Michele Bachmann And Crime

Bachmann's accusations that Democrats are using teachers to launder money, that the President is running a Ponzi scheme, that the Obama administration is "a gangster government" etc. makes me suspect that this is the Rovian tactic of attacking others on stuff which she is vulnerable.



Michele Bachmann has been connected to several criminals and crimes, solved and unsolved.



There's her connection to the U.S. Navy Veterans Association scam:

The USNVA ran largely under the radar in Minnesota until a Dump Bachmann investigation discovered that Thompson, the group’s founder and national commander, had donated $10,000 to Rep. Michele Bachmann at an April 7 Minneapolis fundraiser featuring former half-term Gov. Sarah Palin.



Thompson disappeared soon after the St. Petersburg Times began its lengthy investigation into him and his organization. He’s been missing ever since and is wanted in several states for questioning about the USNVA’s activities and finances. The Bachmann fundraiser is the last known location Thompson has been reported to have been at.

Bachmann's lobbyist pal Ed Cain was a lobbyist for the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. The USNVA fraudster who assumed the name "Bobby Thompson" is still at large.



There's also the unsolved vandalism of the Congress members' homes in 2008:

You can see pictures of the vandalism at Minnesota Democrats Exposed. Here are the other messages:



"Resign Now!"



"(arrow) Still a TARGET" (last word underlined twice)



"PSALM 2"



The biblical reference to Psalm 2 which appeared at the other crime scenes suggests that the perpetrator was religious - that's a clue that also rules out a lot of people. Psalm 2 does not offer much in the way of clues except the person who quoted it is an extremely angry individual who is invoking God's wrath.



The second message, however is very interesting. It is unlikely that the message is using the word "target" as a threat of violence. If the perpetrator intended to threaten to make a member of Congress a "target" of an assassination, I doubt that the investigation and the reporting on the investigation would have faded so quickly. In fact, WCCO reported that it was not a Federal crime.



However, if the word "target" was used in the legal sense, as in "target of an investigation", that may explain the motive of the perpetrator(s). The graffiti at Norm Coleman's residence used the word "criminal".



Now, take a look at the most baffling aspect of the crime - that Minnesota's two senators and four of its House members from both parties, right-wingers, moderates, liberals were victims of the faith-based vandalism.



Was there something else going on at the time that mixed religion, politics and a possible criminal investigation?



Something that Bachmann shared with Klobuchar, Ellison, Coleman, Ramstad and possibly Kline? It's a good clue because there's very little these victims have in common that would piss off a religiously-minded person.



I found this on the Petters-Fraud website:



"Meanwhile the Graffiti of a Politicians home has remained unsolved..."



I'd like to see this crime solved, wouldn't you?

Speaking of Tom Petters, there's Bachmann's connection to convicted felon Frank Vennes Jr.:

In 2008, it was revealed that Bachmann had received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Frank Vennes Jr. and his family. Vennes is a convicted money-launderer/cocaine runner/gun runner for whom Bachmann had requested a presidential pardon in 2007.



When Vennes became implicated—but never charged—in the Tom Petters multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme in 2008, it didn’t take long for Bachmann to abandon her principled “innocent until proven guilty” stance. She quickly rescinded her pardon request for her close personal friend, and then tried to further save face by giving away a portion of the money she had taken from Vennes and family—although it was only $9,200 of the $27,400 she had hauled in from the Vennes family from 2005-2008.



Bachmann first tried to give the money to Minnesota Teen Challenge, a favorite evangelical charity of Bachmann’s that once had very close ties to Vennes. He is a former board member of the organization. However, Minnesota Teen Challenge allegedly lost $5.7 million in investments in Petters companies that were made through one of Vennes’ companies.



Rich Scherber, executive director of Minnesota Teen Challenge, said his organization sent Bachmann’s $9,200 check back without even cashing it.



“We didn’t want to be involved if it was dirty money,” Scherber said at the time.



Bachmann eventually found a willing taker for her tainted Vennes money when she donated it to R3, a collaborative of Christian recovery groups that happens to include Minnesota Teen Challenge.

And there's Bathroomgate:

Senator Bachmann retired to the restroom and residents began moving toward the exit. Less than a moment later, piercing screams were heard from the ladies' washroom. "Help!!!! HEEEELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!!" With everyone's attention riveted

on the door, Senator Bachmann emerged in a crouching run, crying, "I was being held against my will!" Two women were seen standing behind her, one tall and elderly, the other young and petite, both unassuming and bewildered.



The women reported afterward they had followed the senator into the restroom to continue to question her about

education. One had her hand on the door handle, ready to open it, which she immediately did when Senator Bachmann

became frightened and began screaming.

Bachmann alleged she was the victim of a crime in that bathroom:

Michele Bachmann's report to the Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) of being "prevented from leaving the bathroom" after a town meeting in Scandia differs considerably from accounts of the story that she's given to the media, and even from Bachmann's own version of events as reported to the sheriff in a follow-up interview. That leads us at Dump Bachmann wondering what other "facts" may have been misconstrued--or misreported--by Bachmann in this bizarre tale.



According to Bachmann's initial report to WCSO, Bachmann "was preparing to leave near 1100 hours" and "used the rest room." But in her follow-up interview, Bachmann claimed she continued arguing with others for "an additional 15 minutes" after the meeting was over and "then walked out of the main room and into the bathroom in an effort to get away from the groups of people so they would leave the area." And in media reports,. Bachmann said she ended the meeting when "tensions elevated beyond reasonable levels."



Bachmann also reported that the women who "held her against her will" were "with the GLBT group, which is a gay and lesbian activist group," when in fact, they both were constituents of hers from Scandia, and she knew that.



So which is it, Senator? Did the meeting end at 11 a.m. as scheduled, and you merely "used the bathroom," as you state in your initial complaint? Or did you try to end the meeting 15 minutes early, and then run in the bathroom to hide from your constituents when they wanted the meeting to continue to its alloted time, as you admitted in your second interview?

Then there's this unsolved vandalism from 2006:

Vandalism and Theft of Lawnsigns at Forest Lake Senate District 52 Convention



Some time between 1:30 am and 7:00 am Saturday morning an individual or individuals decided to commit campaign terrorism at Forest Lake High School before the Republican Senate District 52 convention. It is our understanding volunteers for the Rep. Phil Krinkie (R-53A, Lexington) and Rep. Jim Knoblach (R-16A, St. Cloud) for Congress campaigns completed their campaign signs placement in the early morning hours and left only to return the next day to find all of their work gone and even some damage to the auditorium ceiling. In the place of the Krinkie and Knoblach signs was Bachmann ones.



A police report was filed and we understand the police are reviewing a video surveillance tape that shows the perpetrator or perpetrators. This is Sen. Michele Bachmann's (R-52, Stillwater) home district and early speculation is some of her zealous supporters may have been involved. We are not sure if the Bachmann campaign is involved, but it is just curious that the Krinkie and Knoblach signage was removed and replaced by Bachmann's it could be an indicator of the person’s preferences in this race. The Jay Esme campaign placed their signs before the start of the convention.



In addition to this we understand as the delegate slates for the Congressional convention were advanced the Bachmann failed to include loyal supporter Rep. Matt Dean (R-52B, Stillwater) on their slate. This was a great surprise to the delegates and a delegate who was offended by the result stepped down to make sure Dean had a spot.

Since former Bachmann staffer Luke Hellier has called on reporters to scrutinize candidates more closely, I hope reporters ask Bachmann about her connections to crimes.