Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Government, Financial, Greed, Corruption

New York’s top ethics panel on Tuesday ordered disgraced ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo to pay the state $5.1 million in book profits he made on the backs of taxpayers amid the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  The extraordinary resolution was approved by the Joint Commission on Public Ethics in a 12-1 vote — a month after the ethics agency voted to revoke its prior approval allowing Cuomo to earn outside income from his book “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic”...

  The panel found Cuomo’s book proceeds should be turned over to state Attorney General Letitia James — whose office’s investigative report forced the three-term Democrat’s resignation after substantiating a slew of accusations of mistreatment and harassment leveled against the disgraced ex-governor by current and former staffers.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Government, Incompetence, Sex, Greed, Feminism, Healthcare, Corruption

The New York State Assembly Judiciary Committee released the findings of its investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Monday, producing fresh allegations to lay at Cuomo’s doorstep.

  As CBS2’s Marcia Kramer reported, there are a number of new details, which deal not only with sexual harassment allegations, but the ex-governor’s mega-million dollar book deal and the state employees he ordered to work to bring the book to market...

  The report on Cuomo’s behavior in office involved interviews and depositions from more than 200 people, ranging from the women he is accused of sexually abusing, allegations about the underreporting of nursing home deaths, and the huge role reportedly played by members of his administration in arranging, typing editing, and weighing in on his book...

  But no one seems to have had a greater role than secretary to the governor Melissa DeRosa, who was identified by sources as the senior executive chamber official in the report who served “as the key point of contact for the book, and sent and received at least 1,000 emails regarding the book.”

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Government, Education, Greed, Corruption

Former state House Majority Leader Sheryl Williams Stapleton faces significant potential prison time if convicted of the more than two dozen felony charges – including racketeering and money laundering – filed against her last week and made public Monday.

  Stapleton has been indicted on 26 state felony and two misdemeanor counts for her alleged role in routing money meant for vocational education at Albuquerque Public Schools to businesses and charities in which she had an interest.

  Charges in the indictment handed up by a grand jury last week and filed in Bernalillo County District Court on Monday include one count of racketeering, five counts of money laundering and separate counts of soliciting or receiving kickbacks and having an unlawful interest in a public contract.

Democrat, Liberal, Government, Fascism, Energy, Greed, Corruption

Newly unveiled memos from Adolf Hitler’s chancellery and Foreign Ministry portray a cozy pre-World War II relationship between Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the German madman.

  Several going up for auction Aug. 24-27 at Alexander Historical Auctions show that FDR pressured Hitler’s aides to have the fuhrer grant a meeting with three pals, top officials from Standard Oil and Texaco, around the time of the 1936 Nazi Party rally at Nuremberg.

  In one, an aide wrote to Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop that “in view of Roosevelt's personal interest ... I recommend very strongly that his request should be granted.”

Democrat, Crime, Government, Financial, Greed, Justice, Corruption, Law, Convict

Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was sentenced to 78 months in prison on Monday after having been convicted on corruption charges twice since 2015.

  U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni, an Obama appointee, sentenced Silver, a Democrat, for the third time after previous convictions had been partly or fully overturned...

  “This was corruption, pure and simple,” she said. The former Speaker of the state assembly acknowledged his behavior was “improper, selfish and ethically indefensible.”

  “I know that a lot of people have lost faith in their government,” Silver said, according to the newspaper. “And I know that my actions contributed.”

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Election, Character, Financial, Fraud, Education, Greed

Federal prosecutors laid out an array of new details from their investigation into former Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh in documents filed Thursday, as they argued she should receive nearly five years in prison for conspiracy and tax evasion.

  The blistering, 37-page sentencing memorandum, accompanied by financial records and copies of checks, for the first time pinpointed the number of “Healthy Holly” children’s books Pugh sold — and re-sold. It outlined her efforts to conceal her dealings, including lying to FBI agents...

  “The chronology of events since 2011, comprising Pugh’s seven-year scheme to defraud, multiple years of tax evasion, election fraud, and attempted cover-ups, including brazen lies to the public, clearly establishes the deliberateness with which she pursued financial and political gain without a second thought about how it was harming the public’s trust,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorneys Martin J. Clarke and Leo J. Wise.

Democrat, Crime, Obama, Justice, Corruption, Law

A federal grand jury on Thursday charged Greg Craig with conspiring to hide his paid collusion with a foreign government and lying about that work to federal officials. Craig, a high-powered Beltway lawyer, served as President Barack Obama’s top White House lawyer during the former president’s first year in office.

  According to the formal indictment of Craig, which the Department of Justice released Thursday afternoon, the Democrat superlawyer “did unlawfully, knowingly, and willfully falsify, conceal, and cover up” his work on behalf of the Ukrainian government.

  “The purpose of the scheme was for CRAIG to avoid registration as an agent of Ukraine,” the indictment alleges.

Democrat, Liberal, Crime, Corruption, Convict

The outspoken Dallas mayor pro tem who balked at the National Rifle Association coming to town earlier this year resigned on Thursday after entering a guilty plea in federal court.

  The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that Dallas City Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion charges involving $450,000 in bribe and kickback payments stemming from securing a city school bus stop-arm camera contract for a Louisiana company...

  In February, the lawmaker, a Democrat who long represented the city’s 4th District, mounted a campaign against the NRA’s planned 147th Annual Meeting, which was set to come to the publicly-owned Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Justice, Corruption, Law, Convict

Sheldon Silver, the former powerful Democratic speaker of the New York State Assembly, was found guilty of federal corruption charges on Friday, less than a year after his first conviction on the same charges was thrown out.

  The guilty verdict was another turn in the extended epilogue of Mr. Silver’s long career, which included decades holding sway over nearly every major aspect of New York politics, and an uncanny ability to dodge attacks from competitors, investigators and, until recently, prosecutors.

  Mr. Silver was convicted in 2015 on charges related to nearly $4 million he obtained in illicit payments in return for taking actions that benefited a cancer researcher at Columbia University and two real estate developers in New York.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption, Convict

Former Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown was found guilty on 18 fraud and tax evasion charges Thursday afternoon in a Jacksonville federal court. The charges stemmed from accusations she illegally siphoned thousands of dollars from her charity into her own bank account for lavish parties, trips and shopping excursions.

  "Congresswoman Brown and her chief of staff are alleged to have used the congresswoman's official position to solicit over $800,000 in donations to a supposed charitable organization, only to use that organization as a personal slush fund," Assistant U.S. Attorney General Leslie Caldwell, chief of the Justice Department's criminal division, said in a statement earlier this year.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Financial, Fraud, Oops, Education, Greed, Corruption

Democratic Congresswoman Corrine Brown of Florida has been indicted by a grand jury following a federal investigation into a fraudulent charity. According to ABC News, "the 24-count indictment comes after an investigation into the purported charity One Door for Education Foundation Inc., which federal prosecutors say was billed as a way to give scholarships to poor students but instead filled the coffers of Brown and her associates."

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Fraud, Greed, Corruption, Theft

An Arizona Democratic lawmaker who once voted against welfare fraud protections in her state has been indicted on felony charges of defrauding the food stamp program. According to the indictment unsealed earlier this week, state Rep. Cecilia Velasquez was charged with three felony counts: unlawful use of food stamps, fraudulent schemes and practices, and theft...

  “It is appalling that an elected official representing the people of Arizona would steal from the poor, while consistently saying she is trying to help the poor,” Kern told Fox News.

Democrat, Crime, Union, Government, Financial, Threats, Corruption

A top official in Boston Mayor Martin Walsh’s administration pleaded not guilty on Thursday to a corruption charge that could lead to a maximum of 20 years in prison. Kenneth Brissette, the city’s director of tourism, sports, and entertainment, was arrested for allegedly withholding city permits from a music festival until union workers were hired to staff the event in 2014. A federal indictment released Thursday outlined allegations that Brissette had engaged in union-related extortion.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Guns, Greed, Corruption, Convict

The San Francisco Democrat was caught in an FBI sting that recorded him promising votes and guns to an undercover agent who was funneling him contributions. He pleaded guilty last year rather than face a trial. And Wednesday, after decades as an elected officeholder, he was sentenced to five years in prison for doing political favors in exchange for campaign cash — or, as the judge put it — for selling his vote.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Financial, Greed, Corruption, Convict

Sheldon Silver, an assemblyman who rose from the Lower East Side of Manhattan to become one of New York State’s most powerful politicians, was found guilty on Monday of federal corruption charges... After a five-week trial in Federal District Court in Manhattan, the end came rather quickly and unceremoniously for Mr. Silver, 71, a Democrat who served more than two decades as Assembly speaker before he was forced to resign from the post after his arrest in January.

Democrat, Liberal, Crime, Oops, Lie, Justice, Corruption, Law

The state's highest court on Monday ordered the temporary suspension of Attorney General Kathleen Kane's law license, a step that could trigger a Senate vote to remove her as she faces criminal charges. The unanimous order by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's five justices also could prompt a legal challenge from the first-term Democrat, who is also the first woman to hold the position of Pennsylvania's top prosecutor.

  The order comes barely a month after Montgomery County authorities arrested Kane on charges she leaked secret investigative information to a newspaper reporter and then lied about it under oath. She was charged with perjury, obstruction and other counts.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Fraud, Oops, Greed, Feminism

Federal investigators formally investigated top Hillary Rodham Clinton aide Huma Abedin for the crime of embezzlement after confirming she took a “Babymoon” vacation and maternity time at the State Department without expending her formal leave, resulting in thousands of dollars of pay she wasn’t entitled to receive, The Washington Times has learned. The probe also gathered evidence she filed time sheets charging the government for impermissible overtime and excessive hours after she converted from a full-time federal employee to a State Department contractor.

  Ms. Abedin, who served as a deputy chief of staff to Mrs. Clinton from 2009 to late 2012, told investigators she hadn’t noticed she had received a $33,000 lump sum payment — about a third of which investigators determined was improper — when she left the State Department. She suggested her husband, the disgraced former congressman Anthony Weiner, failed to let her know.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption

A veteran House member from Philadelphia, one of his staff members, a lobbyist and two others were indicted Wednesday by the federal authorities in connection with bribery schemes and the misuse of hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal, charitable and campaign funds.

  The representative, Chaka Fattah, a Democrat, spoke with members of the executive and legislative branches in 2008 to help the lobbyist get an ambassadorship or appointment to the United States Trade Commission. In exchange for his efforts, the F.B.I. said, Mr. Fattah received $18,000 from the associate that had been disguised “as a payment for a car sale that never actually took place.”

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Character, Financial, Greed, Convict

Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. arrived at a Baltimore halfway house late Thursday, hours after leaving an Alabama federal prison where he was serving a sentence imposed after he pleaded guilty to spending $750,000 in campaign money on personal items... Earlier in the day, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, speaking by phone shortly after picking up his 50-year-old son, described his release from the minimum security federal prison camp at Maxwell Air Force Base as a "joyous reunion."

Democrat, Liberal, Election, Government, Financial, Corruption

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez interceded on behalf of an Ecuadorian woman who was banned from traveling to the U.S. because of allegations she had engaged in visa fraud. The woman, Estafania Isaias, is the daughter of a fugitive from Ecuador convicted in absentia for bank fraud and whose relatives in Florida made significant campaign donations to the New Jersey Democrat's 2012 campaign and the Democratic Party.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Character, Corruption

A grand jury convened by Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams has indicted two Democratic state legislators for accepting bribes in exchange for voting against a voter ID bill, among other legislative actions. The grand jury findings also represent a withering rejection of the unjustifiable behavior of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who shut down the three-year investigation that caught state Democratic legislators on video and audio tapes taking bribes.

Democrat, Government, Greed, Corruption

A state assemblyman has agreed to pay a $9,000 fine to the city Conflicts of Interest Board for ethics violations. Erik Dilan, a Brooklyn Democrat, admitted that when he was a City Councilman, he voted three times to give tax breaks to a developer who was his landlord. He never disclosed his financial relationship with the developer, Sergio Benitez.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption

Sheldon Silver, the longtime leader of the New York state Assembly, agreed to give up the position he has held for 21 years in the wake of federal corruption charges, a top lawmaker announced Tuesday... The 70-year-old Manhattan Democrat was taken into custody last Thursday on federal charges he took nearly $4 million in payoffs and kickbacks, but he insists he is innocent.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Funny, Racism, Oops, Greed, Corruption

Philadelphia prosecutors announced criminal charges Tuesday against two more elected officials swept up in the undercover sting investigation that state Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane had argued could not be successfully prosecuted. District Attorney Seth Williams announced conspiracy, bribery and conflict of interest charges against state Reps. Vanessa Lowery Brown and Ronald G. Waters, both Philadelphia Democrats, for accepting cash from an undercover operative. As for Kane's assertions that the sting investigation, begun by her predecessors, racially targeted elected officials, Williams said they were false, and that he was "disgusted" by them.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Scandal, Greed, Corruption

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Current mayoral candidate Kevin Johnson in the past misused AmeriCorps members by requiring them to drive him to personal appointments, wash his car and run personal errands, the Office of Inspector General alleged Thursday in providing a list of potential criminal and grant violations. The OIG also allegedly uncovered diversion of federal grant funds and false claims made against a taxpayer-supported federal agency.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Government, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption, Convict

A former Democratic state politician and donor to Sen. Mark Pryor (D., Ark.) pleaded guilty to bribery, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday: Steven B. Jones, 49, of Marion, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with conspiracy and bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds.

Democrat, Liberal, Crime, Election, Character, Fraud, Crazy, Assault

Bridgeport Democratic state representative Christina ‘Tita’ Ayala has been arrested and charged with voting in local and state elections in districts where she did not live. Ayala, 31, from Bridgeport, was charged with eight counts of fraudulent voting, 10 counts of primary or enrollment violations, and one count of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence... She was fined $350 for a hit-and-run car accident shortly after winning the 2012 Democratic primary for the House seat. She later got into a fight with her boyfriend and faced domestic violence charges, which were dropped after she completed counseling.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Character, Greed, Corruption, Convict

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin reported to a federal prison in Texarkana, Texas, on Monday to begin serving a 10-year sentence. Nagin arrived at the facility shortly before noon. New Orleans television stations showed images of Nagin hugging family members in a parking lot before he entered the lockup.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Election, Character, Fraud, War, Greed, Terrorism, Corruption

A new federal racketeering indictment unsealed on Friday charges California state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) with operating a "cash for votes" criminal enterprise... In one instance, Yee allegedly agreed to accept $60,000 from an NFL owner in exchange for votes on a professional athlete workers compensation bill. Yee also allegedly accepted campaign contributions for his 2011 San Francisco mayoral bid and 2014 campaign for secretary of state in exchange for key votes. As part of the racketeering charges, Yee is also accused of conspiring to traffic in "missile systems designed to destroy aircraft."

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Character, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption, Convict

Former mayor Ray Nagin, the businessman-turned-politician who became the worldwide face of the city after Hurricane Katrina, was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday. Nagin, 58, was ordered to report to federal prison Sept. 8. Nagin, also ordered to pay restitution of $82,000, was found guilty Feb. 12 of fraud, bribery and related charges involving crimes that took place before and after Katrina devastated the city in August 2005.

A jury convicted Nagin of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes — money, free vacation trips and truckloads of free granite for his family business — from businessmen who wanted work from the city or Nagin's support for various hurricane recovery projects.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Character, Fraud, Corruption, Convict, Theft

Randy McRae, 55, faces up to 65 years in prison after being convicted of theft and other charges related to a scheme that took place between 2006 and 2008, authorities said in a statement Friday. In 2006, McRae — who was general council for the Central Prince George’s County Community Development Corp. — forged documents and used the nonprofit’s name to obtain $25,000 in fraudulent reimbursements from the federal government, authorities said.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said McRae’s actions were “despicable.” (McRae's Democrat Party affiliation was left out of the Washington Post story)

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption, Convict

Former Missouri state legislator Raymond Salva pleaded guilty last week to bagging nearly $59,000 in taxpayer-funded Social Security disability payments while earning $30,000 a year as a state representative between 2003 and 2010... Salva could face up to 10 years without parole and up to $250,000 in fines.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Government, Financial, Greed, Corruption

Typically, the payments made at any one time were relatively modest - ranging from $500 to $2,000 - but most of those involved accepted multiple payments, people familiar with the investigation said. In some cases, the payments were offered in exchange for votes or contracts, they said. Sources with knowledge of the sting said the investigation made financial pitches to both Republicans and Democrats, but only Democrats accepted the payments.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption, Theft

(Democrat) Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested Wednesday on public corruption charges after a four-year investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte announced. Cannon was charged with theft and bribery after an FBI sting operation, said Anne Tompkins, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Guns, Corruption

State Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) was charged Wednesday with conspiring to commit wire fraud and traffic firearms, part of a sweeping public corruption case outlined by federal prosecutors... In 2013, he stood with law enforcement officials and then-Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to propose a bill that would regulate assault weapons.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Election, Government, Fraud, Greed, Corruption

Pennsylvania Democrats were caught on surveillance tape reportedly accepting cash bribes in return for opposing voter ID in the Pennsylvania legislature. Gifts of Tiffany’s jewelry were also given to Democrat legislators from Philadelphia, reportedly in exchange for “NO” votes on a Pennsylvania voter ID bill that passed in 2012.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Character, Greed, Corruption, Convict

A New Jersey county judge on Wednesday ordered Trenton Mayor Tony Mack to leave office following his conviction on federal corruption charges earlier this month... The ousted mayor faces a maximum sentence of 110 years behind bars at sentencing on May 14 by Judge Michael Shipp, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption

The U.S. Attorney for California announced Friday that a federal grand jury had indicted Democrat State Sen. Ronald Calderon on bribery charges. His brother Thomas was indicted on related money laundering charges. State Sen. Calderon is accused of agreeing to take tens of thousands of dollars in bribes from businessmen and Hollywood executives--in reality, FBI agents--in return for supporting or opposing key pieces of legislation.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Greed, Corruption, Convict

Former Mayor C. Ray Nagin of New Orleans was found guilty on Wednesday of accepting payoffs for city contracts, becoming the first mayor in the city’s history to be charged and convicted of corruption. The jury, deliberated for about six and a half hours in total before finding Mr. Nagin, 57, the Democratic mayor for two terms and the face of the city’s leadership during the Hurricane Katrina disaster, guilty in 20 of the 21 counts against him. In all, prosecutors said Mr. Nagin received more than half a million dollars in illicit benefits, while the contractors found themselves with millions of dollars’ worth of city work.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Threats, Greed, Corruption, Convict

TRENTON — Mayor Tony Mack was convicted of all six federal corruption charges Friday in U.S. court. His brother, Ralphiel Mack, was convicted of three of the six bribery and extortion charges both were tried for... The strongest point for the government might have been the testimony from Giorgianni’s caretaker and admitted partner in a pain-pill dealership, Mary Manfredo, who said she saw Giorgianni hand a wad of cash to the mayor in the steak shop in April of 2012.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Greed, Corruption

In the papers filed on Tuesday, prosecutors applied for orders forfeiting the pension benefits of former New York Councilmen Miguel Martinez and Larry Seabrook. They also filed papers against Hiram Monserrate, a former New York councilman and state senator, and Sandy Annabi, a former Yonkers councilwoman, in an effort to locate the pension benefits they have already received, to satisfy outstanding forfeiture judgments handed down against them. All are Democrats.

Democrat, Crime, Government, Character, Sex, Degeneracy, Justice, Corruption

Mingo County Circuit Judge Michael Thornsbury was arrested Thursday after federal authorities allege he targeted his ex-lover's husband and used his position on the bench to manipulate criminal charges against the man. Thornsbury, a Democrat, "persecuted his secretary's husband, his romantic rival" and used the justice system for his own "nefarious purpose," Booth Goodwin, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, said in a Thursday news conference.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Election, Greed, Corruption

Former Illinois lawmaker Jesse Jackson, Jr., was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to spending $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items. He will also face 36 months of probation, 500 hours of community service and continued mental health care.

Democrat, Crime, Corruption

Two Democratic lawmakers from Illinois worked to help lift economic sanctions against Zimbabwe after being targeted by an illegal $3.4 million lobbying scheme, according to FBI testimony unsealed in federal court. Reps. Danny K. Davis and Bobby L. Rush, both of the Chicago area, were identified by Chicago media as “U.S. Representative A” and “U.S. Representative B” in the case, given that they were the only Illinois Democrats to have sponsored a failed 2010 resolution to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe cited in court documents.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Oops, Waste, Corruption

Chicago Alderman Joe Moore was to have received an award for "political reform" at the White House. Moore, however, was a no-show in D.C. because on that same day he admitted that he had been interviewed by the FBI in an investigation into political corruption. Now the White House announced that it is putting Moore's award on hold until his status with these charges are settled. Moore was to have been honored as a "a pioneer for political reform, governmental transparency and democratic governance" until the charges against him became known in Washington. The Alderman has been accused of political payoffs and waste.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption, Convict

A former California assemblyman and probation official who concocted an identity theft scheme to avoid paying his debts was sentenced Monday to a day in jail and a year of home confinement. City News Service reports that Carl E. Washington also was ordered to pay $194,000 in restitution to three financial institutions he defrauded... The Democrat represented the 52nd District in South Los Angeles from 1996 to 2002.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Character, Threats, Greed, Corruption

Just one year after laying off a third of his city’s police force and disbanding street crime and drug units, Tony Mack, the mayor of Trenton has been arrested for his role in extorting over $100,000 from 'developers' of a public parking garage... "Time and again, we have seen public officials in New Jersey who are all too willing to sell their power and betray the public’s trust," U.S. Attorney Fishman said.

Democrat, Healthcare, Corruption, Convict

Brash former state Sen. Pedro Espada Jr., who ran a once-respected health care network, was sentenced Friday to five years in prison for looting the taxpayer-subsidized clinics to pay for children's pony rides and other extravagances. U.S. District Judge Frederic Block immediately jailed Espada rather than let him report to prison, citing evidence that he defied a court order to stay away from jurors after his trial. The judge also ordered him to forfeit more than $368,000.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption

Arkansas’ state treasurer was accused Monday of taking at least $36,000 in cash — sometimes stashed in a pie box — from a broker who later came to manage a large share of the state’s $3.3 billion investment portfolio. Democrat Martha Shoffner, who made her initial court appearance Monday, said she had no plans to resign despite members of her own party joining Republican calls for her to step down. She was released on her own recognizance but ordered to surrender her passport.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Government, Greed, Justice, Corruption

Albany: Almost a quarter of the state Senate's Democratic conference was in the FBI's cross hairs last year, according to a court filing unsealed Wednesday. Last summer, federal investigators asked state Sen. Shirley Huntley to invite six Democratic colleagues to her Queens home and record their conversations... Prosecutors have already indicted two of the taped senators, John Sampson of Brooklyn and Malcolm Smith of Queens, but the memo listed four more colleagues: Eric Adams and Velmanette Montgomery of Brooklyn, Jose Peralta of Queens and Ruth Hassell-Thompson of Mount Vernon. Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the situation "complicated, but basically all bad." "I'm just happy that all of this is coming to light, and we're working out the bad apples," said Sen. Tony Avella, D-Queens. "Let everybody wear a wire. It really is the tip of the iceberg — whether it's taking a bribe or pushing a bill for a campaign contribution, it's all unethical."

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Government, Threats, Greed, Lie, Justice, Corruption

Turn over the names of all of the cooperating witnesses who could make a case against him, Mr. Sampson asked, so he could arrange to “take them out.” That is among the crimes Mr. Sampson, a powerful Democrat, is accused of as he tried to thwart an intensifying federal inquiry centered on accusations that he had stolen more than $400,000 from the sale of foreclosed homes... He pleaded not guilty to charges that included two counts of embezzlement, five counts of obstruction of justice and two counts of making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Character, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption

Bronx Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, sold out by one of his corrupt colleagues, was charged Thursday with pocketing nearly $20,000 in bribes to boost the launch of an adult day care center. Stevenson was busted with the cooperation of Assemblyman Nelson Castro, a fellow Bronx Democrat, according to the 38-page court filing and sources familiar with the matter. Stevenson, a two-term assemblyman re-elected just five months ago, was arrested Thursday morning in the city’s latest political corruption scandal. According to the criminal complaint, Stevenson accepted one cash-stuffed envelope outside a Bronx steakhouse and a second from a cooperating witness who was once an assembly candidate — but now worked for the adult home.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Character, Financial, Greed, Corruption, Convict

The jury has spoken in the federal corruption trial of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and they said he’s guilty of the most important charge: racketeering. Sentencing will happen at a later date, but the conviction carries a possible penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Kwame Kilpatrick, Bernard Kilpatrick and Bobby Ferguson were hit with more than 30 charges of federal mail and tax fraud, extortion, bribery and racketeering — with Kilpatrick convicted of 24 charges. Ferguson was the only one without tax fraud charges, and Bernard Kilpatrick was the only one not convicted of racketeering.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Financial, Greed, Corruption

Vicksburg Mayor Paul Winfield was granted bond Thursday after being arraigned on a federal bribery charge that says he was caught in an FBI investigation while seeking a $10,000 bribe for a city contract. The 39-year-old Democrat wore an orange jail jumpsuit and shackles during his arraignment in U.S. District Court in Jackson.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption, Convict

Former U.S. representative Jesse Jackson Jr. pleaded guilty Wednesday to using campaign money to buy more than $750,000 worth of luxury items, collectibles and clothes - marking the fall of a man once heralded as one of Illinois' most promising politicians. Jackson's wife, Sandi, a former Chicago alderman, also pleaded guilty Wednesday to a separate felony charge of filing false tax returns over six years. The former Democratic congressman, who represented a district that included parts of Chicago's South Side and south suburbs, was first elected to office in 1995, replacing Democrat Mel Reynolds, who resigned after being convicted of statutory rape.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Character, Greed, Corruption

Former San Diego mayor Maureen O'Connor has admitted in federal court that she misappropriated $2 million from her late husband's charitable foundation due to a gambling addiction in which [she] won more than $1 billion but lost even more over nearly a decade. O'Connor was the Democratic leader of California's second-largest city from 1986 to 1992. The two-term mayor was elected San Diego's first female leader after eight years on the City Council.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Government, Greed, Convict

Under the terms of the deal Jackson signed, he pleads guilty and his fate – as to jail time – would be in the hands of a federal judge, not yet assigned. He would repay the government hundreds of thousands of dollars – for items like the $40,000 Rolex watch, travel expenses for a woman he described as a “social acquaintance” and furniture purchased for his home.

Democrat, Character, Financial, Oops, Greed, Corruption

Embattled Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez said through a spokesman Wednesday that trips he took on the private jet of a major political donor “have been paid for and reported appropriately.” But that may not have been accurate until shortly before the statement went out to media: WNBC-TV4 in New York City reported Wednesday that Menendez recently wrote a $58,500 check to the jet’s owner, Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen. “Senator Menendez has traveled on Dr. Melgen’s plane on three occasions, all of which have been paid for and reported appropriately,” the statement said. Menendez’s chief of staff, Dan O’Brien, told NBC that it took the senator three years to pay his private airfare because of an office mistake. “This was sloppy,” O’Brien conceded about two 2010 flights. “I’m chalking it up to an oversight.”

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption

DETROIT (AP) - Federal prosecutors have filed a fraud charge against Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway, just a few days before she leaves the state's highest court in a scandal involving the sale of a Detroit-area home and suspicious steps taken to conceal property in Florida. The charge was filed Friday as a criminal "information," which means it was negotiated and that a guilty plea is expected in federal court.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Government, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has been indicted on 21 federal corruption charges including wire fraud, bribery and money laundering. The charges are the outgrowth of a City Hall corruption investigation that already has resulted in guilty pleas by two former city officials and two businessmen. The counts include wire fraud, bribery, money laundering, filing false tax returns and conspiracy.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Character, Financial, Funny, Brilliance, Oops, Greed, Corruption, Convict

Former City councilman Larry Seabrook will spend five years in prison for misdirecting hundreds of thousands of dollars for community projects to his girlfriend and family members. Seabrook, 61, was sentenced Tuesday. His surrender date is March 8. “I will continue to fight in the service of people. I truly love the northeast Bronx,” the Bronx Democrat said during his sentencing.

Democrat, Greed, Corruption

The House Ethics Committee has concluded that congresswoman Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., violated House rules and laws by using her official position to benefit her husband's medical practice.

Democrat, Crime, Character, Greed, Corruption

Nearly five months after FBI agents raided the home of Trenton Mayor Tony Mack and swarmed City Hall, the first-term mayor was indicted today on charges he sold his influence to a parking garage developer in a two-year FBI sting. Mack and his two co-defendants face an eight-count indictment accusing them of agreeing to a $119,000 bribery scheme involving his brother, Ralphiel Mack, and a longtime supporter, Joseph "JoJo" Giorgianni, the owner of JoJo's Steak House in the city.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Tax, Crime, Financial, Greed, Corruption

A Detroit City Council member who paid $68 in property taxes this year because city records indicate her home doesn't exist, said she thought damage caused by a tornado was the reason her bill was so low. But JoAnn Watson couldn't recall exactly when the tornado struck her well-kept brick, Tudor-style home on the city's west side, saying it might have been 1993 or 2002. She said she was unaware of a city records discrepancy that has for the past decade listed the parcel as an empty lot, despite the home occupying the plot since 1926. Owners of comparable homes pay $2,000 to $6,500 in property taxes.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Government, Fraud, Greed, Corruption

The combative Cook County commissioner stands accused of diverting more than $225,000 from campaign coffers to feed a casino-gambling habit and for other personal use without reporting it. Jury selection began Monday, and opening statements are expected later this week... Beavers also is accused of failing to declare that he took more than $68,000 in campaign money and put it in a city fund to double the monthly pension he got for his years as an alderman to more than $6,000.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Character, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption

Illinois State Representative La Shawn K. Ford was indicted on Thursday on federal bank fraud charges, with U.S. prosecutors saying that Ford submitted false income information in applying for a credit line. Ford, 40, is the second state legislator from Chicago to be indicted this year. In a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois, Ford, a Democrat, was charged with obtaining a $500,000 increase in a line of credit from the failed ShoreBank by submitting false income information.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption, Convict

Republicans in New Hampshire’s state legislature have called for the first elected transgender official in the state -- and the nation -- to step down in light of a newspaper article that revealed her criminal past. Stacie Marie Laughton, a Democrat, made history this month when she was elected to a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Hillsborough County, which includes Nashua. But a story in the Laconia Daily Sun revealed that Laughton was a convicted felon who served more than four months in jail for ”conspiracy to commit credit card fraud” in 2008.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Character, Fraud, Greed, Corruption

Jefferson City, MO —

Former state legislator Ray Salva, a Sugar Creek Democrat, was indicted Tuesday on theft and Social Security fraud charges after receiving nearly $60,000 in federal disability payments while also getting paid for his work as a state House member. The indictment alleges that Salva failed to notify the federal government of his employment as a legislator and thus received Social Security disability payments that he wasn’t entitled to get.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption, Convict

The Supreme Court is leaving in place the corruption conviction of a former Louisiana congressman who hid money from bribes in his freezer. The justices on Monday rejected without comment an appeal by former Rep. William Jefferson, who is serving a 13-year term in federal prison. The Louisiana Democrat was convicted in 2009 after FBI agents investigating allegations of corruption found $90,000 in cash hidden in Jefferson's freezer. Jefferson reported to a federal prison in Texas in May. The prison is a low-security institution in Beaumont. A jury in Virginia convicted him of bribery, racketeering and other charges in 2009.

Democrat, Liberal, Crime, Sex, Degeneracy, Corruption

Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned Wednesday from Congress amid a cloud of health and legal problems that have intensified in recent months... The federal investigation is purportedly focusing on whether Jackson misused campaign money. In addition, the House Ethics Committee has been looking into whether Jackson was involved in discussions about raising money for imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's campaign in exchange for an appointment to President Obama's vacated Senate seat... Jackson came to Congress in a special election in December 1995 to succeed another embattled Illinois Democratic congressman, Rep. Mel Reynolds, who went to jail for sex misconduct chargers and resigned several months before the special election.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Debt, Convict

Kwame Brown, 42, a Democrat, who had been the City Council chairman, pleaded guilty in June to a federal charge of overstating his income in applying for bank loans in 2005 and 2007. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon sentenced him to six months of house arrest with an electronic monitor and a curfew. Brown also was sentenced to two years of probation and 480 hours of community service. "I'm here today because of my own poor conduct. I'm not a victim," Brown said in a brief statement before sentencing.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Character, Corruption

Fresh on the heels of his Tuesday reelection, state Rep. Derrick Smith on Thursday made his first significant public comments since he was indicted on a federal bribery charge and subsequently ousted from the statehouse. Smith, a Chicago Democrat, thanked the voters of the state's 10th legislative district for their support during a Tuesday press conference and said he is "a new man." "I know that there are a lot of people in the media and elsewhere [who] are saying that I only received votes because I am a Democrat," Smith said, as reported by CBS Chicago.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Financial, Corruption

A Queens district leader and two-time candidate for the City Council surrendered to federal authorities on Wednesday to face corruption charges, including mail-fraud conspiracy and obstruction of justice, stemming from what prosecutors said were campaign-finance improprieties.

Democrat, Crime, Corruption

PHOENIX — A change-of-plea hearing is scheduled Friday for an Arizona legislator charged in a corruption case. Rep. Ben Arredondo previously pleaded not guilty to federal charges of bribery and other crimes. The Tempe Democrat's lawyer did not immediately return a call for comment, but a federal court docket entry says a magistrate will hold the change-of-plea hearing Friday morning. An indictment charged Arredondo with soliciting and accepting sports and charity event tickets from FBI undercover agents and with disclosing confidential information while he was a Tempe City Council member.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption

Federal agents arrested the mayor of New Jersey's capital city early Monday as part of an ongoing corruption investigation into bribery allegations related to a parking garage project that was concocted as part of an FBI sting operation. Trenton Mayor Tony Mack, his brother Ralphiel and convicted sex offender Joseph Giorgianni, a Mack supporter who owns a Trenton sandwich shop, were accused of conspiring to obstruct, delay and affect interstate commerce by extortion under color of official right.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Financial, Greed, Corruption, Theft

Adding to the long list of Albany lawmakers accused of misusing their offices, a Democratic state senator from Queens said on Saturday that she expected to be arrested as part of an ongoing corruption investigation. The senator, Shirley L. Huntley, said she would surrender to the authorities on Monday. She said she did not know the charges, but her announcement came months after one of her aides and three others were charged with stealing taxpayer money that had been directed to a nonprofit group that Ms. Huntley founded.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Financial, Funny, Greed, Convict

Prince George’s County Council member Leslie E. Johnson resigned Tuesday, five days after pleading guilty to federal corruption charges... Johnson admitted last week in federal court that she destroyed a $100,000 check from a developer to her husband, former County Executive Jack B. Johnson, and stuffed nearly $80,000 in illicit cash into her underwear to hide it from investigators who were knocking at her front door. She faces up to a year and a half in prison when she is sentenced Oct. 13 on charges of conspiracy to commit witness and evidence tampering. Johnson, a Democrat, had been facing increasing pressure to step down from council members who felt her continued presence would become a major distraction in coming months and slow the learning process for her eventual successor.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Character, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption

State Sen. Shirley Huntley desperately tried to cover up the theft of $30,000 in taxpayer money from her “sham” nonprofit as a grand-jury probe bore down on her, sources claimed and documents indicated yesterday. The Queens Democrat last year handwrote a “false, backdated letter designed to fool investigators” into believing her Parent Workshop charity conducted seminars that never actually occurred, authorities said.

Democrat, Crime, Financial, Greed, Corruption

Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop (N.Y.) appears to have extorted a $5,000 donation from a wealthy constituent who needed help obtaining some government permits, according to Politico.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Character, Greed, Corruption, Convict

AKRON, Ohio -- U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi handed down a 28-year sentence to former county Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, who was convicted in March of racketeering and 32 other bribery- and corruption-related crimes... Before she handed down the sentence, Lioi said Dimora abused his power as a politician. “The reach of his corruption was far and wide,” Lioi said. "The destruction left in its wake is incalculable."... While using his walker as he was escorted from the courtroom, Dimora said to prosecutors, "I hope you guys are happy."... Dimora was Democratic Party leader from 1994 until he resigned in 2009.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption

Yeadon borough council president John Holden is facing felony charges of bribery and theft as an official. The Delaware County district attorney’s office said it all started when Holden’s abandoned car was towed by Seiple Collision. Investigators say Holden suggested to the company that their contract with the borough would be in jeopardy unless he was paid a bribe. … Prosecutors say Holden met with one of the owners and received $1,000 as a down payment for a $7,000 bribe so Seiple would keep its borough contract.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Financial, Fraud, Corruption, Convict

Following years of appeals and a vocal campaign by supporters, ex-Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman is heading back to prison after being sentenced Friday to more than six years for bribery and other convictions. Siegelman, 66, and former HealthSouth chief Richard Scrushy were convicted in 2006. They arranged $500,000 in contributions to Siegelman's campaign for a state lottery in exchange for the governor appointing Scrushy to an important hospital regulatory board... "I apologize to people for the embarrassment my actions have caused," Siegelman said.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Threats, Greed, Corruption, Convict

An Akron, Ohio area county commissioner has been sentenced to 28 years in prison on 33 bribery- and corruption-related charges, reports 19 Action News in Akron. Former Cuyahoga County commissioner Jimmy Dimora denied his guilt Tuesday in a statement after the hearing, despite the litany of charges, including bribery, extortion, obstruction of justice and racketeering, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer... Dimora was Democratic Party leader from 1994 until he resigned in 2009.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Character, Financial, Fraud, Brilliance, Greed, Corruption

Former Queens Assemblyman Jimmy Meng - the first Asian-American elected to the state Legislature - was charged with wire fraud Tuesday for claiming he could bribe prosecutors to fix a criminal case, authorities said. Meng, whose Assemblywoman daughter is running for Congress, was pinched outside his Flushing lumber yard Tuesday as a cooperating witness - who had been secretly recording their chats for months - handed him a fruit basket - stuffed with an $80,000 treat, court papers show... Jimmy Meng cautioned the witness: "Never talk about money over the phone." Later, Meng warned: "If something goes wrong, my life will become miserable."

Democrat, Crime, Character, Financial, Corruption

New York City Councilman Larry B. Seabrook was convicted of nine public corruption counts in a retrial in federal court in Manhattan. Seabrook, a Democrat who represented part of the Bronx, was accused of laundering city money through nonprofit organizations he controlled. Jurors today found him guilty of conspiracy and fraud charges after two days of deliberations. “Councilman Larry Seabrook abused the power of his office,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement. “Today’s conviction ensures that the councilman will pay for betraying the public trust.”

Democrat, Incompetence, Character, Fraud, Greed, Corruption

TRENTON, N.J. — FBI agents are seeking evidence of bribery, fraud, extortion and money laundering as they investigate the mayor of New Jersey’s capital city. Documents obtained by The Times of Trenton show agents also are investigating vendor contracts with the city. Agents last week searched City Hall offices and the homes of Mayor Tony Mack, his brother and a campaign donor.

Mack’s two years in office have been marked by accusations of cronyism and mismanagement. The Democrat’s only public comment has been to say he has not violated the public trust.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Fraud, Corruption, Convict

HARRISBURG — A former state representative and onetime Pennsylvania revenue secretary was convicted of corruption on Wednesday in what could be the final trial of a five-year-old state investigation. A Dauphin County jury found former Rep. Stephen Stetler, D-York, guilty on six felony counts stemming from his participation in a scheme to use public employees to do illegal campaign work. His case was the last of 25 defendants in the state attorney general’s legislative corruption probe to be resolved. The jurors convicted him on all the charges he faced: four counts of theft and one each of conspiracy and conflict of interest.

Democrat, Crime, Greed, Corruption, Law, Convict

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday turned down former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman's appeal challenging his bribery conviction, leaving in place rulings that say prosecutors and jurors can decide when a favor based on a campaign contribution amounts to a bribe. The court's action means Siegelman is likely to be sent back to prison to finish his term. In 2007, a judge in Alabama sentenced him to seven years behind bars, but he was released a year later to appeal his conviction.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Character, Fraud, Corruption

COLUMBIA - South Carolina Democratic leaders are trying to decide whether to support a convicted felon running for Congress as a Democrat. After winning in this month's week's Democratic primary, Bryan Lamont "Ryan B" Doyle will appear on the November ballot as the party's nominee in the state's 3rd Congressional district, which stretches along the state's western edge from the mountain town of Walhalla south to Edgefield. Federal court records show Doyle, 37, was convicted in 2003 on six felony counts related to Medicare fraud and making false statements, resulting in a 30- month prison sentence.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Financial, Corruption

Federal authorities have charged the finance director for state House Speaker Christopher Donovan’s congressional campaign with trying to hide campaign contributions of about $20,000, following an FBI undercover investigation of alleged influence-buying at the state Capitol. Robert Braddock Jr., 33, the campaign employee, was arrested Wednesday, according to a variety of sources. The questionable contributions were made in connection with efforts to kill legislation that would have imposed new fees and taxes on certain kinds of tobacco retailers, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Hypocrisy, Liberal

Rep. Charles Rangel, who has spent half of his 80 years as a member of Congress, says he looks forward to fighting ethics charges. Other Democrats won't be so pleased.

Democrat, Liberal, Corruption

The House ethics committee today released its formal charges against Rep. Maxine Waters, charging the California Democrat with three counts of violating ethics rules. The charges allege that Waters and her chief of staff, who is also her grandson, took steps to get federal assistance for a bank in which Waters' husband held stock and had served on the board of directors.

Democrat, Crime, Convict

He admitted that he converted office funds for his own use for gifts; put people on the his payroll who did little or no work; and mailed payroll checks to his district office for workers who did political or personal service for him... 15 months in a minimum security prison, Oxford, Wisconsin; 2 months in a halfway house. $100,000 fine. He spent a couple of days in solitary confinement because he was insubordinate to a social worker.

Democrat, Tax, Character, Corruption

Before Thanksgiving an ethics adjudicatory committee convicted Rangel of 11 counts of violating ethics rules. The charges include: improperly using his office to solicit donations for a school of public policy in his name at the City College of New York (CCNY), using a rent-stabilized apartment in Harlem for his campaign office, failing to report more than $600,000 on his financial disclosure report, and failing to pay taxes on rental income from a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic.

Democrat, Character

WASHINGTON — Embattled Democratic Sen. Robert Torricelli of New Jersey was "severely admonished" by the Senate Ethics Committee Tuesday for accepting gifts from a campaign contributor and businessman that the lawmaker aided.

Democrat, Liberal, Crime, Press, Corruption

During a breaking news brief on Friday’s Newsroom program, CNN anchor Kyra Phillips failed to identify the party affiliation of Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, a Democrat, who earlier in the day had been indicted on 12 counts related to a corruption probe by Maryland state officials.

After a 17 month probe, two state grand juries, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, have indicted 12 Democrats for alleged illegal activities and according to prosecutors, more charges are expected in what they are calling a "widespread" conspiracy within the Pennsylvania Democratic caucus to use tax payer funds to finance political activities.

Democrat, Corruption, Convict

Former Governor Edwin W. Edwards (D) left the Federal Penitentiary in Oakdale, LA today, ending 8-1/2 years of confinement. He had been sentence to 10 years on racketeering charges, stemming from his involvement in the state’s casino licensing process.

Democrat, Liberal, Fraud, Corruption, Convict

When I think of your case," Judge Johnson said, "the one phrase that comes to my mind is betrayal of trust."

Democrat, Scandal

He said it started with a conversation during a car ride with the governor, when Blagojevich asked him, "So what do you think I can get for the Senate seat?"

Democrat, Crime, Corruption, Convict

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - Former Democratic Congressman William Jefferson was found guilty of 11 of 16 corruption charges today by a federal jury. The jury of eight women and four men returned a guilty verdict following five days of deliberation. In the 16-count indictment, Jefferson was charged with soliciting bribes and other crimes for a series of schemes in which he helped American businesses broker deals in West African in exchange for payments or financial considerations to companies controlled by members of his family, including his brother Mose, his wife, Andrea, their five daughters and a son-in-law.

Democrat, Obama, Character, Financial, Fraud, Corruption, Convict

A wealthy Manhattan investment banker who was once a top fundraiser for Hillary Rodham Clinton and other big-name Democrats was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in prison for bank fraud. Hassan Nemazee had reached a plea deal in March, admitting to three counts of bank fraud and one count of wire fraud. Judge Sidney Stein said he'll get out of prison in about a decade. Nemazee was the national finance chairman of Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. He also raised money for President Barack Obama and a long list of other prominent Democrats. He was Sen. John Kerry's New York finance chairman during his failed 2004 presidential run.

Democrat, Liberal, Financial, Corruption

Detroit— Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a former city treasurer and a pension fund adviser were charged in an influence-peddling scheme Wednesday by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission... The SEC complaint alleges Kilpatrick and former Treasurer Jeff Beasley solicited and received $125,000 worth of private jet travel and other perks paid for by MayfieldGentry. They received the benefits while the firm's CEO, Chauncey Mayfield, was recommending the pension fund invest approximately $117 million in a real estate investment trust, according to the complaint.

Democrat, Crime, Corruption

A group of Democratic ward committeemen met behind closed doors Friday in search of a strategy to clean up the Derrick Smith mess... Illinois Rep. Derrick Smith, D-Chicago, appears on the House floor during session at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Ill. It was his first appearance at the Capitol since his March 13 arrest on federal bribery charges.

Democrat, Crime, Character, Corruption

"Guilty as charged, your honor" was all that former D.C. Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. (D-Ward 5) had to say at a hearing in federal court this morning, bringing to a swift close a political and legal saga that has convulsed his ward and the District's political class at large over the last year.

Democrat, Crime, Corruption, Convict, Bias

Carl Kruger, the once-powerful New York State senator from Brooklyn who resigned his office in disgrace and pleaded guilty to corruption charges in December, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Thursday by a federal judge in Manhattan. Carl Kruger, a Democrat, is a state senator from Brooklyn.

Democrat, Crime, Corruption, Convict

DeWeese, 62, who spent much of his 35-year tenure in the House as Democratic leader and served a stint as House speaker, has said he plans to step down from the Legislature before he is sentenced Tuesday on corruption charges involving the illegal use of state resources for political campaigns. A jury convicted DeWeese in February. The state constitution bars felons from serving in the General Assembly, but that ban is not triggered until the sentence is imposed.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Funny, Greed, Corruption, Convict, Image

A stack of hundred dollar bills, and the Pillsbury Dough Boy...

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Greed, Corruption, Convict

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A former Louisiana congressman who infamously was caught with $90,000 in cash hidden in his freezer will have to begin serving a 13-year bribery sentence within the next two weeks, a judge ruled Friday. Democrat William Jefferson, who represented parts of New Orleans for nearly 20 years, was convicted and sentenced back in 2009 for taking roughly $500,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for using his influence to broker business deals in Africa.

Democrat, Crime, Government, Greed, Corruption, Convict

HARRISBURG – The former top staffer for House Democrats, whose testimony helped convict two legislative leaders and several others, today was sentenced to 18 to 48 months in prison. Michael Manzo, a Monaca native, cut a deal with prosecutors in 2009 and became the star witness against former House Democratic Whip Mike Veon, formerly of Beaver Falls, and former House Speaker Bill DeWeese, D-Waynesburg.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Corruption

Former Missouri Gov. Roger Wilson has pleaded guilty this afternoon in connection with indictments late Wednesday on allegations of laundering campaign contributions to the Missouri Democratic Party through a St. Louis law firm. Herzog Crebs partner Ed Griesedieck, indicted along with Wilson, also plans to plead guilty, said his attorney Matt Schelp... The U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release that Wilson faces up to one year imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000. Wilson’s lawyer, Robert Haar, said his client faces probation to six months in prison and the possibility of a fine.

Democrat, Incompetence, Financial, Debt

Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), who is facing a lawsuit for failing to pay down a 2002 Bank of America loan that he used to buy a car wash in Missouri, could have a good chunk of the $1.5 million he owes paid off by taxpayers. According to the Kansas City Star, the Small Business Administration (SBA) backed about three-quarters of Cleaver's 2002 loan, which means that if the loan goes bad, the SBA could pay off $1.1 million of that debt.

Democrat, Financial, Funny, Fraud, Brilliance, Corruption

SANTA FE (KRQE) - His job is to help watch over county money, but Santa Fe police allege the county Deputy Treasurer Oliver Garcia was part of a scam to get free car washes. Garcia is not only the deputy county treasurer, he's one of two Democrats running for the top spot of county treasurer in the June primary. There is no Republican primary candidate.

Democrat, Crime, Financial, Fraud, Corruption

Kinde Durkee, once a trusted treasurer to dozens of California Democrats, pleaded guilty in the biggest campaign embezzlement case ever to hit U.S. politics. In a federal court in Sacramento, Durkee admitted to stealing more than $7 million from roughly 50 clients during an 11-year period from Jan. 2000 to Sept. 2011.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74685.html#ixzz1qfPwK1J4

Democrat, Crime, Fraud, Corruption

The Department of Justice on Tuesday charged a top California Democratic campaign treasurer with five counts of mail fraud that caused a loss of over $7 million dollars to her clients, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, court documents show. Kinde Durkee, who controlled the funds of roughly 400 political candidates and groups, was arrested in September 2011 by federal agents and charged with criminal mail fraud.

Democrat, Crime, Character, Corruption, Convict

In United States District Court in Manhattan, when Mr. Kruger, 62, a Brooklyn Democrat, stood before Judge Jed S. Rakoff, he looked drained and resigned, the spectacle growing more humiliating as the hearing wore on. He could not control his emotions, mumbling and sobbing as he admitted abusing his position and detailed his crimes: bribery schemes in which he accepted nearly half a million dollars in exchange for taking official action as a senator.

Democrat, Crime, Corruption, Convict

Speaking for about 12 minutes outside his Ravenswood home, Blagojevich said he’s tried to avoid thinking about the time he is facing in prison, even with only hours left to surrender to federal authorities. “Tomorrow, saying goodbye to Patti and my kids will be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I’ve been putting off the thought about what that’s going to be like. I can’t even think about it now,” he said.

Democrat, Corruption, Convict

Convicted former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's final hours of freedom are winding down before he must report to Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Englewood in Littleton, Colo., Thursday to serve his 14 years for corruption.

Democrat, Corruption, Convict

A jury on Monday convicted a senior Democrat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on all but one of six charges in the latest corruption trial stemming from a five-year investigation into the use of taxpayers' resources for political purposes. Rep. Bill DeWeese was convicted of felony counts of conspiracy, conflict of interest and three counts of theft, while the Dauphin County jury acquitted him of one other theft count.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Corruption, Convict

While on the Alexandria (Va.) city council, he was charged with casting a vote that helped a developer friend win a bid for a lucrative plot of public land. A special prosecutor concluded that Moran had violated the state’s conflict-of-interest law. He sobbed as he pleaded no contest to a felony charge of vote-peddling.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Tax, Crime, Greed, Corruption

D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. has been charged with stealing more than $350,000 in government funds and filing false tax returns. The two felony counts against Mr. Thomas, Ward 5 Democrat, are detailed in a criminal information document filed Thursday in U.S. District Court.

Democrat, Liberal, Crime, Obama, Fraud, Convict

A Democratic fundraiser was found guilty Friday of engineering a $21 million bank fraud scheme... In 2008, Dupree hosted a $1,000-a-ticket fund-raiser for Barack Obama at his Broad St. apartment that was attended by top aide Valerie Jarrett.

Government, Corruption

Michael E. McLaughlin, who abruptly resigned as Chelsea housing director last month after his $360,000 salary was revealed, put in only 15 full workdays in Chelsea all year to earn his extraordinary paycheck, according to a Globe review of his work cellphone records. The phone records are like a diary of McLaughlin’s work life, painting a picture of an executive who was constantly on the phone but rarely stayed long in the city where he managed low-income housing.

Democrat, Government, Incompetence, Financial

RALEIGH — Since as early as January 2011, and perhaps before then, Gov. Bev Perdue’s press office has received access to confidential employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics hours if not days before its scheduled release, quite likely in violation of federal law.

Democrat, Scandal, Corruption, Convict

Defiant Bay State lawmakers saw no need to change their Beacon Hill ways yesterday, despite the stunning news that their erstwhile leader, disgraced ex-House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, had been found guilty of extortion, fraud and corruption — the third speaker in a row to be convicted on federal charges.

Democrat, Crime, Corruption

Last week’s release of FBI documents finally put in writing what nobody had ever said on the record: The FBI suspected that former Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and lobbyists close to him were running a scheme to funnel earmarks to sham companies and nonprofits to benefit the lawmaker’s friends and former staffers.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Fraud

SACRAMENTO – A prominent Democratic campaign treasurer who works for federal, state and O.C. lawmakers including U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Loretta Sanchez and state legislators Lou Correa and Jose Solorio has been arrested by the FBI on suspicion of mail fraud, The Orange County Register has learned. U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek confirmed Saturday afternoon that Kinde Durkee of Burbank-based Durkee and Associates, was arrested by the FBI on a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.

Democrat, Crime, Fraud

(AP) LOS ANGELES - A longtime Democratic campaign treasurer who has worked for dozens of state, federal and local politicians in California has been arrested on suspicion of mail fraud, officials said Saturday. Kinde Durkee, who heads Durkee & Associates in Burbank, was arrested Friday afternoon by the FBI on a criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Sacramento, said U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek. No further details were available.

Democrat, Crime, Corruption, Convict

A "stunned" Rod Blagojevich and wife Patti hugged in the courtroom after a federal jury in Chicago this afternoon convicted the former Illinois governor of attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated when President Obama was elected in 2008, among the 17 guilty counts against him.

Democrat, Crime, Funny, Corruption, Convict

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- The hair that inspired a David Letterman Top 10 list and a line of "Bleep'n Golden" shampoo may survive a trip to prison. A federal prison manual says there's no limit on hair length "as long as it is neat and clean," so former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich may be able to keep his famous locks if he's incarcerated.

Democrat, Corruption, Convict

Saying he was "stunned," Rod Blagojevich was uncharacteristically tight-lipped today after a jury convicted him on 17 of 20 counts of corruption against him.

Democrat, Crime, Character

May 26, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Former governor Rod Blagojevich told jurors hearing tapes in which he refers to a U.S. Senate Seat appointment as ''f--ing golden'' makes him wince. ''I'm an f-ing jerk and I apologize,'' he said on the stand Thursday.

Democrat, Crime

CHICAGO - Disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich goes on trial Wednesday for a second time on corruption charges, including an allegation that he tried to sell President Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat.

Democrat, Crime, Convict

(Detroit, MI) -- A federal trial on corruption charges for former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and four others, including his father Bernard, will start in September of 2012. The five are accused of extorting money from city contractors as well as state and nonprofit donors. The ex-mayor is currently housed in a state prison in Jackson

Democrat, Crime

The FBI and the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York unsealed a 53 page Federal criminal indictment Thursday charging Assemblyman William Boyland, Jr. (D-55) and State Senator Carl Kruger (D-27) and six others with a variety of criminal offenses. The accused, some or all, are charged with wire and mail fraud, bribery and failure to provide honest services among other crimes.

Democrat, Scandal

McCafferty, 44, has been a judge since 1999. She won the Democratic primary for the seat in May as she sought re-election, despite already being connected to the federal investigation of county corruption.

She was arrested Wednesday and charged with lying to the FBI regarding her dealings with Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora.

Democrat, Scandal

Former Congressman Joseph P. Kolter was indicted on five counts involving allegations that he used monies from his Official Expenses Allowance to purchase items at the House Stationery Store for his personal use, embezzled public funds by misusing his account at the House Post Office, and thereafter concealed material facts from the Congress by filing false statements with the House Finance Office.

Democrat, Scandal

Democrat who later served time in federal prison after being convicted of bribery and conspiracy in the Abscam scandal.

Democrat, Scandal

On October 3, 1980, the Honorable Michael "Ozzie" Myers became the first congressman, since the Civil War, to be expelled for Congress--and the first for official corruption. The vote was 376-30.

Several months earlier, Myers, then 37, was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking $50,000 in cash from an FBI undercover agent in the Abscam investigation.

Democrat, Scandal

The Honorable John Jenrette, an up-and-comer in the Democratic party, was one of seven Congressmen caught in the FBI Abscam investigation of political corruption. In December 1979, he was filmed by the feds accepting a bribe and then convicted in December 1983, sentenced to two years in prison and fined $20,000.

Democrat, Scandal

A federal appeals court upheld most of the bribery and corruption charges Friday against former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman and all the charges against former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy.

Democrat, Scandal

Former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman and HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy have been re-indicted by federal prosecutors for a racketeering case going back seven years.

Democrat, Scandal

In 1993 Bustamante was convicted of two counts of racketeering and accepting bribes while in Congress and sentenced to forty-two months at the Federal Prison Camp in El Paso. He began serving his sentence in May 1995.

Democrat, Scandal

Former Secretary of State Bill McCuen was sentenced Monday to 17 years in prison and fined $30,000 for bribery, tax evasion and accepting a kickback.

Democrat, Scandal

Lederer was videotaped in 1979 at a New York motel accepting a $50,000 bribe from two FBI undercover agents. Authorities said he accepted the payoff in return for promising to help two fictitious Arab sheiks enter the United States.

Democrat, Scandal

According to an FBI affidavit, Blagojevich decided to approve $8 million in new funds for Children’s Memorial for Medicaid, but later told an aide he was considering changing his mind because the CEO of the hospital, Patrick M. Magoon, hadn’t contributed $50,000 to his campaign fund.

Democrat, Scandal

Or Otto Kerner, the 1960s governor who was convicted of taking bribes from a racetrack owner while he was governor. The bribes were discovered because the owner, seeing them as a normal business expense in Illinois, had deducted them on her income tax returns.

Democrat, Scandal

Lee Alexander, who served four terms as Mayor of Syracuse and six terms as president of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors, was pictured by Federal prosecutors last week as the ringleader in ''one of the largest'' public corruption cases in the country.

Mr. Alexander was indicted on charges of extracting $1.5 million in bribes from architects, lawyers and others in exchange for city contracts between 1970, when he took office, and 1985, when he resigned.

Democrat, Scandal

The nine-term Democrat was found guilty of all 10 federal charges he faced, including racketeering, bribery and fraud. The jury also ordered him to forfeit $96,000 in ill-gotten gains.

Government, Financial, Fraud, Corruption

A former top political consultant to New York's disgraced ex-comptroller was led off to jail Thursday after a judge sentenced him to at least a year and four months in prison for his pivotal role in an influence-peddling scandal involving the state pension fund.

Morris, who rose to political prominence in the state as a campaign manager for Democrats, has agreed to forfeit his millions of dollars in fees.

Democrat, Scandal

The 11-count indictment by the Department of Justice against Paul Magliocchetti, the founder of the now-defunct lobbying outfit PMA Group, brings for Democrats new and unwelcome attention to continuing ethics controversies ensnaring some of the party's lawmakers.

Democrat, Scandal

He resigned from Congress in 1980, two years after being convicted of 29 counts of operating a payroll kickback scheme in his office. In 1978, he was stripped of his committee and subcommittee chairmanships. He also was censured by the House.

Democrat, Scandal

Former New Jersey Sen. Wayne Bryant, who is serving a four-year prison sentence for political corruption, was indicted Monday on federal charges in an unrelated case that stretches from the Meadowlands to the Cramer Hill section of Camden.

Democrat, Scandal

The 17-count felony indictment filed yesterday by U.S. Attorney Eric Holder offers a much less flattering portrait of the Illinois Congressman, depicting him as an official who for more than 20 years abused his office for personal gain.

Democrat, Crime, Scandal, Corruption, Convict

Former Representative Dan Rostenkowski was released today from a Federal prison in Wisconsin, after serving 13 months of a 17-month sentence for corruption, a prison official said.

Democrat, Scandal

Defense lawyers typically caution clients against talking to the media while their trial is pending.

But former Democratic Assemblyman Louis Manzo, charged with extortion last summer in the largest federal sting in New Jersey history, said he was too angry to keep quiet.

Democrat, Scandal

NEWARK, N.J. - A New Jersey businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to funneling $32,000 in illegal donations to the 1996 campaigns of President Clinton and Sen. Robert Torricelli. Lawrence Penna is the second person to admit wrongdoing in the funding for Torricelli, a Democrat.

Democrat, Scandal

WASHINGTON — Just weeks before he was elected to the Senate in 1996, Robert Torricelli was recorded on an FBI wiretap discussing fund-raising over the telephone with supporters at a Florida pizza restaurant under surveillance for ties with organized crime.

The intercepted conversation between Torricelli and two relatives of a convicted Chicago crime figure surprised FBI agents and they alerted the Justice Department.

Democrat, Crime, Scandal, Greed, Corruption

New Jersey Governor James McGreevey said he is `State Official No. 1' mentioned in the indictment of a Democratic fund-raiser accused of extorting $40,000 from a farmer who was negotiating a land transaction with the state.

Democrat, Scandal

Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, accused of hiding $90,000 of intended bribes in his freezer, was charged on Monday with soliciting bribes and paying off a Nigerian official.

Democrat, Crime, Sex, Degeneracy, Scandal

Mr. Frank, an acknowledged homosexual, has admitted paying Mr. Gobie once in 1985 for sex and using his influence to help Mr. Gobie obtain a parole resulting from a 1982 arrest. But he has denied knowing that Mr. Gobie was using his apartment for prostitution and has said that he dismissed Mr. Gobie two years ago, immediately after he learned of it.

Democrat, Scandal

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A major contributor to Democratic causes and political races was indicted Friday on charges of falsely holding himself out as a lawyer and impersonating a public servant.

Democrat, Scandal

ATHENS, Ohio
The chairwoman of the Athens County Democratic Party has been indicted on charges of money laundering and theft.

Susan Gwinn was indicted Thursday on two counts of theft in office, one count of money laundering, one count of unauthorized use of property and two counts of falsification.

Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Greed, Corruption

Harris says in 2008 Blagojevich turned to him and said, "What do you think I can get for the Senate seat?"

Democrat, Scandal, Oops, Press, Bias

Former Newark, New Jersey Mayor Sharpe James has been brought up on charges of corruption

Democrat, Liberal, Crime

Rep. Charles Rangel becomes the 23rd member of the House to be censured, Congress's harshest punishment short of expulsion. The vote in favor of censure was 333 to 79.

Democrat, Liberal

WASHINGTON—A House panel found Rep. Charles Rangel guilty of 11 ethics violations Tuesday, saying the senior Democrat's failure to report assets and misuse of congressional privileges tarnished his reputation and that of the entire House.

Democrat, Crime, Election, Government, Convict

Felons who have served their sentences shouldn’t be blocked from voting by state laws that disproportionately affect minorities, Attorney General Eric Holder said.