Top Ficano Aide Is Also Chief Campaign Fundraiser / Oakland County Ties To Ficano

Top Ficano Aide Doubles as Chief Campaign Fundraiser: MyFoxDETROIT.com

In this e-mail list  from Charlie Le Duff's report on Fox 2 News 3/13/12 includes:
 Turkia Awada Mullin, John Truscott, John Rakolta, and Robert Ficano

The following is from the Detroit Free Press showing how this story has developed over the last few months.

"Subpoenas sent to Wayne count in November 2011 reveal that federal investigators looking at a possible pay-for-play scheme are zeroing in on two people, 14 companies and four arms of county government.


The subpoenas, obtained \ the Free Press, show agents want nearly five years of information on the work history, salaries and business relationships of ousted Metro Airport CEO Turkia Awada Mullin and former Deputy County Executive Azzam Elder, who resigned Nov. 3. Mullin served as the county's chief development officer before moving to Metro Airport on Sept. 7.


The subpoenas also show, for the first time, that a grand jury already has been empaneled to probe Wayne County business dealings.


"I think it's significant, because it means that it's gone up another level from an FBI investigation," said David Griem, a Detroit defense attorney and former federal prosecutor.




Grand juries operate in secret and can compel testimony from reluctant witnesses. They were used extensively in the Detroit city hall pay-for play probe, which led to the indictments of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and others from his administration. No one has been charged in the county probe.


The subpoenas are the clearest sign yet that the controversial Wayne County Business Development Corp., a nonprofit group funded by businesses and labor groups to promote economic activity, is a key part of the investigation.


Seven of the 14 companies named in the subpoenas gave a total of $117,500 to the nonprofit in 2010 -- almost 60% of the money it generated.


Three other companies gave in-kind contributions, according to tax filings the corporation released Tuesday.


In addition, businesses that contributed to the development corporation -- and members of its board -- also often donate to Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano's political action committee.


Federal agents hand-delivered the subpoenas to the county Oct. 19, seeking financial records, e-mails, contracts, bids and other documents.


At the time, Ficano and other county officials said they were barred by law from discussing the subpoenas. In fact, the documents show that while the government did ask for secrecy, the feds made clear that disclosure was within the county's discretion.


Mullin and Elder could not be reached for comment Wednesday.


The subpoenas also seek employment information on the county's technology director, Tahir Kazmi. Kazmi said he had been advised, "I cannot talk to anybody about the subpoenas."


In sweeping legal language, the subpoenas ask for all bidding and contract records involving the Boji Group; the Piston Group; the Sterling Group; Metro Cars; Steward Investments; Ghafari; Henry Ford Health System; Grand Sakwa Properties; Walbridge; RCP Associates; Strategic Staffing Solutions; Delta Air Lines; the Roxbury Group and Clark Hill.


Most companies declined to comment or didn't return calls.


The Henry Ford Health System contributed $12,500 in 2010 to the development corporation, said spokesman Dwight Angell, who called it a membership fee.


"Henry Ford joined to support and promote the economic development opportunities for Wayne County and, in particular, for Detroit," he said in a statement, without further comment.


Boji spokesman John Truscott said Ron Boji "has not bid on or received any county business. Boji is a great developer and has done business around the state, but not with Wayne County."


Ron Boji, whose sister is married to Deputy County Executive Nader Fakhouri, did redevelop two closed car dealerships in the county that are being leased to the state for probation programs. The leases went through a state bidding process, not the county, Truscott said.


Bob Berg, spokesman for Strategic Staffing Solutions, which received $2.7 million in county contracts since 2008, said that all the contracts have been competitively bid.


Reginald Turner, of Clark Hill's executive committee, said the Clark Hill firm has done county work for years based on the quality of its legal work. He said his county work is billed at less than half his normal rate. Turner said Clark Hill did not make a cash contribution to the development corporation, but did provide free legal services.


The grand jury also wants to see compensation and expense payments -- if any -- Mullin and Elder received from county organizations.


Mullin's compensation has been at the center of the Wayne County scandal since the county acknowledged paying her a $200,000 severance when she voluntarily quit to run Metro Airport. Mullin later acknowledged receiving another $75,000 from the development corporation in 2010.


The Free Press obtained the subpoenas from a source, then confirmed them with an official familiar with the documents"

There are many interesting players in this case.  One has to ask, what is the involvement of the Clark Hill law firm in this case?  So far based on the information obtained by The Not So Lame Media, there does not appear to be anything illegal  Reginald Turner of Clark Hill has done.  It is odd though that he would bill Wayne County at less than half his normal rate and provide free legal services for the development corporation.

As a side bar, it should be noted that Clark Hill has a high profile attorney, Former Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R). He is currently running for Oakland County Prosecutor to replace current Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper (D).

It should be also noted that, Mitt Romney's National Co-Chair, John Rakolta's construction company Walbridge is one of the companies that has been subpeonaed.  John Rakolta's company is also in Oakland County and his family is involved in Oakland County Republican Politics.  

Join Not So Lame Media on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/notsolamemedia 

Romney's Dirty Donors: One's a Problem, Four's a Pattern

Whilst doing research on corruption with in the Romney campaign, I discovered this article from April 11, 2007 from PR Newswire regarding Mitt Romney and his dirty donors.  Has much changed?  Corruption seems to have continued.

From PR Newsire April 11, 2007:

The following was issued today by the Democratic National Committee:
     Add one more to smooth talking Mitt Romney's growing list of dirty
donors. In addition to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth backers Bob Perry and
Sam Fox and Romney national finance chair John Rakolta, who backed a group
responsible for a Michigan ad comparing Democrats to Hitler, a new report
reveals that Romney's new Ohio finance chair contributed close to half a
million dollars to a group responsible for deceptive push polls in six
states last year.

     Last month, the Romney campaign announced that S. Craig Lindner "will
be co-chair of Romney's Ohio fundraising effort." [Cincinnatienquirer.com,
3/28/07] Today, a report by the Campaign Finance Institute revealed that
Linder donated $479,224 to Common Sense Ohio, which was responsible for
$827,000 in deceptive ads and push polls in seven states during the 2006
elections. [Openers, Cleveland Plain Dealer blog, 4/11/07] The last minute
calls funded by Common Sense Ohio distorted the records of Democratic
candidates like Ted Strickland in Ohio, Ben Cardin in Maryland, Harold Ford
in Tennessee, and Jon Tester in Montana. [New York Times, 11/6/06]

\
     Of course, Romney's connection to Common Sense Ohio isn't completely
new. Under Romney's leadership, the Republican Governors Association gave
$70,000 to Common Sense Ohio. [Plain Dealer, 9/30/06]

     "Days ahead of this weekends fundraising reporting deadline, the voters
are getting a clear picture of where Mitt Romney's dirty money is coming
from," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "The
fact that his biggest backers are responsible for some of the most divisive
and disgusting campaign tactics in generations shows that Mitt Romney's
smooth talk about ending divisiveness in Washington is just another part of
his campaign to say whatever he thinks the voters want to hear."
                           Mitt Romney's Dirty Donors

     CRAIG LINDNER: DONATED $479,224 TO COMMON SENSE OHIO

     S. Craig Lindner "Will Be Co-Chair Of Romney's Ohio Fundraising Effort."
     "Romney's campaign announced Wednesday that S. Craig Lindner,
co-president of American Financial Group and CEO of Great American
Financial Resources, will be co-chair of Romney's Ohio fundraising effort,
along with Ames Travel Service president Nancy Donovan. Not terribly
surprising, since Lindner hosted a fundraising event for Romney at his
Indian Hill home earlier this month. The pater familias, Carl H. Lindner
Jr., will serve as the honorary co-chair of the Ohio finance committee and
the co-chair of the national finance committee." [Cincinnatienquirer.com,
3/28/07]
     Carl Lindner Donated $479,224 To Common Sense Ohio.
     "A new report on political soft money from the Campaign Finance
Institute fingers American Financial Group Chairman Carl Lindner of
Cincinnati and Massachusetts abortion foe Raymond Ruddy as the rich guys
who financed $827,000 worth of ads that Common Sense Ohio ran during the
2006 elections." [Openers, Cleveland Plain Dealer blog, 4/11/07] Lindner's
contributions to Common Sense Ohio totaled $479,224. [Campaign Finance
Institute, 4/11/07]
     Common Sense Ohio Spent $827,000 On Deceptive Push Polls and Ads in
Seven States.
     According to the Campaign Finance Institute, Common Sense Ohio was
responsible for $827,000 in deceptive ads and push polls in Ohio, Missouri,
Rhode Island, Maryland, Tennessee, South Dakota and Montana. [Openers,
Cleveland Plain Dealer blog, 4/11/07] "Common Sense Ohio was formed in July
to run issue advertisements in the governor's race there, and it became
involved in the Senate races in Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Ohio and
Tennessee, and in the abortion referendum in South Dakota." [New York
Times, 11/6/06]
     Critics Blast Deceptive Push Polls.
     "But critics say the automated calls are a twist on push polls -- a
campaign tactic that is often criticized as deceptive because it involves
calling potential voters under the guise of measuring public opinion, while
the real intent is to change opinions with questions that push people in
one direction or the other. The calls have set off a furor in the closing
days of a campaign in which control of Congress hinges on a handful of
races. Andrew Kohut, a longtime pollster and the president of the Pew
Research Center in Washington, said the automated calling 'smells like a
push poll, it feels like a push poll, so I guess we have to call it a push
poll.'" [New York Times, 11/6/06]
     Romney's RGA Gave $70,000 to Common Sense Ohio.
     The RGA gave a $70,000 contribution to Common Sense Ohio, a group
funded and run by Ken Blackwell supporters. [Plain Dealer, 9/30/06]
     RGA Affiliate Linked to Donations to Common Sense Ohio.
     "Common Sense Ohio is a nonprofit advocacy organization and is financed
by wealthy Republican donors. A sister organization, Common Sense 2006, has
received a donation from the Republican Governors Public Policy Committee,
an affiliate of the Republican Governors Association. Under federal law,
the groups are not required to disclose their donors publicly or reveal how
much money they have raised." [New York Times, 11/6/06]

     SAM FOX: GAVE $50,000 TO SWIFT BOAT VETS FOR TRUTH, $100,000 TO ROMNEY
     Romney Backer Sam Fox Gave $50,000 to Swift Boat Veterans For Truth,
$100,000 to Mitt Romney PAC.

     The Bush Administration withdrew the nomination of Sam Fax to be
ambassador to Belgium after it was revealed that Fox contributed $50,000 to
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004. [AP, 3/28/07]. Fox also contributed
$100,000 to Romney's PAC in Iowa and hosted a Romney political retreat in
Alaska. [BostonGlobe.com, 7/20/06; AP, 9/1/06]

     Fox Refused to Apologize for SBVT Contributions.
     Fox replied that he considers Kerry a hero. But he refused to call the
contribution a mistake. When questioned about his SBVT donations, Fox
responded, "When I'm asked, I just generally give." Fox did not back down
in a series of written responses to Kerry since the hearing. [Associated
Press, 3/28/07]
     BOB PERRY: BANKROLLED SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH, DIVISIVE GOP
GROUPS
     Swift Boat Money Man Bob Perry Signed to Romney's Texas Fundraising
Team.
     Bob Perry, a Texas homebuilder and one of the primary funders of the
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, has signed on to raise money for the
presidential campaign of former Governor Mitt Romney. An invite to the
Dallas fundraiser for Romney on March 26 includes Perry's name as a member
of the governor's 'Texas Leadership Team.' [The Fix, Washington Post,
3/16/07]
     Bob Perry Was Chief Backer of Swift Boat Group, Gave $4.5 Million.
     Bob Perry, who owns Houston-based builder Perry Homes, is a Republican
Party financial donor who gained notoriety as the chief financial backer of
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, whose ads criticized the Vietnam War record
of Senator John F. Kerry. [Washington Post, 8/9/05] Perry gave $4.5 million
to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth's campaign in 2004 to distort John Kerry's
military record. [Washington Post, 3/17/07]
     Bush Friend Bankrolled Anti-Kerry Vet Group During Campaign.     IRS records show that the Texas Anti-Kerry group is being bankrolled by
Bob Perry, a good friend of George Bush & Karl Rove. Perry is one of the largest Republican donors in Texas, having given hundreds of thousands of
dollars in campaign contributions to state and national Republican parties,
local and federal Republican candidates and President Bush's campaign. [IRS
records, 4/23/04-6/30/04]
     Bob Perry's Massive Contributions a Corrosive Force in Politics.
     "Critics say the 71-year-old donor has introduced a level of giving
that is corrosive in politics." [AP, 11/2/03]
     Perry is top Donor to College Republican Club Criticized for Racist,
Anti- Immigrant Activities. Having given $200,000 on October 24, 2006, Bob
Perry is the fourth largest donor to the College Republicans 527
organization. The group has come under fire lately for sponsoring
activities including:
     -- Offering a dinner for two at a local Mexican restaurant for the winner
        of a 'food stamp drawing' that required climbing through a hole in a
        chain link fence and offering fake identification.
     -- Sponsoring a game called 'Catch the Illegal Immigrant.' Under the
        game's rules, according to one student Republican, players were to
        search on campus for the student chosen to wear a name tag saying
        'illegal immigrant.' [New York Times, 2/23/07]
     -- Advocating events like 'Fun with Guns,' in which young Republicans
        would use a BB gun or paintball gun to shoot cardboard cut-outs of
        Democratic leaders such as Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. John
        Kerry (D-Mass.)" [The Michigan Daily, 9/12/06]

     JOHN RAKOLTA: ROMNEY NATIONAL FINANCE CO-CHAIR; FUNDED GROUP BEHIND AD     COMPARING DEMOCRATS TO HITLER

     John Rakolta Named as National Finance Co-Chair for the Romney Campaign.
     Romney named John Rakolta, Jr., as his National Finance Co-Chair.
Rakolta also serves on Romney's Florida statewide Finance Steering
Committee. [Romney Press Release, 2/22/07; Associated Press, 1/5/07; Boston
Globe, 9/24/05]
     Rakolta Family Gave Voice the Vote One-Third Its Total Budget.
     Detroit political consultant Adolph Mongo solicited contributions from
the families of John Rakolta and Peter Cummings to fund Voice the Vote
political action committee. John Rakolta and his wife each donated $5,000
to Voice the Vote. The $10,000 Rakolta and his wife gave Voice the Vote
accounts for more than one-third of the $29,000 the group raised. [Detroit
Free Press, 3/15/07]

     Voice the Vote PAC Produced Ad Comparing Democrats to Adolf Hitler.
     In 2006, the Detroit-based political action committee Voice the Vote
ran an ad in the Michigan Chronicle newspaper that featured photographs of
Hitler alongside Governor Granholm and five former Democratic presidents.
[Detroit Free Press, 3/15/07]      

Read more on this investigation : Mitt Romney's National Co-Chair John Rakolta in Cross Hairs Of FBI Corruption Probe


SOURCE Democratic National Committee
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dnc-romneys-dirty-donors-ones-a-problem-fours-a-pattern-58251092.html

Mitt Romney's National Co-Chair and Former Obama White House Chief of Staff's Brother Could Cost Michigan Millions

Raleigh’s state of the art studio in Pontiac, which opened only ten months ago, defaulted on its $630,000 bond payment on $18 million in state issued bonds that were part of the financing for the $80 million complex.

In an email to The Oakland Press, Michigan Department of Treasury spokesman Terry Stanton confirmed the studio was not able to make the $630,000 payment to the bondholders by Feb. 1. That forced the Michigan state employee’s pension fund, which invested in the studio in 2009, to make a $630,000 payment immediately, and put them on the hook for potentially millions more in payments in the future.

"The State of Michigan Retirement System (SMRS) entered into an agreement to guarantee the bonds, under the previous administration," Stanton wrote. Raleigh had made two previous payments in February and August of last year, but has not made required monthly escrow set-aside payments since October, according to an article that appeared in the Detroit News last month.

The impact of the default on the facility in Pontiac, Michigan is still unclear but it is not expected to affect other properties operated by Raleigh Studios – which bills itself as largest independent studio operator in the United States – located in Hollywood, Manhattan Beach, Playa Vista, Baton Rouge, Atlanta and Budapest.

The facility was the brainchild of Chairman and CEO Linden Nelson and investors Taubman Company founder A. Alfred Taubman, Walbridge CEO and Mitt Romney for President National Co-Chair John Rakolta Jr. and William Morris Endeavor Entertainment Co-CEO Ari Emanuel, whose brother is Rahm Emanual the Former Obama White House Chief of Staff and current Mayor of Chicago.

 "It is uncertain whether the SMRS will have to make any future payments, as the company's ability to fulfill its responsibility for the bond payments depends on the future use/leasing of the facility."

Rabbit Hole Runs Deep with Randy Richardville, Bob Ficano, and John Rakolta

This rabbit hole runs much deeper than most realize! John Rakolta is one of the "gang of four" wealthy and politically connected businessmen concoct an elaborate scheme, using their checkbooks and relationships, to secure a taxpayer-funded movie studio for their own personal financial gain.

Also allegedly involved are Alfred Taubman, Linden Nelson CEO of Raleigh Michigan Studios, and Ari Emanuel, who just happens to be the brother of former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who introduced his brother to Linden Nelson at political events. Since the movie credits and government funding for the studio were a product of an agreement between Governor Granholm and Rahm Emanuel -- both of whom would soon occupy different roles -- the deal had to include a “poison pill” such that any future governor would think twice about getting rid of the film credits and studio funding. The "poison pill" just happens to be Michigan's own Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville.

This is where it gets interesting. Richardville has been lobbied very hard by Nelson, Rakolta and the other partners. Richardville attended the Emmy’s on a trip arranged by Linden Nelson. He also went to a Red Wings game with Nelson in March. While the majority of Republican legislators oppose further funding of the film credits and are outraged by the way the studio was funded with taxpayer money, Richardville is susceptible to “wooing” and is behind the scenes trying to help Nelson and the Gang of Four. He accomplished this by deceiving his colleges on this issue of film producer subsidies and introducing legislation which passed. The film studio folks have hired a slew of lobbyists to cut a deal with Senator Richardville. John Rakolta is paying Scott Romney and the Honigman law firm substantial money to lobby Governor Snyder and the Republican State Senate.

This is the Republican strategy to keep this Democratic deal alive. Interesting information on John Rakolta Jr. is the CEO of Walbridge (formely known as Walbridge Aldinger). He was also one of the National Finance Chairs for Mitt Romney's 2008 Presidential Campaign. Rakolta's wife Terry Rakolta is the sister of Mitt's former sister-in-law Ronna Romney. He was offered the opportunity to be part of a consortium of five Detroit-area businessmen to provide a loan to Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to convince him to resign so that the scandals he had created would end, but Rakolta declined before it actually happened, so the other four went on with it alone.

Besides his work for the Romney campaign in 2008, Rakolta was a major fundraiser for the Bush campaign in 2004. Most recently he was State Finance Chair for Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan. Rakolta's daughter Lauren Rakolta was also a major figure in Mitt Romney's campaign and previously had worked for Mitt Romney when he was governor of Massachusetts. She is currently the finance director for Rick Snyder's campaign to be governor of Michigan.

Mitt Romney's National Co-Chair John Rakolta in Cross Hairs Of FBI Corruption Probe

This story is a bomb shell and great investigative work by Charlie Le Duff of Fox2 News Detroit. The link below has more to the story and video shown on the 10pm and 11pm newscast. Here is a snippet of the story as written by Charile LeDuff:

  Mitt’s presidential ambitions may meet their Waterloo in the Big Mitten and if they do, Mitt might have Bob to thank.
That’s because Romney and Bob Ficano, the Wayne County executive who is caught in the crosshairs of an FBI corruption probe, have a certain friend in common -- John Rakolta.

Will Michigan be Mitt Romney's Waterloo?: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Rakolta is a prominent Detroit developer whose company Walbridge won a $300 million contract last summer to build the new Wayne County jail.

In turns out Rakolta is Romney’s co-national finance chairman.

The Rakolta connection couldn’t come at a worse time for Romney, whose commanding lead in his boyhood state of Michigan has shriveled to a statistical tie with Rick Santorum.

The feds are investigating a pattern of pay-to-play in the jail deal and have subpoenaed the county’s records in connection with Walbridge. As it happens, Rakolta has been a contributor to the Democrat Ficano, a member of Ficano’s finance host committee, and a $25,000 contributor to a non-profit business group know as Edge Opportunities that paid Turkia Mullin to lobby the county development czar.

Who was the county development czar in charge of the jail project? Turkia Mullin. She is also a focus of the federal investigation.

We caught Romney on the stump Thursday and asked him about his close friend Rakolta, who remains on his campaign.


“My understanding is he’s helping in the investigation, not a target of it. So there’s no culpability on his side so far as I’m aware,” Romney said. “He’s helping in an investigation as one of the witnesses against potential wrongdoing as far as I understand.”

Well, not exactly.

Rakolta, who for some reason was out of town when Romney appeared in Michigan, sent me this statement:

“The federal government has not contacted Walbridge or me regarding its ongoing investigation of Wayne County, nor have we received any subpoenas.”

Now I went to public school, but it seems to me the two statements just don’t add up.

Is Rakolta a witness? Or a suspect?

Fox 2 legal analyst Charlie Langton says it is common operating procedure that the FBI does not contact subjects of its investigations.

“It appears that the feds are seriously looking at Rakolta as a player in the cozy relationships between county contractors and Bob Ficano.”

It is important to say Rakolta has not been charged with any crime. Nor has Ficano. But the first charges in the corruption scandal came down this week. One of Ficano’s inner circle was charged with extortion of a contractor and obstruction of justice.

When that shoe dropped, Bob came out of his bunker on the 31st floor of the Guardian Building to offer his ham-handed fury.
The fact that Rakolta remains on the Romney campaign speaks to Mitt’s judgment. Walbridge has also been banned for three years from contracts with the Detroit water department because the company is named in indictments against former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick that allege bid-rigging. Walbridge is appealing the ban. If this presidential election can be boiled down to anything it is this: America is in deep trouble. And we all know it is going to take a healthy dose of government involvement to dig us out. But Americans --whether they be Tea Partiers, occupiers or independents -- have a serious disdain for politicians. And Bob Ficano and his gang at the Guardian are increasingly viewed by the electorate and political class as a colony of lepers. Keeping a fundraiser hanging around with the stink of Wayne County smeared on him will do little to inspire the voters on the fence. Bet you 10 grand.


Join the Not So Lame Media on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/thenotsolamemedia