The Plot Thickens – Don Young is Tied to Corruption Scandal
As the sentencing for former Veco CEO Bill Allen looms, a new strand in the web of corruption that rocked Alaska’s political world has been discovered. It’s not much of a discovery really, but it’s been made official. Bill Allen has formally fessed up and admitted that his company gave gifts and payed for lavish fundraisers for Congressman Don Young. His famous “pig roast” fundraisers celebrated Young’s ability to bring home the pork. The giant commercial barbecue grills with the Veco oil services company logo on the side at these events should have been a clue.
Allen has pleaded guilty to bribery charges and he is scheduled to be sentenced next week. In preparation for his sentencing, his defense team released documents including a 2007 summary of “stipulated facts,” in which Allen confessed to “additional criminal activity.” In that agreement, Allen said that from 1993 to 2006, he and another VECO executive “authorized the use of VECO funds to pay for the annual expenses associated with a yearly fundraiser for United States Representative A.”
You’ve got to chuckle at the attempt to preserve Congressman Young’s identity. Alaska only has one United States Representative, and Don Young has held that seat for 19 terms. It would kind of be like referring to “President of the United States “A.” It doesn’t take much imagination to sort that one out.
According to the document, each year of the annual event, the VECO executives “arranged for the purchase of catering expenses, liquor, equipment rentals and other associated costs for a fundraiser … these expenses were paid using VECO’s corporate funds, and amounted to approximately $10,000 to $15,000 each year. The total monies paid by VECO for these fundraisers thus totaled approximately $130,000 to $195,000.”
The document also alleges that in 2006, Allen paid about $1,000 for a set of golf clubs that were given as a gift to Young.
Young’s financial disclosure report for 2006 does not indicate that he received a gift that year.
I guess we now know where the more than $1 million that Don Young has paid lawyers in the last couple years has gone. He has not yet been charged with any wrongdoing, but this is going to make for an interesting run up to his bid for re-election, seeking his 20th term in 2010.
He’ll be challenged from within his own party by former legislator Andrew Halcro, who also ran as an independent against ex-governor Sarah Palin in 2006, and challenged from the opposite side of the aisle by State Representative Harry Crawford (D).
“I am confident that the cloud that hangs over me will eventually clear as I know I have done nothing wrong.” – Don Young (12/08)
This is what caught my eye in the following article… particularly the last sentence……….given all of this stew of corruption, how IS it that the justice department has not looked into Palin?
How much would it take for them to demand a copy of the Palin’s agreement from Arctic Cat and compare it to her disclosures?
What would it take for them to look into the legitimacy of the Alaska Fund Trust?
I know that they are busier than a hooker on a troop train (sry reminds me of Palin) with all the corrupt politicians in AK…………..but surely they could find time for some of her shenanigans.
After all she WAS the highest ranking politician in the state……..
FBI looks at bribery allegations against Alaska Rep. Young:
Young, who was obligated in 2006 to report gifts with a value of more than $335, didn’t report receiving any gifts on the personal financial disclosure form he filed with the House of Representatives for that year. From 1995 until last year, Young reported no gifts on his disclosure forms. In 2008, however, he reported receiving as gifts $77,000 in donations to his legal expense fund.
It is those same forms and his lack of disclosure on them that led the Justice Department to indict Stevens on corruption charges.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/77632.html
Define “nothing” Rep Young =)
Shocking.
Lame, corrupt and fraudulent Alaska politicians? Come on, could never happen.
Rep. Yong Dung is so unfortunate and unlucky in this case.
If ONLY ….AK would have had more than 1 representative… there would have been ” No Way !! “…. we would have been able to figure out who they were talking about.
Finally! Yon Dung is going down. It’s way past time.
Weren’t the same words used prior by Stevens? I want to know why they haven’t gone after quitter Palin.
What are the feds waiting for in indicting Don Young. After the way the Stevens prosecution and trial went, I know they need to be exceedingly careful during every step of the process, but really, what are they waiting for? Between Don not reporting any gifts for years where he received them, and the Florida Coconut Road debacle, let’s get the show on the road, or we’ll be having Don Young win yet another term in 2010.
BTW, there is a fundraiser for Harry Crawford (D) for U. S. Congress on Oct 29th, which is his kickoff fundraiser for what is sure to be a very expensive campaign. You know Don will bring in the big guns and have some very nasty smear campaign tactics, so it’s time to prepare.
As far as Andrew Halcro as a Republican Challenger in the primary, I like a lot of things about Andrew, but I think he has turned off the Republican machine in Alaska and won’t be able to make it very far at all against Don.
“I am confident that the cloud that hangs over me will eventually
cleardescend over me as I know I have done nothing but wrong.” – Don Young (12/08)/fixed!
The Corrupt Bastards Club is going to have a tough time getting a quorum.
Good Grief —
Do these ppl believe they are not breaking the law because
1) it was a gift – from a very close family friend
2) it didn’t cost over X – dollars
so I don’t have to follow the rules
3) I didn’t use a gun – no harm / no foul
4) I didn’t use my vote / influence / etc to help the gift giver
in any way shape or form
5) I’ve been in office longer than those “gift laws” have been
on the books — so my gifts are grandfathered
The sombitch is on borrowed time. Hope they nail his ass to the wall.
Please dont forget that the snow machine queen has some things to find this weekend for Monday…from the Diva a few weeks back:
—————————————————-
The Commission has now tasked the APOC Staff with three new duties:
1) They are to acquire information on the what merchandise was discounted to the Palins and at what monetary value.
2) They are to review a redacted version of the contract so they can examine the confidentiality agreement.
3) They are to find out the amount of the sponsorship fee.
At the end of the meeting, Hickerson asked the staff when Palin’s final POFD is due into the office and received the answer: October 26th. This is the Financial Disclosure that covers this last Iron Dog…the one where the “Davis/Palin team was prodigiously sponsored.”
12 sjk from the belly of the plane Says
Thanks…………
Y’all have some good corruption but I am sure my county alone has just as storied history.
In 1981 I moved here and 3 of the 5 county commisioners were arrested, indicted and sent to jail. Fast forward to the last election…the Supervisor of Elections “lost” $2 mil but had LOADS of pens with his picture on it while he was running for re-election! His office was being audited, has the FBI sniffing around and he allegedly DEFRAUDED an elderly couple in a shady land deal that may cost them their homestead of 75 years….And then the new Supervisor of Elections, a long time true public servant died unexpectly….whew!
and he has 6 cows from a friend of his sitting on a few acres to get a huge tax break!
sjk: I can’t help but ask. If all that is going on in your County, why do you worry about Alaskan politics at all?
Seems like you could be “the AKM” of your neck of the woods and have a blog to stir up the populace and try to take the charlatans down!
The cesspool thickens.
Time to dredge the bottom now for the “Going Ragu” rogue…..it’s in there.
AKpetmom, I use this as a break from my local “stuff”, and still want to keep close tabs on you know who…As for a blog of my own, I dunno. Perhaps. I do have lost of ideas!
lots of ideas…
mother to child: look, child, over yon, there’s don!
child’s response: oh yaye! yon dung! wash my hands, mommy!
Lee @17 – I may never again look at Ragu in the same fashion. Maybe I should start making my lasagna with Newman’s Bombalini.
It just seems like since SP got vetted (laugh) for the VP position, the doors are more open to the crimes that have occurred in Alaska. She made people want to look deeper into what was going on there. Here day is just around the corner. She will one day have to answer to her crimes. Just have to be patient.
I also, see SP has a Cult Leader. Everytime I see her name, the things she is doing, the isolation of her home, the building of what people see as another home; I see Jim Jones-the Jonestown, Guyana-religious nut. Her deliberate antics reminds me of him.
Hmm. Do you think if Don is taken out….Sarah will step in?
Fortunately, the replacement has to be elected in an actual election. At this point I would hope that she couldn’t get elected again for anything in this state…
Also, too. I hope Scarah gets busted for her own bribery attempt. Send Scarah to the slammer too.
and hmmmmm…….might Dung finally be investigated by an ethics committee? Yes, please please please!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/24/politics/main5417184.shtml?tag=latest
“There is no House ethics committee investigation of Young, but it’s unclear whether a preliminary inquiry is under way.
An investigation, which is publicly announced, is conducted by an investigative subcommittee that interviews witnesses, issues subpoenas, and obtains records. A preliminary inquiry, run by the chairman and ranking member, is a review to determine whether an investigation should be started.
In past cases, the House ethics committee conducted full investigations of lawmakers when allegations were raised about the accuracy of their financial disclosure reporting. A current investigation of House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is looking at his disclosure reports.
The committee on numerous occasions investigated violations of the strict congressional gift limits.”
It will also be interesting to find out what muck Don Young is responsible for via the Native Corporations contracting that is being looked at. Kickbacks anyone………..
Hmmm, I wonder if this is somehow tied to QwittyPantz qwitting?
Allen has connections all over AK, and since the specifically quoted info in the blurb was about ‘gifts’ not reported….gotta wonder if there’s a tie-in.
Kick backs are not only monetary in Bush Alaska. I remember when Don Young’s son-in-law was given an important job with a federally funded organization up my way in the Norton Sound. To this day, I cannot recall any one great thing he did for his efforts. I guess it was a step up for his career. Too much of this is going on yet.