« COLEMAN FOR U.S. SENATE MEDIA ADVISORY: “COLEMAN FOR SENATE TO ANNOUNCE TRUTH SQUAD” | Home | MN GOP PRESS RELEASE: “ASHWIN MADIA TO KEEP TAINTED MONEY” »
COLEMAN FOR U.S. SENATE PRESS RELEASE: “COLEMAN FOR SENATE CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCES TRUTH SQUAD TO HOLD AL FRANKEN ACCOUNTABLE”
By Michael B. Brodkorb | September 16, 2008
ST. PAUL - At a Capitol press conference, supporters of Senator Norm Coleman today announced the formation of the Coleman Truth Squad to set the record straight regarding attacks on Senator Norm Coleman and his record by Al Franken and his allies.
“The goal and objective of the Coleman Truth Squad is to make it clear that for the next 48 days, we will serve as the people who will be challenging and confronting Al Franken and DSCC lies, distortions and personal attacks against Senator Norm Coleman. Already Franken, the DSCC and other special interest groups have misled Minnesotans with millions of dollars of false attack ads, and our intention is to hold their feet to the fire of truth,” said former state Auditor Pat Anderson.
“But it’s not just the things that Al Franken makes up that we are going to challenge him and his allies on. We’re also going to hold him accountable for his publicly proven ethics and legal problems,” said Doug Kelley. “Because of his stonewalling, Minnesotans still don’t know the truth about Franken’s workers’ compensation fines, his failure to pay taxes in at least 18 states and a host of other issues.”
To combat the falsehoods of Al Franken and his allies, members of the Coleman Truth Squad will speak out to Minnesotans with regular email updates, letters to the editor, columns and radio and television appearances.
Members of the Coleman For Senate Truth Squad Include:
* Pat Anderson, Former State Auditor
* Marc Cove, School District 622 School Board Member (North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale)
* Bethany Dorobiala, Chair of the Minnesota College Republicans
* Gloria Karsky, Mayor of North Branch
* Senator David Hann
* Tom Heffelfinger
* Dennis Hegberg, Washington County Commissioner
* Doug Kelley- Former Chair, Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
* Fran Miron, Hugo Mayor
* Mark Steffenson, Maple Grove Mayor
* Mark Uglem, Champlin Mayor
* Rep. Lynn Wardlow
* Brian Zeller, Mayor of Lakeland
###
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
THE TRUTH ABOUT AL FRANKEN’S FALSE ATTACKS
False Franken Attack #1: Coleman Doesn’t Support Allowing Medicare To Negotiate Lower Drug Prices; Coleman “Ripping Off” Medicare
False Franken Attack: Coleman Opposes Allowing Medicare To Negotiate Lower Drug Prices; Coleman “Ripping Off” Medicare. “Don’t be fooled by Norm Coleman’s attacks. It’s Norm Coleman who voted to make it illegal for Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. that’s a $300 billion giveaway to the drug companies. No wonder they’ve given Coleman more money than any politician in Minnesota history. Norm Coleman: ripping off Medicare and you. (Al Franken TV Ad)
The Truth: Norm Coleman Voted To “Allow Medicare To Negotiate Lower Drug Prices For Millions Of Older Americans, A Practice Now Forbidden By Law.” “A pillar of the Democratic political program tumbled today when Republicans in the Senate blocked a proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for millions of older Americans, a practice now forbidden by law. … The Republican senators who joined Democrats in voting to take up the drug price negotiation bill were Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Susan Collins of Maine, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Gordon H. Smith of Oregon, Olympia J. Snowe of Maine and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.” (Robert Pear, “Bill To Let Medicare Negotiate Drug Prices Is Blocked,” The New York Times, April 18, 2007)
Senator Coleman is the former Chairman and current ranking member on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and has led the way on exposing waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare:
Exposed Tax Cheating Medicare and Medicaid Providers: Building on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation[s successful investigation into tax-delinquent federal contractors led by Senator Coleman, the Subcommittee examined whether Medicare and Medicaid providers were cheating on their taxes. In 2007, the Subcommittee held two hearings that revealed that More than 21,000 Medicare Part B providers owed $1 billion in unpaid taxes, and more than 30,000 Medicaid providers owed more $1 billion in unpaid taxes. In 2008, the Subcommittee released another report, finding that 27,000 Medicare providers (not just Part B) owed more than $2 billion in back-taxes.
Brought About Oversight of Medicare, Exposed Dead Doctors Scam: The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, under the leadership of Senator Coleman, conducted a multi-year oversight investigation into the Medicare program and specifically its claims processing operations. The investigation identified serious flaws in the Medicare DME claims processing and supplier enrollment programs. For instance, the Subcommittee revealed that Medicare paid claims amounting to nearly $100 million, even though the claims contained the identification numbers of dead doctors. The Subcommittee also revealed a sting operation, in which GAO, at the request of the Subcommittee, established two phony companies and obtained Medicare billing numbers, even though they were completely fictitious entities. The inquiry has so far resulted in one PSI staff report, one GAO report, and one hearing.
Instituting Penalties for Nor Paying Taxes: As a result of his PSI hearings on tax-delinquent Medicare providers, Senator Coleman introduced S. 1307, the Medicare Provider Accountability Act, that requires CMS to levy payments to doctors and other Medicare providers that have unpaid federal tax debts. This legislation was included in the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (H.R. 6331) which became law on July 15, 2008. The Senate was able to successfully override the President’s veto on July 15, 2008 with Senator Coleman’s full support. (http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00169 )
False Franken Attack: #2: Coleman Lives In Million Dollar DC Home
False Franken Attack: Coleman “Living In A Million Dollar DC Home.” (Al Franken Ad, http://www.alfranken.com/content/video_detail/?id=55)
The Truth: Franken “Exaggerates” & Leaves False “Impression.” “It also exaggerates Coleman's rent problem. Coleman lives in the basement of the million home but the ad leaves the impression that Coleman inhabits the whole place.” (“New Franken Ad: ‘Coleman Is Being Investigated,’” Pioneer Press Weblog, August 6, 2008)
“Coleman's campaign arranged a tour of his living space for The Associated Press. His bedroom is 9 1/2 by 9 1/2, with low ceilings, about seven feet high, and his bed takes up about two-thirds of it. A computer sits on top of a chest of drawers, and a FedEx box serves as a makeshift night stand. A collection of ties are draped over the opened door to his closet.” (Frederic J. Frommer, “Coleman Campaign Calls Franken Ad Misleading,” Associated Press, August 13, 2008)
False Franken Attack #3: Coleman “Under Investigation”
False Franken Attack: “Coleman Is Being Investigated For Paying Only Six Hundred Dollars A Month Rent To Live In A Million Dollar DC Home Owned By A Washington Insider Connected To Powerful Lobbyists.” (Al Franken Ad, http://www.alfranken.com/content/video_detail/?id=55)
The Truth: “The Ad Also Says That Coleman Is ‘Being Investigated’ But The Senate Ethics Committee Hasn't Said… That It Is Investigating The Rent Situation.” (“New Franken Ad: ‘Coleman Is Being Investigated,’” Pioneer Press Weblog, August 6, 2008)
False Franken Attack #4: Alaska Fishing
False Franken Attack: “I’m Al Franken and I approve this message. Over 10,000 lakes in Minnesota but where does Norm Coleman go fishing? Alaska! Indicted Alaska Senator Ted Stevens flew him up and got big oil honchos to give thousands just to fish with Norm.” (Al Franken Ad, “Fishy”)
The Truth: Many Prominent Democrats Have Attended This Charity Fishing Event, Including:
Clinton Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin (Jon Little, “Flood Of Kings, VIPs Hit Kenai,” Anchorage Daily News, July 9, 1999)
Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles & Alaska Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer (Jon Little, “Flood Of Kings, VIPs Hit Kenai,” Anchorage Daily News, July 9, 1999)
Clinton FEMA Director James Lee Witt (Jon Little, “Flood Of Kings, VIPs Hit Kenai,” Anchorage Daily News, July 9, 1999)
Democratic Rep. & Clinton Secretary of Commerce Norman Mineta (“Federal Officials Plan Alaska Visits,” The Associated Press, July 3, 2001)
Senator Bennett Johnston, D-LA (Drew Fagan, “World Watch,” The Globe And Mail, November 13, 1995)
Norm Coleman isn’t refusing to give any money back – the money he received was for his campaign in 2002 – for a different campaign – that campaign is over with, and the money is gone. There is no money to return.
This is a trip that has been conducted since 1994 and has been reviewed regularly by the Senate Ethics Committee. Senator Coleman’s office followed those Senate Ethics Committee guidelines to the letter.
While Senator Coleman did attend charity fishing events, he has also consistently opposed Senator Stevens on the issue of ANWR, as well as those in the energy industry who have pushed him to open up ANWR.
False Franken Attack #5: Coleman & Big Oil
False Franken Attack: Coleman Is Too Close With Big Oil.
The Truth: Coleman Has Voted Against Big Oil & For Renewables:
* Co-authored and helped pass the first-ever Renewable Fuels Standard as part of the 2005 Energy Bill, which spurred the current ethanol and biofuel boom in Minnesota.
* Supported passage of the 2007 Energy Bill, which included Coleman priorities including the first increase in fuel economy standards in over 30 years and established a new, more aggressive Renewable Fuels Standard of 36 billion gallons by 2022.
* Has voted on multiple occasions to shift tax incentives from oil companies to renewable energy.
* Successfully led Senate efforts to establish a sugar-to-ethanol program as part of the Farm Bill, further diversifying our renewable energy portfolio.
* Has been a consistent supporter of the biodiesel tax credit, the small ethanol producer tax credit, and wind energy bonds.
* Working with Democrat Carl Levin, Senator Coleman held hearings and launched investigations into speculation in the energy markets beginning in 2006, and passed legislation to close the “Enron loophole” to increase oversight and regulation in energy markets.
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
QUESTIONS FRANKEN STILL NEEDS TO ANSWER
Franken Still Needs To Come Clean On His Failure To Pay Taxes In At Least 18 States:
Franken Pays $70,000 To 17 States In Back Taxes. “Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken, front-runner in the race to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, said on Tuesday that he has paid $70,000 in back taxes and penalties owed in 17 states, going back to 2003. Franken, who has earned income across the country for celebrity appearances and speeches, blamed his accountant of 18 years for failing to pay the appropriate taxes owed in each state.” (Patricia Lopez and Kevin Duchschere, “Franken pays $70,000 back taxes, penalties,” Star Tribune, April 30, 2008)
Franken Blames Accountant. “The accountant, Allen Chanzis of New York, ‘just made a basic kind of error that had a lot of ramifications,’ Franken said. Franken said that he paid federal and state taxes on all of his income, but that the accountant had failed to properly distribute the tax payments.” (Patricia Lopez and Kevin Duchschere, “Franken pays $70,000 back taxes, penalties,” Star Tribune, April 30, 2008)
Accountant Claims He Was Told Not To Comment. “Contacted at his Long Island apartment, Chanzis declined to discuss Franken's statements that the accountant's mistakes caused Franken's taxes to go unpaid in 17 states. ‘I've been told to say, 'No comment,'’ Chanzis said, without saying who had instructed him to do so. Refusing to discuss any mistakes, he added: ‘I've been told you have the information you need.’” (Patricia Lopez and Kevin Duchschere, “Tax guy mum; DFLers backing Franken,” Star Tribune, May 1, 2008)
Accountant’s Website Undermines Franken Claim. “Mark Sellner says it's pretty common for people to make mistakes with apportionment. But accounting firms like Chanzis's that specialize in the entertainment industry deal with those issues all the time. The firm's Web site says it handles multi-state tax filings, and it says [Franken accountant] Allen Chanzis ‘has a unique expertise in all aspects of tour accounting and reporting.’ And tour accounting means keeping track of the money a touring entertainer makes in various states.” (Curtis Gilbert, “Accountants: Franken’s tax problems should have been caught,” Minnesota Public Radio, May 2, 2008)
Minnesota Accountants: Franken Is Responsible. “Minnesota Public Radio News contacted 60 local accountants, and heard back from a dozen of them. They all said Franken is ultimately responsible for making sure he pays taxes in the right states.” (Curtis Gilbert, “Accountants: Franken’s tax problems should have been caught,” Minnesota Public Radio, May 2, 2008)
Al Franken Still Needs To Come Clean About His Failure To Pay Workers’ Comp:
Franken Owed $25,000 To New York For Failing To Pay Workers’ Comp; State Tried To Track Him Down For Nearly Three Years. “DFL Senate candidate Al Franken owes a $25,000 penalty to the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board for failing to carry workers’ compensation insurance for employees of his namesake corporation from 2002 to 2005, state officials said. New York officials have made numerous attempts to contact Franken about the matter since April 2005 but have gotten no reply.” (Kevin Duchschere, “Franken faces penalties for lack of workers’ insurance,” Star Tribune, March 5, 2008)
Franken Claimed No Knowledge Of Fine. “Campaign spokesman Andy Barr said that neither Franken nor his wife, Franni, were aware of the matter before Tuesday. They have lived in Minneapolis for the past few years and did not know about the state’s attempts to reach them in New York City, he said.” (Kevin Duchschere, “Franken faces penalties for lack of workers’ insurance,” Star Tribune, March 5, 2008)
Voting & Business Records Show Franken Lived At Apartment Where Notices Were Sent. “Although the couple moved to Minneapolis in late 2005, voting and business records show Franken was living in New York City for at least seven months after the state first sent him word of the workers’ comp lapse.” (Kevin Duchschere, “Franken acknowledges mistake,” Star Tribune, April 12, 2008)
Franken Campaign: Failure To Pay Workers’ Comp “May Be Resolved In Our Favor.” “’If it’s wrong, they will pay what they owe,’ Barr said. ‘It’s also possible that there’s some kind of dispute that may be resolved in our favor,’ Bar continued. ‘This is, at worst, some kind of misunderstanding between [the Frankens'] bookkeeping system and the state’s.’” (Kevin Duchschere, “Franken faces penalties for lack of workers’ insurance,” Star Tribune, March 5, 2008)
New York State Tried To Reach Franken For Years Regarding His Failure To Provide Workers’ Compensation For His Employees. “The Workers’ Compensation Board began sending Franken notices in April 2005 after discovering that the insurance hadn’t been paid for nearly three years. Officials first sought an explanation. Receiving no response, they sent a penalty notice to Franken in June 2005 that outlined rights to appeal. The state then turned to a collection agency to reach Franken. When that didn’t work, the state tried again in July 2006. Penalty statements were sent in August and December of 2006 and March 2007, Keegan said. The judgment was finally entered against Franken in May 2007, and another notice sent by certified mail to his Manhattan apartment. Since then, Keegan said, three more statements have been sent — the most recent in January — without response.” (Kevin Duchschere, “Franken faces penalties for lack of workers’ insurance,” Star Tribune, March 5, 2008)
Al Franken Still Needs To Come Clean On Air America/Boys & Girls Club Scandal:
Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club Loaned $875,000 To Air America. “’Members of the Gloria Wise executive committee described to the Sun transfers from the club to Mr. Cohen and to Air America that totaled $875,000. They said Sunday that one reason Mr. Cohen cited when asking for personal loans was that he needed money for chemotherapy because he suffered from brain cancer’” (David Lombino, “Franken Unaware Of Ex-Colleague’s Alleged Loans,” New York Sun, August 2, 2005)
Franken Says He Didn’t Know About Boys And Girls Club Loans… “’The comedian Al Franken, Air America Radio’s most prominent host, said yesterday that he did not know whether the hundreds of thousands of dollars apparently lent to the radio network by a Bronx social-service organization had indeed been relayed to Air America by Evan Montvel Cohen. Mr. Cohen simultaneously served as director of the liberal network and development director of the nonprofit Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club.’” (David Lombino, “Franken Unaware Of Ex-Colleague’s Alleged Loans,” New York Sun, August 2, 2005)
…But Franken Signed A Document That Listed $870,000 Loan From Boys And Girls Club To Air America. “’Al Franken, the comedian, author, radio host and possible future Minnesota politician, signed a document in November that listed $875,000 in interest-free loans that a New York Boys & Girls Club made to his radio network, Air America. Franken said Thursday that he was unaware of the loans at the time. The loans and the Boys & Girls Club are under investigation by city and state agencies in New York. Neither Franken nor Air America are targets of the investigations. Air America said Thursday that it had put funds into an escrow account sufficient to repay the loans if the New York Department of Investigation, which is reviewing the club’s finances, completes its work and authorizes payment.’” (Eric Black, “”Loans To Franken’s Radio Network Examined,””Star Tribune, September 9, 2005)
While Air America Was Going Under , Franken Demanded His Million Dollar Salary. “America sued in New York Supreme Court and a judge ordered MultiCultural to put it back on the air in Chicago, where Air America had made more payments, through April, but not in Los Angeles. After that ruling expired, the two companies couldn’t come to terms and Air America was off the air in both cities. As the network tried to repair the damage, it was also fighting Mr. Franken over how his salary was paid. As the network’s star, Mr. Franken had negotiated a pay package at more than $1 million a year, according to a copy of the contract viewed by The Wall Street Journal.’” (Julia Angwin and Sarah McBride, “Radio Daze – Inside Air America’s Troubles,” Wall Street Journal, June 21, 2004)
Topics: Uncategorized |
September 16th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
O.k., fine… but I hope this is more focused Coleman’s true record and exposing the lies Franken is telling about it, than on the stuff we already know about Al Franken’s tax dodging, charity swindling, porn-mouthed past.
September 16th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
September 16th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Aaron, finally a post from you that I can agree with…
Petey
September 16th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
The desperation is dripping off Norm like sweat off a food vendor working over a vat of Pronto Pups at the State Fair.
September 16th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
What exactly is Norm’s record as US Senator. He claims to have brought hockey back. It’s funny that he never mentions the bailout in the last bonding bill for the Xcel arena and the mountain of cash that his buddies made by selling the Wild. Funny, the profit on the hockey team the the bonding bill bailout are about the same.
I wish Norm would go after the financiers as strong as he went after the Oil for Food crooks. But I am not holding my breath!
September 16th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Ooops. Was wrong on the post above - the City of St. Paul sought forgiveness of an existing $41 million loan. And the owners came away with lots more than that on their hockey team investment.
September 16th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Brian Zeller is a two-bit real estate agent in Lakeland. WTF does he know about Al Franken, or truth-telling for that matter? That guy’s lucky he’s still got a real estate license.
September 16th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
C’mon Norm, he hasn’t even brought up that nasty little affair you had years ago with the ex-gov.
September 16th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
That is a fascinating list of republican has beens and never-will-bes. In fact checking my statement, I am sure they all will agree.
September 17th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Anyone remember the Howard Dean “scream”? An innocent, over-enthusiastic moment and the media declares his campaign dead.
Well, Franken gets on the same stage and uses the F—– bomb ad it is seemingly OK?
Why is the media so silent on Franken’s behavior?
September 17th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Okay truth squad, GO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl5hwE8ffgg
Yeee.. has the truth squad disbanded yet?