartment on Capitol Hill from a political contributor for only $600 per month.

For months, the senator had no written lease and paid no utility bills.

Coleman's answer: People appreciate that he's living so humbly. Here's a tracking video from the Minnesota Democrats:

Coleman said this really isn't a big deal -- it's just a nine-and-a-half feet by nine-and-a-half feet bedroom. "It's not not paying taxes on millions and millions of dollars in income. It's a shoebox that I spend a couple waking hours in."

"And as I travel the state," Coleman added, "I gotta tell you, people of Minnesota actually appreciate the fact that I live humbly as a senator -- that I'm not living the way some people think senators live."

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Topics: Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Sen. Coleman Wasn't Paying Utility Bills In His Sweetheart Apartment Deal In Lobbyist's Capitol Hill Home

Andrew Tilghman | August 14, 2008, 11:50AM

You might remember earlier this summer when we pointed out that Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) was getting an exceptionally good deal on an apartment in Capitol Hill.

And -- who would have guessed? -- it's in a townhouse owned by Coleman's political backer and longtime Republican operative Jeff Larson.

Today, Coleman concedes to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he wasn't paying any utility bills and didn't even have a written lease until July, when reporters started asking about the arrangement.

Responding to media requests, the Coleman campaign Wednesday released copies of the lease that Coleman and Larson signed July 3, and the $532.88 check that Coleman's wife, Laurie, made out July 14 to Larson for 12 months' worth of unspecified utilities.

Finding a place for $600 a month just a few blocks from the Capitol is difficult, to say the least. And the deal -- and questions about whether Coleman was essentially accepting undisclosed gifts -- are cropping up as an issue in Coleman's reelection bid against former comedian-turned-Senate-candidate Al Franken.

According to the Star-Tribune:

"The more we learn about this sweetheart rent deal, the more concerns it raises," said Franken spokesman Andy Barr. "Now that Coleman is finally answering questions about what he got, it's time for him to start answering questions about what Larson got in return."

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Topics: Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

CREW Files Complaint About Sen. Norm Coleman's Cheap Rent

Andrew Tilghman | July 1, 2008, 12:43PM

Last week we pointed out what a great deal on rent Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) appears to be getting on his Washington apartment.

A National Journal reporter found that Coleman pays just $600 a month to live in the Capitol Hill townhouse that belongs to his longtime friend and Republican political operative Jeff Larson. And he's missed a couple months rent, too.

Apparently the scenario didn't pass the smell test with the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, who have filed just an ethics complaint.

They want the Senate ethics committee to take a look at the relationship between Coleman and Larson. Larson's firm, FLS Connect, pulled in more than a million dollars from Coleman's campaign committees and leadership PAC since 2001.

And they're also curious about how Larson's wife used to work for Coleman until just recently.

CREW is asking the Senate Ethics Committee to look into whether or not Sen. Coleman is paying fair market value for the apartment, whether Sen. Coleman would have paid the November 2007 and January 2008 rent had National Journal not raised the non-payment as an issue, whether Sen. Coleman and Mr. Larson had agreed that Mr. Larson would not cash the March 2008 rent check, why Sen. Coleman suddenly made up his back rent after National Journal asked questions about it, and why Sen. Coleman's office announced that Ms. Kainz would be leaving the senator's employ after National Journal asked about her role.

FLS is also linked to The DCI Group, a lobbying firm that came under scrutiny for its work in Myanmar and its ties to the John McCain campaign. They're known for "Astroturf" organizing as well as robo-calls.

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Topics: Norm Coleman

Norm Coleman

Sen. Norm Coleman Rents Cheap Crash Pad From Political Pal

Andrew Tilghman | June 27, 2008, 12:07PM

Serving in Congress and trying to maintain two places to live -- one back home and one in Washington -- can get expensive. (Not everyone has the money for a mansion like Hillary Clinton.)

Luckily, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has found a cheap place to crash when he's working inside the beltway -- renting an apartment from Republican operative and "robo-call" expert Jeff Larson. Larson and his wife bought the townhouse on Capitol Hill in March 2007 for $989,900, according to National Journal.

Coleman pays just $600 a month for a one-bedroom place in a Capitol Hill townhouse. That's remarkably cheap for the neighborhood, and a fraction of the $1,780 monthly rent Coleman paid on the Washington apartment he left in June 2007, according to a report this week from the National Journal.

Well, at least he usually pays. As the magazine discovered, Coleman doesn't pay his rent as promptly as many Americans.

Earlier this month, after National Journal questioned Coleman and Larson about the living arrangement, the senator said he discovered that his rent for last November and January had not been paid. In mid-June, Coleman covered the back rent with a personal check for $1,200 made out to Larson and signed by the senator's wife. Last year, Coleman sold furniture to Larson to cover one month's rent, according to Larson. And Larson held on to yet another month's rent check for three months, cashing it a few days after NJ's inquiries.

Coleman told the magazine that he moved into Larson's building to cut costs in July 2007. Coleman's Senate salary is $169,300.

It's unlikely Larson will evict Coleman anytime soon, since Larson has derived a lot of financial benefit from his relationship with the senator.

Larson's St. Paul-based company, FLS Connect, is a critical component of Coleman's political operation. The firm, which has raised money and hustled up voters for Coleman, has been paid about $1.6 million since mid-2001 by Coleman's Northstar Leadership political action committee and two Senate campaigns, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Larson serves as the PAC's treasurer and provides it with office space in St. Paul; Coleman's Senate campaign stopped renting space from Larson last year.

FLS Connect is a go-to shop for the Republicans nationwide for fund raising and providing "robo-calls." In fact, the firm was targeted by the attorney general in Indiana for violating that state's automated call laws. The firm is also linked to The DCI Group, a lobbying firm that came under scrutiny for its work in Myanmar and its ties to the John McCain campaign. They're known for "Astroturf" organizing as well as robo-calls.

Also, Larson's wife has worked for Coleman:

Larson will get no argument on that score from his wife, Dorene Kainz, who went to work for the senator in September 2005 handling requests from Coleman's constituents in his St. Paul office. Senate records show that she has been paid $101,218 through March 31.