I can only cringe to think that Marion Mike Rounds could become our next US Senator. Only in South Dakota would we choose a crooked Republican over a Liberal Democrat. Whether you are Republican, Indy or Democrat, please, I beg you NOT to vote for Rounds. His clear record of corruption make him unfit for office.
REFRESHER GRAPHIC: republican-graphic
There are many reasons NOT to vote for Mike Rounds, and let’s just pretend for a moment that he did nothing wrong in the EB-5 scandal (he’ll lie to you and tell you he hasn’t).
Rounds’ record as governor wasn’t anything less than corrupt.
– Using his gigantic fleet of state owned airplanes for personal use, then paying the fuel bill from the Governor’s club fund ‘after’ he was busted. It was so scandalous at the time, Professor Reynold Nesiba got it on the ballot to limit Rounds’ travels, and the good people of SD agreed.
– Increased the FTE’s by over a thousand during his short tenure, giving many jobs to family members and family members of campaign contributors.
– No bid contracts to campaign contributors. Just call Scott Lawrence over at Lawrence and Schiller, he will explain it all to you, or maybe his brother can, you know, Craig Lawrence, the guy running the State GOP now.Â
– Elkpoint / Hyperion fiasco. That has so many layers, don’t even know where to begin. How is that project going by the way? And how much state tax dollars were wasted?
– Millions in subsidies to TransCanada, that they didn’t need or ask for.
– Taking public education funding in SD back to the stone age (remember, one of Rounds’ objectives is to get rid of the Federal Department of Education as senator).
And let’s move on to EB-5.
While we could discuss all the lying Rounds has done about what he knew, and what he didn’t know, I have often said there are two finer points that stick out, the unknown.
– The FBI has admitted there is an ongoing investigation. That means there is a possibility that Rounds could be indicted after the election. Do we want a newly elected Senator being indicted?
– Richard Benda’s autopsy report NOT being released. I have often told people this is the lynchpin of the entire scandal. It has been determined by several people that suicide by a shotgun blast to the stomach would be an awful way to do yourself in. Candidate for governor, Mike Myers has done several demonstrations showing how difficult it would be to shoot yourself using a branch and a shotgun. Attorney General Jackley has even made the comment that his suicide was suspicious. But what really got me thinking was when former senator Larry Pressler, who has many FBI connections asked the question at the last debate, “Was Richard Benda Murdered?â€
Unlike all the other documents released in this fiasco called EB-5, doesn’t it seem strange that this autopsy report hasn’t? Is it so damning that not even Rounds could attempt to lie his way out of it? I ask, as does Larry Pressler, “Was Richard Benda murdered?â€
With all of this information about Marion Mike Rounds, that we know of, why on earth would any South Dakota voter cast one for him? It baffles my mind.
l3wis 