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MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “CREW: A PARTNER IN THE FRANKEN CAMPAIGN; FRONT GROUP BOARD MEMBER CONTRIBUTES TO FRANKEN AS ORGANIZATION ATTACKS SENATOR COLEMAN”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | July 1, 2008
St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Ron Carey today raised questions about the organization CREW and their independence from the Franken campaign.
“The fact that a board member of this front group for Al Franken and Charles Schumer has contributed money directly to Al Franken’s campaign shows this organization lacks any credibility. In the interest of full disclosure, CREW must acknowledge its close relationship to Al Franken, and explain how they can claim to be an independent group with its long history with Democrats and specifically Al Franken and Charles Schumer.”
CREW Board Member John Luongo Is Franken Donor:
CREW Website: “John Luongo is a director with Lightspeed Venture Partners and has more than 35 years of chief executive and senior operations experience working with technology companies.” (CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/files/CREW_Board-1.pdf, Accessed July 1, 2008)
CREW Board Member John Luongo Of LightSpeed Venture Partners Gave $2,000 To Al Franken On May 15, 2007. (Open Secrets Website, www.opensecrets.org, July 1, 2008)
CREW Board Member Daniel Berger Donated To DSCC:
CREW Website: “Daniel Berger is a senior partner and the managing shareholder in the law firm of Berger & Montague.” (CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/files/CREW_Board-1.pdf, Accessed July 1, 2008)
CREW Board Member Daniel Berger Has Given $44,500 To The DSCC This Cycle. (Open Secrets Website, www.opensecrets.org, July 1, 2008)
CREW PRIMER: A FRANKEN FRONT GROUP HEADED BY LONG-TIME FRANKEN CRONY
Executive Director of CREW Had Her Own Theme Music
On Al Franken’s Show
About Melanie Sloan
Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, lists her former employment under high ranking Democrat officials, including the current Chairman of the DSCC, Chuck Schumer, on her bio on the CREW website:
· Before becoming a prosecutor, Ms. Sloan served as Minority Counsel for the House Judiciary Committee, working on criminal justice issues for then-Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI).
Ms. Sloan also served as Counsel for the Crime Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by then-Representative Charles Schumer (D-NY)
In 1993, Ms. Sloan served as Nominations Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, under then-Chairman Joseph Biden (D-DE). (Accessed 7/1/08 http://www.citizensforethics.org/about/staff)
“Bad to the Bone”
Melanie Sloan made 50 appearances on the Al Franken Show on Air America. She was such a frequent guest of Al Franken’s, that she had her own theme music on the show to the tune of “Bad to the Bone”.
· 12 February 2007: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=8, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 22 January 2007: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=8, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 16 January 2007: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=8, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 8 January 2007: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=8, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 2 January 2007: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=8, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 5 December 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=9, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 28 November 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=9, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 21 November 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=9, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 14 November 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=9, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 7 November 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=9, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 31 October 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 24 October 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 17 October 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 3 October 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 20 September 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 12 September 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 5 September 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 29 August 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show with guest host Tom Oliphant (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 22 August 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 15 August 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=10, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 8 August 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=11, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 25 July 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=11, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 17 July 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=11, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 11 July 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=11, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 27 June 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=11, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 20 June 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=11, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 13 June 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=11, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 6 June 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=12, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 30 May 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=12, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 23 May 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=12, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 16 May 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=12, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 9 May 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=12, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 2 May 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=12, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 21 April 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=13, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 11 April 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=13, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 4 April 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=13, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 14 March 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=13, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 7 March 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=13, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 21 February 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=13, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 14 February 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=14, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 31 January 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=14, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 24 January 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=14, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 18 January 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=14, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 10 January 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=14, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 3 January 2006: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=15, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 13 December 2005: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show with guest host Rachel Maddow (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=15, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 29 November 2005: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=15, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 22 November 2005: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=15, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 27 October 2005: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=15, accessed June 28, 2008)
· 20 October 2005: Melanie Sloan on the Al Franken Show (Source: CREW Website, http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/multimedia?page=15, accessed June 28, 2008)
FRANKEN FRONT GROUP: KNOWN FOR “ATTACKING” “FOES OF CREW’S DONORS”
“But a review of entities against which CREW has filed complaints and information about its donors suggests that the organization may be guilty of the same practice — attacking groups and individuals who are the foes of CREW’s donors.” (Paul Singer, “Watchdog, Donors Share Common Foes” Roll Call, January 29, 2008)
“Several news stories — in this newspaper as well as in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and others — have pointed out that much of CREW’s funding comes from liberal groups and big donors to Democratic candidates and causes. And all but a handful of its complaints against Members of Congress have targeted Republicans.” (Paul Singer, “Watchdog, Donors Share Common Foes,” Roll Call, January 29, 2008)
“Since its founding in 2003, CREW has worked through legal and regulatory channels to press allegations of impropriety almost exclusively against Republicans.” (Karen Tumulty, “The Hill Monitor,” Time, October 30, 2006)
“CREW is funded by billionaire George Soros, as well as Daniel Berger, one of the Democrat Party’s most prolific donors. Berger’s Philadelphia law firm, Berger & Montague, is a well-known class action specialist, and Democrat insiders say that Berger has fashioned himself as an ‘East Coast Bill Lerach,’ referring to the notorious class-action lawyer based in California.” (“On The Prowl” American Spectator, November 2006)
“Berger serves on the board of CREW, which has targeted Republican officeholders and candidates challenging Berger-supported Democrats, including retired Adm. Joseph Sestak, who is challenging Rep. Curt Weldon, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Robert Menendez, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, and Pennsylvania Senate Democrat candidate Bob Casey, Jr. Berger has maxed out his contributions to all these candidates, as well as fundraised for them. Berger is also a six-figure contributor to Americans Coming Together, an organized labor-backed Democrat 527, which coordinated get out the vote activities with the Democratic National Committee in 2004.” (“On The Prowl” American Spectator, November 2006)
“Another key figure is CREW’s executive director, Melanie Sloan, who worked as a legal counsel to then-Senate Judiciary Chairman Joe Biden and minority counsel to ranking House Judiciary Democrat Rep. John Conyers. She also worked briefly for Sen. Chuck Schumer, who, not so coincidentally, oversaw the Senate Democrats’ campaign committee for the 2006 cycle.” (“On The Prowl” American Spectator, November 2006)
“In fact, CREW filed ethics complaints in the Senate Ethics Committee against Casey’s opponent, Rick Santorum, and coordinated that filing with the Democrat leadership of the Senate, including Schumer’s staff. (“On The Prowl” American Spectator, November 2006)
Topics: Uncategorized |
July 1st, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Gee - these guys are so partisan, that they’re rippin’, right now, on the front page of their website, Rep. Laura Richardson, for driving a car that costs the taxpayers the most dough.
Oh, wait - Richardson’s a democrat.
Well, William “Cold Cash” Jefferson’s on the Front Page!
Oh, wait - CREW took the government’s postion, and filed a “Friend Of The Court” brief, supporting the Government’s search of ol’ Cold Cash’s congressional office.
Damn - there goes republiCon Ron’s theory, shot to hell.
Oh, wait - republiCon Ron might have an ax to grind!
Also on the C.R.E.W. website:
Internal complaints roil state GOP office
Staff members who asked the leadership to address questions of how money was used say they were ignored or faced retaliation.
BY: Dan Browning, Pat Doyle, Staff Writers
At least two staff members have left the Minnesota Republican Party since February after they complained that the party misused employee retirement money, improperly reported its finances and ignored or retaliated against staff who reported the problems.
The departures included former finance director and GOP stalwart Dwight Tostenson. He wrote in a Feb. 15 confidential memo that state GOP chairman Ron Carey fired him after he repeatedly pressed the chairman to address what Tostenson regarded as serious financial problems in the state GOP office.
“Since I started reporting these suspected violations, I have felt increasing harassment and other types of retaliation,” Tostenson, the party’s chief fundraiser, wrote in the memo to the party’s executive committee.
Carey on Friday denied any retaliation and said any problems identified in the memo have been fixed.
More, here: http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/29446
Gee - might the thoroughly and completely discredited republiCon Ron be ticked off at C.R.E.W., because C.R.E.W. exposes republiCon Ron’s shoddy paperwork?
July 1st, 2008 at 3:41 pm
[...] MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “CREW: A PARTNER IN THE FRANKEN CAMPAIGN; FRONT GROUP BOARD MEMBER CONTR… | [...]
July 1st, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Glad you’re finally giving Coleman’s ethics violations some play on your blog. I was wondering how long you could possibly ignore them.
July 1st, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Jeff: I’m glad you’re able to leave a comment on Minnesota Democrats Exposed.
July 1st, 2008 at 3:58 pm
Stop the presses…
Who thought that politicians would get specials deals and help from lobbyists.
This town needs and enigma….
July 1st, 2008 at 4:14 pm
[...] Lynn Sweet wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptCurt Weldon, Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Robert Menendez, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, and Pennsylvania Senate Democrat candidate Bob Casey, Jr. Berger has maxed out his contributions to all these candidates, … Read the rest of this great post here [...]
July 1st, 2008 at 4:51 pm
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/07/01/coleman_ethics
Sound the alarm–Norm’s pants are on fire!
July 2nd, 2008 at 9:13 am
It completely shocks me that a non-partisan group CREW (Crazy Remorseful Elderly Women) would later be found to have strong ties to a liberal carpetbagger like Franken. Shocking and amazing. Does CNN know about this?