Senator Jim Bunning may well be the most hated man in America right now, thanks to his decision to impede the efforts of both parties to extend unemployment benefits. But he may have even bigger problems soon.
Joe Conason in Salon is calling for an investigation into The Jim Bunning Foundation, which has been accused by a growing number of serious observers as being ethically shaky at best - and at worst, an outright scam and a fraud.
From Salon:
Ever since he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Bunning has operated this phony “charitable” operation as a front for his business selling autographed balls. As this outfit's sole employee, working one hour a week, he has paid himself hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past 10 years — considerably more than the amount donated to any actual charity.
Not only does he exploit a charitable foundation to avoid taxes and ethics rules while greasing his own palm; he actually put a Washington lobbyist on the foundation board — and then arranged budget earmarks for clients of that same lobbyist, who oversees his self-dealing scam.
Watchdog groups are accusing Bunning's foundation of violating Senate ethics and IRS rules regarding outside income for members of Congress and legitimate uses for tax-exempt charities. Furthermore, as a paid employee, Bunning isn't really supposed to be dominating the foundation's board.
http://www.louisvillemojo.com/blogs/Louisville_Blogs/85225/Jim_Bunning_Foundation_Accused_of_FraudFurthermore, I'd like to know what he intends to do with the small fortune placed in a mysterious mutual fund under the aegis of a foundation that seems to exist for no other purpose than to divert funds to himself.
Shut down Jim Bunning's "charitable" fraud
Filibustering against extended jobless benefits, Bunning cites the deficit. So he should close his tax-exempt scam
By Joe Conason
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joe_conason/2010/02/26/bunning/index.html