I’m just a cardboard cutout, how could I have known Richard Benda was pulling a fast one? Why don’t you ask him? Wait he’s dead. Oh darn.
You can HEAR & READ all about the EB-5 investigations to your heart’s content, but I’m not buying Round’s story of ignorance;
“One of the documents in question is the letter of authorization that basically said that they could receive a Future Fund payment for construction costs had been changed slightly and it had a different date on it than the one I authorized,” Rounds said.
It’s pretty easy to take Rounds’ word on this? Right? Because our chief witness is dead. Benda, who was originally hired in 1979(?) by another dead guy, Bill Janklow.
While I am NOT sure that no criminal charges against Rounds can be brought up, with the whole document altering and such, one has to own up a bit about ‘what Mike knew.’
• While a document manipulation can certainly go under the radar of the Governor’s office, you can’t tell me ‘other’ (alive) people are not involved.
• Who cut the check to the SDRC? Isn’t that the job of the auditor and treasurer? Why didn’t they inform Rounds about the check?
• There obviously would have been a lot of legal commentary that goes with such a contract? No one in the AG’s office questioned these fees?
• No one in the GOED office, auditor’s office, SDRC office, heck, the freaking Post Office, told the Rounds administration that they thought this payment was a little suspicious?
• Richard Benda (who is conveniently dead) masterminded this whole scam on his own? No help from anyone? No oversight? No whistle-blowers? No patsies? Nothing. Zilch. Zero?
My speculative conclusion is this on the EB-5 programs;
Rounds might have known what happened after the fact and failed to investigate or inform Federal authorities. While manipulating his signed documents is certainly out of his control, knowing about something that was possibly illegal after the crime is committed and not telling authorities, then you have a problem. “Because, like, you were in charge and all of the state, like, you were the governor, man.” (sorry, that was my best ‘Dude’ impression)
All I can say, is let’s hope my speculation is wrong, would hate to see (another) former governor go to jail. No worries Mike, probably only get a 99 days. It’s not like you killed a man, governors only get a 100 days for that.
South Dakota is 2nd most corrupt state in the country. It’s expected. A lesson across the state is don’t trust anyone named Mike.
When is the federal investigation scheduled to be completed?
anon – that is the crux, they won’t speak to the media. That tells me a lot.
http://my605.com/pierrereview/?p=9736
Pingback: Either former Gov. Mike Rounds is incompetent, in denial, stupid or all three … | flyoverwire
This corruption should solicit bi-partisan condemnation. Our country is in trouble, from these exact type of crooked politicians on the left and right.
Congratulations to you and Cory for putting a bright light on these cockroaches! Powers is in full distract and cover-up mode.
Once the Fed’s show up, perhaps half the taxpayer funds they fornicated from public funds can be recovered. While they’re here, they should audit the mayor. The Washington Pavilion can be repurposed into a country club prison. It will finally pay for itself from admission to view politician prisoners without perfect hair and wearing orange.
All three: incompetent, in denial, and stupid. We knew that as his signature accomplishment in 8 years as governor is a hole in the ground. He cleared any doubt over his mastery of the trifecta when he built a house in a floodplain, whined for, and accepted bailouts when the river – gosh – acted like a river.
Did you doctor this or did the democrat candidate bring a cardborad cut out of Rounds?
I was really at the debate. Not sure if Anette brought it or if it was there.
‘It’ was at the debate.
BAAAHHAHAHA…… Good to see that Bosworth isn’t the only nutcase in the race.
I’m sure she held her own debating the cardboard.
You can thank the democrat majority house and senate of the 101st Congress for creating this shitbag program. Sure we’ll sell green cards for a half million.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_Act_of_1990
Corruption built on corruption fueled by corruption. Benda just happened to be the only one you had any shame.
Cardboard Mike (HT BD). Apparently Annette brought him to the debate at SDSMT. She borrowed a page from Clint Eastwood’s talking to an empty chair – in both cases the participant and the absent ones appeared as fools.
http://madvilletimes.com/2013/11/bosworth-brings-cardboard-cutout-of-rounds-to-debate-rounds-blog-flips/
http://madvilletimes.com/2013/11/poetry-in-the-comment-section-blindman-on-cardboard-mike/
” Who cut the check to the SDRC? Isn’t that the job of the auditor and treasurer? Why didn’t they inform Rounds about the check?”
Your misunderstanding of this point is crucial. NBP cut the check to SDRC not the State. The State granted 1 million to NBP, who in turn paid the SDRC. Benda, Rounds, and the State are not part of this misdirection of funds only NBP. While Benda worked for both the State and SDRC he did NOT work for NBP. Your next 5 questions or moot after this realization…
Yup, I’m sure NO ONE along the way said anything to anyone and Mike knew nothing.
Click on the my605 story above. According to what Mercer said, I find it almost impossible that Rounds didn’t know about this before the investigation. Is he guilty of a crime? Well it seems up to this point, probably not. But how ‘ethical’ is it to have this kind of information and not tell someone about it? Oh that’s right, we don’t have ethics laws in this state.
Just following the timeline I’m not so sure Rounds would know about the misdirection of funds by NBP. The Rounds administration authorized the check in December; on January 8th Daugaard took over and the check was actually issued in ‘late January’ according the AG. Details become absent at this point as to when the funds were misdirected by NBP to SDRC. Either way it happened after Rounds was gone.
Okay, let’s pretend, that Gov. Daugaard knew, why not tell Rounds? I just have trouble believing that no one in Pierre or in the state offices didn’t know what was going on after the fact.
DL, why would Daugaard know how a private company spent $550,000 to pay one of a hundred vendors? I believe the AG when they say they just now uncovered it after the fact. It’s very tedious and expensive to follow all the grant money the state awards whether it’s to another local unit of government or a private business. And if /when Daugaard did know about it, why would he call up Rounds. You over estimate the relationships that thse politicians in Pierre have. They were running mates because it looked good and because of expediency, not because they are close friends that give a shit about each other..
Timeline smineline. The governor is the chief executive who is responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen.
The apparent fact there is NO independent 3rd party, regular auditing of the taxpayers honey pot that is the GOED – and the apparent fact the legislature remains a deer in the headlights still fixated on denial – should rise to criminal negligence, malfeasance, and a host of crimes against the public.
There is no independent 3d party showing of any ROI in the state’s money frittered off to these GOED schemes where government is picking the business winners.
The apparent fact the governor asked Jackley to investigate on 8 Apr yet by 20 Oct Jackley apparently couldn’t be bothered to interview Benda appears to scream incompetence, collusion, or worse. Let see, day one of investigations is to talk to the principle, even if not yet a suspect, to nail them down to a story. Apparently, Jackley and his folks couldn’t be bothered – for 6+ months. For whom were they working?
This is what happens when you fill up your administration with relatives and buddies. The idea that Rounds, a person known for micro-managing everything his pals did, knew nothing about this scam that involved millions of dollars is laughable. This is why there always has to be openness and oversight, regardless of the party or the office.
” #19 John on 11.26.13 at 8:48 pm
The governor is the chief executive who is responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen.”
Bravo Joan…. I am sure you will say the same about the President right?
Liberals biggest problem: Failure to admit to their own failures.
LJL, of course the principle applies equally to the president, any president, every president. Why wouldn’t it? The US’s last successful president was Eisenhower – he or anyone in his mold couldn’t secure a nomination today due to the rabid extremes of either party.
Reading all the above comments I see a great deal of “Nothing to See Over There” written. South Dakota state government is a very tight business, meaning nothing gets done in SD without the governor’s or his proxy’s knowledge.
Denny and Marion knew all they needed to know and then some. We only have a federal grand jury to find out what was being done by an “independent” business for them and their connections.
We are to trust an insurance salesman and a banker? Yea right…
About the president comments. They’re only as good as their weakest links. In my lifetime, (since Truman was pres) yes, Eisenhower was good, but not the best. He warned us about the military industrial complex, but only after his 8 years in office escalated the MIC spending. The worst pres, by far, Truman, and the blood on his hands after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The best, by far, Kennedy. He was on the verge of true peace with the world.
Today’s pres? I’d have to say fail. Not because of the ACA. I’d say because of his use of drones and being on the short leash of the military.
On social issues? Pretty hard to run a country where congress is run by do nothing’s. repubs on the short leash of the tea party. The tea party on the short leash of the Koch brothers.
Joan, if you truly feel that way I had you pegged wrong.
Poly,
Nice work at boiling our problems down to 2 people. I am sure your hypothesis is based on sound facts. Still no failure on the part of your favorite party?
Good thing your so focused on foreign affairs and drone strikes.
If the two people you refer to are the Koch brothers, then yes, that’s a damn good place to start. As for my favorite party? Good on social issues, like voting rights, abortion, gays. Real bad on things militarily.