September 28, 2006

GOP Calls on Tennessee Democratic Party to Return Tainted Contributions

The Tennessee Republican Party is calling on the Tennessee Democrat Party and Gov Phil Bredesen to return tens of thousands of dollars in campaign donations it received from the CEO of a company who now is accused of running a suspected financial scheme that allegedly bilked investors and retirement accounts. In a press release, the Tennessee GOP said,

"Tennessee Democrats who are direct beneficiaries of this tainted money, should be ashamed of themselves. Today we call on the Tennessee Democrat Party to return the life savings of hardworking Tennesseans and quit playing politics with people's lives. If history is any example, though, Governor Phil Bredesen and his fellow Democrats will keep the money - just ask our members of the state's highway patrol," said Bob Davis, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party.

Yesterday, The Tennessean reported that the administration is refusing to release a file related to Cooley's improper use of his political power and position to get the THP to "fix" a speeding ticket he had received, a file sought by the lawyer representing an ex-trooper who claims his career was victimized by the Bredesen administration's donations-for-promotions scheme. From The Tennessean:

Farmer's attorney, Arthur F. Knight III, in a letter dated Monday, said TBI files of closed investigations have been provided in the past. Thus, he said, he was surprised by the state's refusal to provide the file documenting the investigation into Gov. Phil Bredesen's right-hand man. Farmer is suing Cooley and several former top leaders in the patrol, which was shaken up in December after The Tennessean documented politics in promotions practices at the THP.

Farmer's attorney wants to review the Cooley file to search for evidence to bolster his case. Farmer is claiming in his federal lawsuit filed in Knoxville that he was retaliated against and his career wrecked by the Democratic administration because of his political ties to the Republican Party. "The investigation may contain information that we can use to support our allegation that he, the deputy governor, was exercising a great deal of influence on the Highway Patrol and who got certain jobs and didn't," Knight said by telephone Tuesday.

As reported yesterday by blogger Terry Frank, and here, Bredesen's 2002 campaign chairman and 2006 campaign treasurer Stuart Brunson formerly lobbied the administration on behalf of 1Point Solutions. Brunson, interestingly, was also director of business development for Qualifacts, a Bredesen-owned healthcare software company in the news recently for its hiring in July of Bredesen's hand-picked TennCare director to be its new CEO.

While questions remain unanswered about the extent of Bredesen's role in Qualifacts' hiring of TennCare director J.D. Hickey, it is quite clear that 1Point Solutions, an allegedly corrupt company that may have stolen millions from investors and from future retirees of its clients, had forged deep ties to the Bredesen administration, the Bredesen campaign and the Tennessee Democratic Party.

Were the campaign contributions an attempt to buy political favors or protection? Whatever the reason, the contributions are tainted and should be returned. The Tennessee Republican Party is suggesting the Democrats set up an escrow account for the tainted funds, and return the money when those affected are identified.

My guess is the Bredesen camp will do so right after they return the cash they hauled in via that Tennessee Highway Patrol donations-for-promotions scheme. Which is to say, never.

Which means some of those Bredesen ads you're seeing on TV promoting the re-election of a governor whose personal net worth is estimated at somewhere around $200 million are financed by funds possibly stolen from the retirement funds of people who live paycheck to paycheck.

Speaking of TV ads, Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Bryson got the tense wrong when he charged in his first TV ad that Bredesen has "led a corrupt and scandalous administration."

"Led" is past tense. Keeping the troopers' money, and now the 1Point scandal, show that the Bredesen administration's corruption is both past and present tense. The good news: Voters in November have the chance to make sure it doesn't continue into the future.