While governor, Dean accepted speaking fees, gifts from special interests

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/01/09/politics1546EST0686.DTL&type=printable

(01-09) 16:02 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

While governor of Vermont, Howard Dean accepted personal pay from special interests at least five times for speeches and also received more than $60,000 in checks and pledges for his charity fund from insurers who benefited from a state tax break, according to documents and interviews.

Dean's fees and charitable donations were legal and did not have to be disclosed under Vermont law but were detailed in correspondence and tax records reviewed by The Associated Press.

The lion's share of Dean's $13,633 in personal speaking fees as governor came from a drug company that was embroiled in one of the nation's most high profile sexual harassment cases, which ultimately ended with a nearly $10 million federal penalty.

The checks and pledges totaling at least $62,500 to Dean's Vermont Computer Project, an initiative the governor created to donate equipment to Vermont schools, came from captive insurance and reinsurance companies, nontraditional insurers which provide health care coverage to companies in tax-friendly ways.

Dean's campaign said Friday any suggestion the payments or donations influenced his actions as governor was "laughable."

but the ones ON dean are not.????????????????

This is not a Dean PAC these donations went to. They went to a fund that bought supplies for Vermont schools.

That means you also have to indict the Governors of all 50 states for allowing Staples (office supplies) to run the charity campaign to donate to the local schools in their area.

have to come up with novel ways to reward helpful politicians beyond merely donating money to campaigns, perhaps.

You think a political campaign wants people in their organization that off-handedly accuse national Party leaders of felonies?

No. They don't.

Is this a felony?

Probably not. But it is creative.

I know, that's a picture of Clark to the left. Hear me out.

I could care less about the charity money. $62,000 for poor kids to get computers? Fantastic. Gratitude from the reinsurance and captive insurance companies for the great tax breaks provided? Well, whatever. If Dean wasn't buying SUVs with the cash, then this is stupid.

It's the speaking fees which are the problem, especially the two speeches to AstraUSA (and the cancelled third one). However, how could Dean have influenced anything in favor of the pharm giant? Where's the conflict of interest? The article doesn't mention anything about that.

If there was no official action he could take on behalf of the company, then this is still no big deal. It might have been better to have refused the honoraria anyway, and if this lasts longer than tomorrow night, Dean should pay back the money and be done with it.

dealing with IBM?

Here's a quote that ringmastery left out...

"In all, Dean earned $13,633 in speaking fees while governor and another $5,000 after stepping down. The totals are far smaller than the $1 million-plus that rival Wesley Clark earned in speaking and consulting fees after retiring from the military."

Gee... THAT sure shanges the tone of the article, doesn't it.

Clark has a lot to fess-up about.....hmmmmmm

The point is the conflict of interest, not the amounts.

That said, I've yet to see a conflict of interest beyond an appearance of impropriety. If an appearance is all there is, this is small potatoes.

Did Clark stop taking money when he started formulating plans to run?

No.

Am I claiming Clark took money for favors? No. However the appearance of the potential influence of 7 figures on Clark is far bigger than the effect 13,000 dollars would have on the Deans when the Deans had $7 million in the bank and in assets.

If you read the article... it mentions other states where gifts and fees are illegal.

It may be legal but it's not ethical.

Dean accepted money while in public office. He wrote thank you letters to those giving him gifts that explicitly mention legislation favorable to the interest.

Clark accepted speaking fees AFTER LEAVING the military. He had no position of authority and there could be no allegation of conflict of interest.

This is a dupe, posted twice today to smear Dean.

Read these articles about Clark:
Then go to the NOW website and see if you can get the transcript from tonight. About Clark.

http://www.cmonitor.com/stories/news/politics2003/100803_clarkpost_2003.shtml

http://www.time.com/time/election2004/article/0,18471,516726,00.html

http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=8460

but it's myopic to think that this isn't one more thing that will hurt his (potential) case in a general election.

Yeah, I could deal with a democratic president who has this in his past, but it will require getting elected first

Why is Dean constantly compared to absolute perfection?

Are we really supposed to equate this SOP non-story with earning a million a year by peddling influence like Clark did?

Or billion dollar war profiteering as POTUS for your VP, your father and your father's buddies like Bush IS DOING?

that would make him quite desirable to have on boards.

Since Gore has endorsed Dean... I could get real petty and dredge up Occidental and Gore's speaking fees and Board memberships since leaving office...

on that? I can clearly see the conflict of interest, but is it widely done, anyway?

speaking fees?

And Dean raised $60,000 in charitable contributions for VT schools, and that's supposed to be a scandal?

while holding public office to my knowledge. Also, at the beginning of his campaign Clark had some paid speaking engagements that he had already committed to but returned the money or canceled the speeches after becoming a candidate.

If he wins the nomination I'll raise him money from every legal source I can get my hands on.

What I do have a problem with is the notion that Dean is an outsider--he's a consumate, hard working insider.

if you support Dean because of his centrist record, Fine. If you support dean because he is a liberal outsider you're lying to yourself and/or others.

on edit: it's childsplay compared to what the Rethugs do--solicit donations and then pay the money back with taxpayers' money via corporate tax breaks!

wyldwolf posted it last evening. :eyes:

Yet Dean raising money for a charity is supposed to be a scandal?

Will Dean delete his "Ken Lay and the boys..." from his
speeches now?

nt

n/t