by The Big E on May 20, 2013
Rep. Michele Bachmann’s pile of woe just got bigger. The FBI is joining all of the other entities investigating her 2012 presidential campaign.
The pile of woe includes:
- Federal Election Commission investigating paying senior staffers from her PAC, MichelePAC
- Office of Congressional Ethics investigating paying senior staffers from her PAC, MichelePAC
- Independent Counsel appointed by the Iowa Supreme Court investigating paying Iowa Campaign Chair, Sen. Kurt Sorensen, when that is barred
- Iowa State Senate Ethics panel investigation paying Sorensen
- Police in Iowa investigating the theft of an email list from an evangelical home schoolers organization
- Lawsuit by the woman from whome Bachmann’s campaign acquired the email list.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune continued their pattern of reporting every detail of her scandals. It should be noted that they continue the pattern of not covering anything else.
The FBI has contacted two former staffers of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign, adding to the swirl of federal and state investigations looking into alleged financial improprieties by top officials in the campaign.
The former campaign aides with direct knowledge of the investigation have confirmed the FBI inquiries. Both spoke to the Star Tribune on condition of anonymity.
St. Paul attorney John Gilmore, who represents former Bachmann chief of staff Andy Parrish, also confirmed that his client is among those being interviewed by the FBI as a witness. “Andy Parrish has been contacted by the FBI for purposes of an interview,” Gilmore said. “That has been set up for next week and Mr. Parrish will cooperate fully.”
(Star Tribune)
The biggest implication of this is that these scandals will not be going away anytime soon. And probably not before the 2014 election cycle really heats up.
by The Big E on May 8, 2013
Embattled Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) did not appear for work at her job in the US House of Representatives on Monday. You know … the one in which she is supposed to represent the Sixth Congressional District of Minnesota. She didn’t show up for the second half of 2011 while campaigning for President.
Was she on Fox News? Right wing radio? Was she speaking at a fundraiser? Appearing at an event?
No, she was trying to settle one aspect of her legal troubles stemming from the implosion of her 2012 presidential bid. Barb Heki sued Bachmann alleging her campaign stole an email list of evangelical home schoolers.
The campaign has previously called the use of the list “inadvertent,” a view that Heki and campaign whistleblower Peter Waldron, a Florida pastor, have disputed publicly. Campaign officials eventually negotiated a $2,000 payment to rent the list from the Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators (NICHE).
Heki said she was blamed for misappropriating the database and was removed from the nonprofit’s board. One of the counts in her suit alleges libel and slander.
Iowa state senator involved
The suit implicates Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson in the alleged theft. Sorenson, once Bachmann’s Iowa campaign chairman, is now the subject of an inquiry by the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee, which called for a special investigator last week.
(Star Tribune)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune continues to cover all aspects of her scandals, but nothing else.
Photo: Ripple in Stillwater
by JeffStrate on April 23, 2013
I profoundly appreciate the clarity and resonance of Joe Bodell’s “Thoughts Elsewhere” posting. I have come to detest the wall-to-wall TV coverage afforded tragedies of the kind that happened a week ago in Boston. I am saddened by the conjecture, the lack of source checking, the lack of restrain. We are a nation of voyeurs watching real life “reality shows” narrated by assumption and driven by the stupid desire to be first.
But back to TV coverage, not in the faked “reality shows” but as it has played out from Boston, West, Newtown and some time ago in Atlanta. During the live coverage of the failed assassination attempt on President Reagan, ABC anchor Frank Reynolds became angry with his unseen producers, sternly ordering them to nail down the facts — too often anchors and news producers and reporters do not nail down the facts but go ahead with stupid lines like — “We can’t confirm this detail but we learned just moments ago from a “Tweet” sent out by a guy we don’t know who just talked with a Boston cop three blocks from the finish line about what he thinks just happened on Boyleston. We stress to viewers, that we can’t yet verify what the officer said but is what we can tell you now. Our story may change as we learn more …”
CNN, with some laudable exceptions, grows increasingly careless and trivial on breaking news situations what it is praised for being the best at. One of its better programs “Reliable Sources” discussed media coverage of Boston this past Sunday. Howard Kurtz, the Daily Beast’s Washington’s Bureau Chief is not beholden to CNN.
Here’s the link to an hour perspective that is worth listening to -
http://reliablesources.blogs.cnn.com/
by The Big E on April 22, 2013
by The Big E on April 17, 2013
by The Big E on April 16, 2013
What could possibly go wrong?
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) included Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) in the official US House of Representative’s delegation to attend former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s funeral. Boehner won’t give her a leadership position but will include her in this funereal delegation. What’s up with that?
Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) announced Monday that a three-person delegation, led by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) will attend on behalf of the House. Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), a 2008 presidential candidate, and George Holding (R-N.C.), a freshman congressman from the Raleigh area, will join Blackburn as members of the delegation.
(Washington Post)
The one-time presidential hopeful and darling of the Tea Party Michele Bachmann will be be attending Lady Thatcher’s funeral on Wednesday, as part of a visiting US delegation.
Bachmann, who in 2004 described homosexuality as “part of Satan”, will travel to London with two other leading Republicans, John Boehner, the speaker of the House of Representatives, said on Monday.
(The Guardian)
The Minneapolis Star Tribune did not see fit to report on this.
– UPDATE –
Instead they reported that Bachmann’s fundraising totals were lower than the first quarter of 2011. She raised $680K in 2013 Q1 compared to $1.7M in 2011 Q1.
But even this fundraising news will most likely not make the dead tree edition.
by The Big E on April 10, 2013
by The Big E on March 26, 2013
by The Big E on March 22, 2013
by The Big E on March 20, 2013
In an unusual move, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on the most recent 
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has always benefited from shoddy, irresponsible journalism in Minnesota. Minnesota’s media has steadfastly refused to report what she says and what she does. The only exception is MPR which occasionally reports what she says and does. For the most part, Minnesotans were unaware how often she lies, tells outlandish conspiracy theories, gets the facts all wrong or commits a gaffe.
