Norm Coleman under investigation by FBI in a case very similar to that of Blagojevich

[Bjorn Against]

Of wives and men: Comparing Coleman and Blagojevich charges
FBI figures into cases involving both Minnesota senator and Illinois governor

By Chris Steller 12/10/08 7:35 AM

Two things happened Tuesday. Early in the morning, Rod Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI on charges that included alleged schemes to funnel money to the Illinois governor through his wife, Patricia. Then late in the day, Norm Coleman denied knowledge of an investigation that the FBI is reportedly conducting into an alleged scheme to funnel money to the Minnesota senator through his wife, Laurie.

Because the charges against Blagojevich are criminal and made by the U.S. Department of Justice, they are (so far) on a wholly different order from allegations about the Colemans that were made by private plaintiffs in a pair of Texas civil suits from October.

The dissimilarity, however, ends approximately there. In both cases, the charges are that illegal payoffs to the elected official would be masked as payment of work performed by the wife. The monetary amounts are in the same ballpark: Laurie Coleman’s company received $75,000 and was to be paid $25,000, while the salary proposed for Patricia Blagojevich ran as high as $150,000.

One difference: In the Colemans’ case, payments — which haven’t been shown to be illegal, and whose propriety Sen. Coleman has insisted on — were actually made, not just talked about during wiretapped conversations.

http://minnesotaindependent.com/19603/of-wives-and-men-comparing-coleman-and-blagojevich-charges

[madrchsod]

1. biggest difference--patrick fitzgerald

if coleman was in illinois he`d be investigated. fitzgerald is a rat terrier..he`ll keep digging it he finds the rat

[mn9driver]

2. The Pioneer Press has a story up on this, too

Naturally, the Star Tribune is ignoring it until it becomes embarrassing to not print something about it.

[xchrom]

3. good. nt