
An Alaska Trifecta? Murkowski land deal questioned
Alaska has three members of its congressional delegation. Senior Senator Ted Stevens is facing an FBI investigation. The only Congressman, Don Young, has a staffer who was convicted in the Abramoff scandal -- and has some sketchy earmarks deals in his history. Now TPM Muckraker reports that the other member of the delegation, Lisa Murkowski, has her own suspect land deal that "raise[s] eyebrows":
Late last year, Alaskan real estate developer Bob Penney testified before a grand jury about his cozy relationship with Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). But it looks like Penney also has financial ties with Alaska’s other senator: Lisa Murkowski (R). At around the same time, she quietly bought a prime piece of property along the bank of the Kenai River from Penney.
Because of Alaska’s weak records requirements, it’s unclear whether Murkowski got a special deal from Penney. The market value of the 1.27 acre plot is worth around $300,000, according to Kenai real estate agents and locals. Both Penney and Murkowski's office refused to reveal what Murkowski paid.
The arrangement alarms some watchdogs who see ethical and even legal issues stemming from the deal. Ryan Alexander, the director of Taxpayers for Common Sense, said that Penney's history makes it look like he deliberately does business with Alaska politicians with an eye for future gain.
"It raises more than question, it raises concern," said Alexander. "It puts [Murkowski] into that web of folks that has raised eyebrows."
The only available information on Penney’s sale price (land transaction prices are not public record in Alaska) is a Deed of Trust, available here, that shows that Murkowski purchased the riverfront plot in late December of last year with a mortgage of $136,000. A borough assessment values the property at $214,000 – but real estate agents said that is well below what Penney could have fetched. Based on a review of Murkowski's disclosure records, it's unclear if she had enough cash on hand to handle such a large down payment.
P.S.
P.S. Most charities report what they raised after they've deducted event overhead. Odds are Penney and Stevens weren't covering the event overhead from their own pockets but instead expected the money raised to pay overhead.
Wouldn't be surprised if the overhead deducted this past year and/or when combined over multiple years were equal to the value of what Murkowski didn't pay for the acreage along the Kenai River at fair market rate.
Alternatively and even more likely...Lockheed's contribution as a sponsor withdrawn from its accounts was in excess of what was actually reported by the charity by the amount that is the difference between what Murkowski should have paid and actually paid for the Kenai River acreage. This is easy enough for the feds to check with their subpoena power. They can check what Lockheed withdrew to sponsor the event vs. what the Alaska for the Kenai River event reported as a contribution. Then it can be seen if the difference is equal to what Murkowski paid vs. should have paid. Also, there are variations on this. Lockheed might have withdrawn the exact amount reported by the event but then wrote a check to Penney for Murkowski's RE deal or a dummy check(s) that was deposited into accounts Penney or Murkowski could withdraw from.
It has been noted that it isn't clear how much cash on hand Murkowski had to make her down payment on the land. If this bribe (accusation but not yet proven) follows the more simplified Veco-Stevens model then Lockheed deposited money into a new checking account with Murkowski's name on it and she then wrote the check from that account. Taxes are low on undeveloped land. Wouldn't be surprised if Lockheed continued to put money into this account (treated much like an escrow account since is used just to complete the bribe, not for other expenses) in small amounts to cover the taxes so that Murkowski continues to vote in its favor.
If there is one message every American needs to learn it is that Lockheed Martin is an accessory and hotbed for organized crime! Any company that does business in Russia is the same! Few American goliaths aren't doing business in Russia. All our household brand names are doing business in Russia and to do so means they're pushing Russian agendas in the US apart of their Russian agreements. Any company that denies the Russians an opportunity to become legit investors and refuses to do business in Russia is punished by our own congress. Members of Congress were bribed to pass intelligence earmarks where US companies doing biz in Russia secured the contracts and have full access to the activities of the companies that refused to get between the sheets w/the oligarchs/FSB/Mafia. There is no corner on the face of the earth companies refusing to do business with Russia could find so they could evade sabotage from our own US companies carrying-out the Russian mob's biddings because members of Congress are so corrupt!
The underlying problem is Congress because they're the ones who accept bribes and pass earmarks that have the purpose to put patriot companies out of business! The Patent bill that currently is on hold is of Russian origin so that the Russians can infringe on what they stole from patriot companies, my own employer included from a French RnD operation! Consider that the household brand names including Microsoft which is a good Russian company are in support of the bill! If this bill passes it actually will hurt Microsoft...but it will be beneficial for its Russian investors wanting to infringe on its intellectual property with Russian companies they're also investors in! Only five members of Congress put a hold on that bill!!! This means that there are only 5 members of Congress who aren't doing Russia's biddings right now!!!!!
Murkowski/Stevens investigations linked to Lockheed/Russian FSB
Since Bob Penney was questioned by a D.C. Grand Jury recently and I know Senator Stevens' legislation while heading the Transportation, Science and Commerce Committee favored Lockheed Martin and its Russian investors, I did some research. Every American should know that Lockheed snatched control of every major DHS contract beginning in 2003 from the port program, to the Transportation Worker Program to Air Transportation applications (one example is Secure Flight/CAPPS I, II and III). Lockheed awarded pilots and contracts to companies that did business in Russia by 2005 and were financed by the Russian FSB (former KGB...the Mafia) members, and Lockheed has since acquired such companies. An example is Tom Ridge's Savy Technology.
Another thing Americans need to know is that by the time Putin took control of the FSB around 1997 his FSB members became legitimate shareholders in companies such as Lockheed Martin. FSB...former KGB officers understand defense technologies well! The increase of legitimate investing greatly increased when Putin became President of Russia in 2000!
Bob Penney may be an old friend of Sen Ted Stevens but they also hold the Alaska for the Kenai River event each year. A majority of tourists go to Alaska each year for sport fishing, so if the Kenai River stops spawning lots of fish, no one will want to return. Everyone who fishes wants to get a catch. Alaska's economy heavily depends on tourism and that its Kenai River has a healthy ecosystem so that it sustains lots of fish to be caught by sport fisherman.
It was at CREW's website an article appeared not long ago of how Senator Murkowski was in attendance at the last charitable event. Apparently her catch is stuffed and hanging on her senate office wall. I went to the event's website looking for a Russian connecting link. I found it. Lockheed is one of its primary sponsors.
A lot of people are questioning why Penney would have appeared before the D.C. Grand Jury investigating Sen. Ted Stevens. Lockheed/Russia's activities related to the charitable event is the plausible answer. Furthermore, it looks like Murkowski got the favorable land price along the Kenai River from Penney because of legislation and/or votes that favor Lockheed and/or a Russian agenda. That makes Penney is a middleman for the Russian FSB/Mob.
D.C. Grand jury
If the grand jury has it, then charges should not be too long coming. Hopefully Stevens is a tough old bird and lives long enough to sing like an opera star.
Shady deal
"Both Penny and Murkowski's office refused to reveal what Murkowski paid."
Nothing more tell-tale. People with nothing to hide don't clam up. Perhaps Bill Allen can shed some light here.


Fraud, Liars, Crooks and Thieves
When will this end...i suppose nadda will be done to the Lisa woman. Was her daddy a senator tooo? This is getting like the Court of Versailles.