Charles Taylor, the ethically challenged congressman from Western North Carolina is now
threatening to sue the Wall Street Journal, that bastion of all that is good and pure in American Capitalism, for an expose they did on his corruption problem.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. --A congressman in the thick of a tough re-election battle demanded Friday that The Wall Street Journal correct and retract statements in an article that said he slipped projects benefiting his own business interests into the federal budget, a claim he called libelous.
Taylor is demanding that the Journal retract a front-page article published Wednesday titled "Seat in Congress Helps Mr. Taylor Help His Business." It said he added "earmarks" to legislation to widen two highways near property he owns, to give millions to nonprofit groups run by his business partners and supporters, and to provide $3.8 million for a park in front of a downtown Asheville bank he owns.
Written by John R. Wilke, the story cited congressional, corporate and real-estate records. Taylor described it as "full of misinformation and unsupported falsehoods."
One of the nicknames of Chuckie boy, is "Chainsaw Charlie" due to the fact that he wants 600 million for a road through the middle of the district in the largest roadless pristine tract of forest east of the Mississippi.
He also owns Blue Ridge Savings & Loans here in the US. The bank has made "questionable" loans for $2.27 million to one of his largest donors. But there of course is more. He owns 80% of a bank in Russia named Ivanovo, becoming the first American to actually own a bank in post communist kleptomaniac Russia. The people he deals with are not those you would invite home for dinner. He also has taken 10 "fact finding" trips on our dime to Russia, where he coincidentally of course engages in business accidentally I am sure.
Heath Shuler, the former University of Tennessee, and Washington Redskins quarterback is challenging this seat. Taylor has put in $1.6 million of his own money in, plus ad buys from the RNCC and the Delay fronted group in Texas. He is still losing 51-43 according to the poll dump from last week.
Charles Taylor literally is blitzing the district with ads. You can not escape them. Dozens upon dozens of ads running all day every day for the past month. If you have any extra cash to spare, consider giving to Heath Shuler who can and will beat him with our support. The stench removed from D.C. by taking out Chuck Taylor will be well worth it.
Postsript: It may be old news to some, but Taylor of course is heavily Jack Abramoffinvolved. He sat down for dinner with Jack and his boys, and got six $500 checks from them, $2,000 check from Abramoff himself, and $1,000 from the Sagina Chippewa tribe of Michigan. Remember them? Well, Chuck Taylor did one month later when he helped get the tribe a large construction grant after he wrote a letter to the department of the Interior on their behalf, "encouraging" them to pony out the dough to Abramoff's client tribe.