Bills Mount: Young's (R-AK) Legal Fund Doesn't

[Blue_In_AK]

http://www.adn.com/news/politics/fbi/young/story/406707.html

By RICHARD MAUER
[e-mail]

Rep. Don Young has reported "no activity" in the special legal fund he set up to accept donations and pay for lawyers assisting his defense in federal investigations. The surprise disclosure, made in a statement filed Tuesday with the House of Representatives, shows that as of March 31, his re-election campaign treasury remained his main source of funds for his legal defense.

As of the end of March, his campaign account had shelled out $1.1 million in legal fees, mostly to the Washington, D.C., law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer. More than $210,000 was spent since January, even as the separate legal expense fund remained inactive.

In January, Young's chief of staff and campaign spokesman, Mike Anderson, said Young created the legal expense fund so that contributors to his re-election campaign wouldn't find their money going to lawyers.

Some potential donors had said that they would like to donate to his campaign, Anderson said at the time, but not his legal expenses. Others said they would contribute to his legal bills and not his campaign, Anderson said, so they decided to establish the fund.

<snip>

Young is under investigation in Alaska in connection with the Veco corruption scandal. Congress has asked the Justice Department to investigate Young's $10 million earmark for a Florida highway interchange sought by a developer who gave him campaign contributions. The Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal has also touched Young -- one of his key aides pleaded guilty last year and is cooperating with the continuing federal investigation.

<snip>

[SoCalDem]

1. This stuff & the fact that Ron Paul & Huckabee BOTH beat Mccain in the primary

leads me to believe that we CAN win Alaska.. It's got a small-ish population, and the peope HAVE to be ready to embrace some serious change.. The Murkowski clan & the Stevens clan are not all that beloved these days either, so Obama COULD woo and win over Alaska this fall.. I feel it :)

Pols wring their hands every election about Ohio & PA & FL, when running hard and winning in places like AK, VA, IA, CO, NM, NV are much cheaper markets to operate in, and those small unmber add up..and they make a map so much more "enjoyable".. Obama's primary run should be a lesson.. Small is not bad..and small numbers add up.. Losing that ONE big one you HAD to have, is what's ruined our chances Many Many times..

With Barr in it and Ron Paul still a factor, I think we could even get Georgia..
edit.. i threw in AZ ..if he asked janet Napolitano to be his runningmate) :evilgrin:
My map: (make your own @ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign08/electoral-college/ )


another version I can envision:

notice the states I purposely left OUT:

[Blue_In_AK]

2. You're absolutely correct.

McCain is NOT popular here, at all. Romney was the big winner here with over 40% of the votes in the Republic presidential preference poll, with McCain dead last with barely over 2,000 votes, if I remember right, something like 2%. Obama very easily defeated Clinton in our caucus, about 2 to 1.

Anchorage's mayor, Democrat Mark Begich, is running strong against Ted Stevens, besting him in several recent polls I've seen. Don Young is facing a fairly strong contender in the Republican primary, Sean Parnell, the current lieutenant governor, and state representative Gabrielle LeDoux, who is running a distant third.

The Democratic candidates for Don Young's house seat are Diane Benson --the superior and more progressive candidate, in my opinion -- and former state representative Ethan Berkowitz, either of whom could easily defeat Young at this point, I'm sure.

I just posted an informative local progressive blog entry on Diane Benson's candidacy in the Alaska forum for anyone who is interested. She is prominently featured in a recent TruthOut article found here http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/050808J.shtml . I would strongly urge anyone looking to donate to progressive candidates to check Diane out. She is exceptional.

[L. Coyote]

3. What does 1.1 million buy you? I am very suspicious about this money!!

There must be an immense amount of grand jury activity or something behind the scenes we don't know about, OR this is plainly suspicious!

[Blue_In_AK]

4. I know.

I've worked for lawyers since 1975, and this amount of attorney's fees, even with today's inflated rates, is just phenomenal. Even at $500 an hour, that adds up to 2200 hours, an incredible amount of time to spend on someone's case(s) if they're "innocent."

[L. Coyote]

6. Looks a lot like PAYOLA!!

[L. Coyote]

5. Akin Gump are lobbyists. #3 Top Lobbying Firm

1998-2008 Akin, Gump et al = $224,875,000

http://opensecrets.org/lobby/firmsum.php
Groups That Have Retained Akin, Gump et al:

2007 = Total Lobbying Income: $31,420,000
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians $540,000
Gila River Indian Community $740,000

2006 Total Lobbying Income: $25,130,000
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians $760,000
Gila River Indian Community $800,000

Remind you of anyone? Don Young's buddy Jack Abramoff??

[Blue_In_AK]

7. The first thought that popped into my mind.

Things that make you go ....... hmmmmmmm

[L. Coyote]

8. visibility kick