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Watchdog Group Again Urges FBI And DoJ to Investigate US Chamber Of Commerce Widespread Financial Improprieties
On August 4, 2010, StopTheChamber.com spokesman and attorney Kevin Zeese received a letter from a purported
Chamber of Commerce insider in response to the group's reward
offer. In short, the insider compares Chamber CEO Tom Donohue to Jack Abramoff,
Michael Scanlon and Bernie Madoff, in the manner in which he is scamming
companies to serve his own interests rather than the interests of the
business community. He alleges fraud, campaign finance violations and
financial improprieties that could be uncovered with a criminal investigation.
Equally troubling, he alleges that Mr. Donohue does not fear the FEC or
Congress and has a plan in place to attack the Department of Justice if the DOJ
investigates him.
A few select quotes from the whistleblower are as follows:
"I am concerned about the activities that have been going on here [at the
Chamber] and I believe that decent people are going to get hurt and tarnished
if something is not done."
"[T]he Chamber coordinates directly with the Republican Party on issues,
ads, legislation, candidates and everything else...."
"Companies that give money to the Chamber are told that their money will be kept secret from everyone including the Government. They are given specific instructions on how to circumvent campaign finance regulations."
"[T]here is a vast amount of secrecy about what money comes in and what it is used for. [M]oney meant for one thing has actually been redirected to another thing on orders from Mr. Donohue and without the knowledge of the company that gave the money."
"[I]f there was an audit done of the Chamber's finances and cross
referenced to those companies that gave [[the] money, there would be vast
discrepancies between income and outlays."
Mr. Zeese immediately forwarded the whistleblower letter to the FBI and DOJ
with a request to investigate the detailed allegations in the letter. http://www.velvetrevolution.us/stop_chamber/images/COC_DOJ_Letter8410.pdf
"The recent allegations against the Chamber that it has been commingling
foreign money with other income and using that money to influence elections,
appears to corroborate what the Chamber whistleblower wrote two months
ago," said Mr. Zeese. "We believe that the evidence
presented to the Department of Justice by the whistleblower combined with this
new foreign money evidence provides a sufficient basis to warrant a serious in
depth criminal investigation of the Chamber and its operations. We urge the
Department of Justice to announce such an investigation, complete with grand
jury subpoenas, witness testimony and compelled discovery. The
whistleblower has alleged that Chamber CEO Tom Donohue is engaged in a Bernie
Madoff/Jack Abramoff scam where he creates crises to scare the business
community, shakes them down with false promises, and launders their money not
to serve the interests of the companies but rather to protect his own
interests. The criminal allegations against the Chamber have now reached
critical mass and federal officials must take immediate action to protect
companies, shareholders, citizens, and elections. Indeed, President Obama
said today that the Chamber's activities constitute a "threat to
democracy.'"
Source: www.StopTheChamber.com
