Coleman Accepted Contributions from Newly-Indicted Executives

05/10/2007

Minnesota DFL Party Calls on Coleman to Immediately Return Contributions


(ST. PAUL, MN) -- This week, two Alaska oil executives pleaded guilty to bribing legislators with hundreds of thousands of dollars in phony “consulting” fees and defrauding the IRS by funneling campaign contributions through their employees. Norm Coleman has accepted campaign contributions from each of the indicted executives. Today, the Minnesota DFL Party is calling on Senator Coleman to immediately return this money.

“Senator Coleman should immediately return the money he has raised from out-of-state criminals,” said Brian Melendez, chair of the Minnesota DFL Party. “While we know that Norm Coleman can’t stand up to George Bush to do what’s right, we hope that he will at least have the backbone to stand up against bribery and corruption and return these funds.”

Veco Execs Plead Guilty To Bribing Legislators Ben Stevens With More Than $400,000 in Phony “Consulting” Fees.

This week, Alaska’s Veco Corp. CEO Bill Allen and Vice President Rick Smith plead guilty to bribing at least four State Legislators by making more than $400,000 in illegal payments and benefits to public officials and their families.

Discussing more than $240,000 in payments to one single legislator, prosecutors said, “Although Allen and Veco characterized these payments…as being for consulting services, Allen acknowledges that in actuality the payments…were in exchange for giving advice, lobbying colleagues, and taking official acts in matters before the legislature.” [Anchorage Daily News, 5/8/07]

Veco Execs Also Plead Guilty to Illegal Campaign Contribution Scheme. As part of the agreement released Monday, Bill Allen and Rick Smith also plead guilty to defrauding the IRS by reimbursing Veco employees for thousands of dollars in campaign contributions through phone bonuses for at least the last two years. [Anchorage Daily News, 5/8/07]

Coleman Accepted $2,000 From Newly Indicted Execs. In July 2002, Coleman accepted $1,000 each from Veco’s Bill Allen and Richard Smith. [Center for Responsive Politics]