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MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA FILES PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST WITH STATE OF CALIFORNIA REGARDING ILLEGAL BUSINESS PRACTICES OF ALAN FRANKEN INC.”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | April 17, 2008
St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today filed a public records request with the state of California’s Franchise Tax Board regarding Al Franken’s five-year failure to pay corporate income taxes and his inability to dissolve his corporation.
Please find a copy of Chairman Carey’s letter below.
April 17, 2008
Franchise Tax Board
Disclosure Office, MS A-181
PO Box 1468
Sacramento, CA 95812-1468
Dear Sir or Madam:
I am writing to request the following records under California’s Public Records Act.
For the period June 8, 1998 – present, please provide all correspondence, both internal and external (e-mail, fax, letters, copies of registered letter receipts), between the state of California’s Franchise Tax Board and Alan Franken Inc.
According to published reports, Mr. Franken’s corporation has claimed a letter was sent to the state of California in 2003 asking it to remove Alan Franken Inc. from its tax rolls. The letter is said to have stated that Alan Franken Inc. “will no longer be doing business in California.†Yet California state records also show corporate disclosure forms were filed with the state’s Secretary of State’s office in 2004 and 2006 by Mr. Franken’s same corporation.
Furthermore, on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008, Mr. Franken’s campaign produced a letter from a tax accountant named Monifa Benison that they claim shows the corporation should have been dissolved in 2003. The letter itself is curious in that it lacks a signature, any evidence of corporate letterhead and doesn’t copy any of Alan Franken Inc.’s corporate officers, including Mr. Franken himself.
Given that Mr. Franken’s certified public accountant Allen Chanzis signed documents in 2004 and 2006 seeking to ensure that Alan Franken Inc. was allowed to continue to do business in the state of California, the 2003 letter may be irrelevant; it does, however, raise questions about what other documents are relevant in this matter that have a clear public interest.
Thank you for your assistance regarding this serious matter.
Sincerely,
Ron Carey
Chairman, Republican Party of Minnesota
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This post also appears on Blogs for Norm!, an online community and blog covering the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in Minnesota. The primary goal of Blogs for Norm! is to organize bloggers who support U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.
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29 Responses to “MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA FILES PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST WITH STATE OF CALIFORNIA REGARDING ILLEGAL BUSINESS PRACTICES OF ALAN FRANKEN INC.””
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April 17th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Here’s the next question: How many accounting firms does Al Franken have on retainer? And which one (and what timeframe) did Monifa Benison work for any of them.
The letter allegedly from 2002 is allegedly from “Monifa Benison.” We know that in 2000, she worked for Marcum & Kliegman. Her LinkedIn profile says she worked for Starr & Company in or around 2007. And a News Release from “The AM Associates” has her working for them in just recently in 2008.
The AM Associates is the only firm that stands out as providing accounting services for “the who’s who list of people in the entertainment industry.”
At the same time, Franken has another accounting firm, Wloudinguer, Erk and Chanzis through at least 2004 and 2006 and in 2008.
Chanzis is the only firm to have demonstrably submitted paperwork on behalf of Franken to California. We only have an unsubstantiated plain letter from Benison, and it’s unclear what firm she worked for at the time.
There are some gaps in the timeline here, but this looks really bad for Franken. I ask again, how many CPAs does Franken have on retainer?
April 17th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
P.S. I know of no professional or otherwise that would submit an “official” document without signing it… The absence of firm letterhead is suspicious enough… the lack of a signature just plain reeks.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
It is ironic that rightwingers always complain about the burden that government places on small businesses, then turns around and castigates a small business owner who screws up. Instead, you support a guy who has not had a private sector job since being a roadie.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
What’s ironic, BC, you ignorant slut, is a liberal ass clown who demeans business owners and demands higher corporate taxes and other job and economy killing penalties, can’t manage to abide by the rules himself.
April 17th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
BC, nice try – failed!! Angry Al is a typical liberal. They insist on all these rules and regulations, taxes, and all kinds of goverment involvement in our lives but yet when it comes to them playing by THEIR RULES they FAIL. I just love it when they shove this shit down our throats but they end up choking on it!!
April 17th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Someone call 911…I’m sure that Angry Al’s head is just about to explode!
April 17th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
[...] PIONEER PRESS: “MORE FUROR OVER FRANKEN’S TAXES” | Home | MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “REPUBLICAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA FILES PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST WITH STATE O… [...]
April 17th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
I believe Angry Al has his only chapter in the great book: “Do as I say, not as I do”
April 17th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
For years, the DFL has routinely gone after its poltiical enemies by the use of the filling of a complaint/data privacy request/request for investigation, etc with a public agency. In fact, the DFL has made it into an art form.
Finally, the GOP is getting into this game. As critical as I’ve been about Ron Carey, all I can say is: Well done! Well played!
April 17th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Perhaps Ron Carey and MBB/MDE and his ilk are currying favor with the people in the state of California.
El estado que tiene la ciudad los angeles. (The state that has the city Los Angeles.)
The second largest, Spanish-speaking city in the world is Los Angeles, CA.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:09 pm
“The second largest, Spanish-speaking city in the world is Los Angeles, CA.”
Who gives a rat’s ass.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Many people don’t know that.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
I look at it this way.
If Franken pays his taxes, I’m letting you and others know where some of the money might go.
Ron Carey is happy, I am happy, if Franken decides to make an additional donation to some Spanish-speaking organization perhaps other people will be happy.
April 18th, 2008 at 6:18 am
el presidente, nobody gives a rat’s ass about your spanish speaking people.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:21 am
ep is taking news of Al’s latest debacle quite badly.
Perhaps a bit of quiet reflection is in order, ep?
April 18th, 2008 at 9:58 am
[...] copy any of Alan Franken Inc.’s corporate officers, including Mr. Franken himself.” Source: MN GOP press release, April 17, [...]
April 18th, 2008 at 10:16 am
Funny, Tommy always changes the subject to a Republican he deems is guilty of the same crime.
el p just one up’d him by changing the subject outright. “Al’s a tax cheat?…oh yeah, well Los Angeles has a big Spanish speaking population.”
That really knocks the cheese off my nacho. LOL!
April 18th, 2008 at 10:58 am
What is also ironic is you call Al an angry guy when it appears that you assholes are the biggest pricks around.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:46 am
BC , Brilliant!! Ok, just really stupid but what the heck…
April 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
What’s also ironic, BC is that the party of “tolerance” is the biggest bunch of hating, violent, criminal terrorist assholes on the planet.
April 18th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
If Franken pays taxes to the State of California, some of the money might go to help people that speak Spanish and/or English.
Franken hasn’t necessarily been my candidate [at this point]. Check out my emails.
MBB/MDE has headlines about “swearing,” however, if a person were to take a digital photo of the screen of some of Chestnut’s posts, I think that most Minnesotans would shake their heads in disbelief at the language that MBB/MDE allows on the site.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
That might have been true before they got a taste of Al Franken’s language, ep.
Cuando viene a utilizar el idioma mugriento, Al esta en una liga de su propio!
April 18th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Sucks to be Al right about now, doesn’t it “BC”??
Heh.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
“you assholes are the biggest pricks around.”
~ BC Says
El Pres, I think you are being a little hard on your own kind here about the language.
April 18th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
As a new reader of this blog, I am just trying to fit into the culture of anger, foul language and disrespect.
April 18th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
LOL, that’s funny BC. Why don’t you stay over with your pals at Kos, et. al. There’s no greater cesspool of anger, hate and disrespect than the Democrat party.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
[...] to the media by Team Franken from their account wasn’t actually sent to the state of California. The Republican Party of Minnesota has filed a public records request with the state of California and the letter will likely show up in their [...]
April 18th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
You may be making assumptions about “your own kind” however, it makes for a “digital camera moment” as distinguished from a somewhat memorable “Kodak moment.”
April 20th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
[...] Al Franken??s five-year failure to pay corporate income taxes and his inability to dissolve hihttp://www.minnesotademocratsexposed.com/2008/04/17/mn-gop-press-release-republican-party-of-minneso…Franken corporation owes California 5,800 Minneapolis-St. Paul Star TribuneThe DFLer’s Senate [...]