Rick Perry’s donors fare well, Texas-style
by Carol D. Leonnig, WashingtonPost.com -- Sep 1, 2011
[...]
[Perry] also will have to deal with mounting criticism that his administration has rewarded large donors with favors that have enhanced their personal and business interests. Public interest groups contend that the linkage is too strong to be explained by the business-friendly climate that Perry has worked hard to create.
“Perry has taken it to a whole new level,” said Public Citizen’s director in Texas, Tom Smith said. [a $102 million level.]
[...]
Twenty-three donors won Perry’s appointment to state boards, often the boards of regents at the University of Texas or Texas A&M.
Roughly one in three of the top Perry donors had business interests that secured grants, tax subsidies or project approvals under his administration, the Post review found. Five donors gained both an appointment and a state boost to their specific company or interests.
[...]
What's a little Quid-pro-Quo, between a State Executive and their Donors?
I guess it depends on, which State ... and which Party, you're governing from ...
IOKIYAR, and if you're from Texas too, apparently.
If you're a Democrat, you HAD better mind your P's and Q's ...
Don Siegelman Appeal: Court Affirms Conviction On Most Counts
By Jeralyn, Section Corruption Cases, talkleft.com -- Mar 06, 2009
[...]
The three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals was unanimous in ruling that there was enough evidence to convict Mr. Siegelman of bribery for having appointed a campaign contributor to a state hospital licensing board
[...] First, the bribery related counts and what they charged:
The bribery statute under which defendants were convicted makes it a crime for a state official to corruptly agree to accept anything of value from another person “intending to be influenced” in that person’s favor in an official action. 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(B)
I wonder if that includes: "anything of value from another [Corporate] person" ?
If you don't know the Don Siegelman story, it was/is a true travesty of Justice, and a sign of the times we live in ... in a post-accountability America:
The Strange Case of an Imprisoned Alabama Governor
by Adam Cohen, NYTimes.com -- Sep 10, 2007
Well the current "Pro-Corporate" Supreme Court, gave Governor Don Siegelman a temporary "Get-out-of-Jail-Free" Card. But I really don't think it was the "good governor" that they were trying to assist ...
Supreme Court Vacates Don Siegelman Conviction
by David Dayen, FDL -- June 29, 2010
The Supreme Court ruling Skilling v. United States narrowed the definition of “honest services fraud,” which had implications for a host of public corruption cases. Generally speaking, progressive court watchers saw that as a bad thing. But many of the trumped-up cases in the Bush era hinged on the same statute, and thus, the Supreme Court vacated the ruling in one of them, sending the case of Don Siegelman back to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. [...]
So it's OK if a Republican bribes returns "honest services" to dozens of large Campaign donors
-- but if a Democrat does it, in a "pro-forma" routine appointment -- for one supporter -- Then it's the Big House for you!
Just ask Don Siegelman how he feels about the state of the Justice System in America ...
While you're at it, ask some of Rick Perry's many, many appointees, as well. I suspect they will give you their standard Pro-Business answer. Something about "Everything being bigger in Texas -- even the Political Favors!"
original photo source link