September 27, 2006

Bredesen Campaign Official Tied To Company Accused of Stealing Millions

Stuart Brunson, the treasurer for Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen's re-election campaign and the manager of Bredesen's 2002 campaign, has been linked to a Dickson-based retirement and benefits management company accused of stealing millions of dollars from unsuspecting investors and employees. Brunson formerly was director of business development for Qualifacts, a healthcare software company Bredesen owns and which has been in the news lately for its hiring of former TennCare director J.D. Hickey, and for the growing evidence that Bredesen was involved with the company even after becoming governor.

From today's Tennessean:

Stokes and his company [1Point Solutions] are at the center of a series of lawsuits that claim they bilked unsuspecting investors and employees of millions of dollars in retirement accounts and other funds.

Stokes linked himself with the party faithful the way many do: He gave campaign money to their candidates. Records show that Stokes contributed at least $50,000 to Democratic candidates and party organizations since 2001.

One beneficiary of Stokes' political giving has been Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen. Stokes contributed $5,000 to Bredesen's 2002 campaign, records show. And since then, he has had access to some of Bredesen's inner circle.

When Stokes' company wanted to pitch its services to the state last year, it enlisted Bredesen's 2002 campaign manager and current campaign treasurer, Stuart Brunson.