And You Thought It Was Just Blago? Guess Again

Charlie Savage in the New York Times, who apparently has suddenly found it’s investigative chops again, now that the danger of Democrats losing power in the recent election has passed….

The Carousel Center In Syracuse

WASHINGTON — An upstate New York developer donated $100,000 to former President Bill Clinton‘s foundation in November 2004, around the same time that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton helped secure millions of dollars in federal assistance for the businessman’s mall project.

Mrs. Clinton helped enact legislation allowing the developer, Robert J. Congel, to use tax-exempt bonds to help finance the construction of the Destiny USA entertainment and shopping complex, an expansion of the Carousel Center in Syracuse.

Mrs. Clinton also helped secure a provision in a highway bill that set aside $5 million for Destiny USA roadway construction.

The bill with the tax-free bonds provision became law in October 2004, weeks before the donation, and the highway bill with the set-aside became law in August 2005, about nine months after the donation.

The carousel mall is around 90 miles down the road from us here at Casa de Bit.  There most certainly was an increased amount of construction going on in that neighborhood back in 2004.  An awful lot of urban renewal style DEstruction, as well.

In looking at the history of political donations from Mr. Congel, there does not appear to be an ideological leaning toward Democrats.

Certainly, among them, this donation to Clinton’s foundation would seem to be the most outstanding of them, in terms of amounts if nothing else.  More interestingly however is the $4,600.00 donation to  Clinton directly from “Destiny USA ” which appears to be one that the New York Times didn’t report on.

Of course both the developer and Hillary Clinton’s people deny any wrongdoing, and of course they also denied connection between the two events.  After all, who is going to admit to a crime?

But look closely at the link above, and you’ll notice that Congel was a regular contributor to the Bush campaign, contributed $2,000.00 to Fred Thompson’s campaign, and so on.  This is not someone who regularly donates to Democrats.  So, I suppose it’s just a matter of coincidences that a couple of weeks after donating a large sum of money to the Clinton library that Senator Clinton arranges for a new year mark for Mr. Congel’s corporation.  Right?

(edit:(Bit) typo patrol)

BBCT to inbounds from Q&O, Right Wing News Sister Toldjah, and Memeorandum

Addendum: I note now that Bill Richardson has withdrawn his name from the nomination to be secretary of Commerce because of questions about his business dealings.

With Hillary Clinton now being looked at, for the above, I’m forced to ask… Wouldn’t it be far easier to get people all the way through a vetting process before nominating them?