Report: Norm Coleman Allegedly Funneled Money To Pay For House Renovations

Just this week it was revealed that Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman is under investigation by the FBI for his ties to businessman Nasser Kazeminy. Now a local Fox News station reports that Kazeminy allegedly funneled the Republican Senator money right when he needed money for a home renovation. Moreover, the interior designer in charge of the remodeling is a Coleman contributor and fundraiser as well.

While Coleman didn't agree to sit down for a interview, his campaign did agree to share billing records of the remodeling project. Original projections in 2006 estimated a cost of $328,000, but four months later, the construction cost was estimated at $414,000, over-budget by $86,000.

During that time is when, the lawsuit alleges, Kazeminy was trying to get money to Coleman.

According to the lawsuits, in March of 2007, Kazeminy said that "U.S. Senators don't make s---" and he was going to try to find a way to get money to Coleman.

"On the one level it could just be a coincidence, on the other level this could be one of the reasons he's getting that money from elsewhere, to try to make up for his, to be able to pay off a loan, pay off a line of credit," says Schultz.

Records provided by the campaign show that Coleman paid Wilsey in full for the renovation -- $414,000. In part, by refinancing his home in March 2007, for $775,000.

The Senator acknowledges, that like a lot of people in America, he now owes more on his home than it's actually worth.

What we know is this: the Senator had costly and over-budget renovations to his home at the same time a contributer was allegedly trying to funnel him money. But he's still criticized for walking away from reporters, while the questions aren't going away.

Coleman is locked in a tight recount battle with comedian Al Franken. Yesterday, more absentee ballots were found that, if the state agrees to count them, would go far in helping the Democratic challenger unseat his rival. The race could be decided on today, when the state canvassing board meets to decide the fate of those ballots.

Comments

[rkimball]

franken had his seat stollen just like bush stollen the last two elections.

[Pronto]

The article states: "On the one level it could just be a coincidence, on the other level this could be one of the reasons he's getting that money from elsewhere . . . . " says Schultz.

"says Schultz" Who is Schultz? The article quotes "Schultz" but doesn't identify him/her. I'm not a big fan of Coleman, but this looks like a snow job.

[comacoma]

Keep defending criminals... confirms my beliefs regarding the lack of ethics, morals and intelligence in the ranks of tr0//z and the useless animals known as republicans.

[Pronto]

So, who is Schultz?

[personalpolitical]

"could decide the race against Franken"? that's a pretty crappy headline, they could just as well decide the race against Coleman, and in fact I think that is the more likely outcome.

[HallStyle]

Coleman should drop out of the race, and stop the recount and concede the Senate Seat.

[kellygrrrl]

won't happen. these guys are shameless.

[1Smartchick]

They love the power and the movie that's why they fight to stay on....

[nellie]

He's another narcissist. He thinks he's invincible.

[bygollymissmolly]

Why should he do this? Neither candidate should drop out. Just count all the valid votes (including the mistakenly disallowed absentee ballots) and let the chips fall where they may.

[borderorder]

Not much of a story, really. The public expects Republicans to be crooked. SOP.

[firstcrasscitizen]

A million bad apples don't spoil the whole damn bunch.

[CaptainVideo]

It is a no brainer that all ballots that were validly cast by eligible voters have to be counted. Otherwise legitimate voters will be unlawfully deprived of their right to vote. If the ballots were initially overlooked, it is obvious that the need to be added on.

[IntelligentDesign]

Karma has a bead on Mr. Norm Coleman, and she's a very good shot.

[kay]

Turns out, it's good he had a challenger, huh?

How long has he been doing this penny-ante corruption stuff, and did we ever find out who pays for his wardrobe?

[MNmommy]

Same Z dude, and then there is the dude in DC that rents to him on the cheap.

[SplendorintheGrasp]

But Rezko has been gone over again and again and again, huh?

[Grunty1]

Stevens, Palin, and now Coleman, all for illegal home renovations.

[kay]

Corruption related to home construction is not really corruption.

Pay to play is corruption. If you funnel the payments through a house, it's sort of "laundered".

I think that's the distinction that Republicans make.

[HmblDog]

It's a good fit in a "free" market philosophy

[nellie]

Using public funds for personal purposes is corruption.

[firstcrasscitizen]

Their defiantly not Log Cabin Republicans.

[kellygrrrl]

that would be Larry Craig

[justobserve]

The question is: Stevens was convicted, Coleman is being investigated, when will it be the Palins' turn? It would be a very interesting investigation to find out what is behind the mask of "reformer". We already saw some unethical actions in Troopergate, Travelgate, PerDiemgate, Todd-as-Co-Governor-gate, Where's-Sarah-gate,..., they are more than enough to start an investigation.

[kc7999]

OK...being investigated doesn't prove anything...yet. Can they trace that money to the renovation bills? I know one thing...somehow, someway, expect the right to somehow implicate Obama in all this.

[WSAY]

Doesn't prove anything? Is that what people are saying about Blagojevich?

[kay]

It doesn't prove anything. That's just a fact.

Don't adopt conservative tactics. Really. There is objective truth :)

[rock2casbah]

No one has tried to defend Blago. Democrats do not circle the wagons for a dirty rat like the Repubs.

We are glad he was found out and wish the Feds had of acted much sooner with what they kept claiming they had been investigating him on for years now. Then he wouldn't even had been around to try and ruin this great success of this election with this nasty business.

[cinnysmom]

yep, for sure PE Obama will somehow be tied to this..just watch. Just like it's PE O's fault about the economy, the recession, the bailout for the big 3, errr I mean big 2 failing, unemployement at a 26 year high, the mortgage meltdown, the dollar at a all time low against the yen, my brother in law losing his job, my brother and sister in law losing their 401k, my car having a flat tire this morning...oh let's see did I forget anything? lol..

[HmblDog]

I think the Blago story is moving away from shock at what Blago was attempting and toward why do we find this behavior out of the ordinary.
The message seems to be (and this is one that the Mafia knew way back in the 60's) don't say stuff over the phone or in areas where the bugs are.

[Hallucinocynic]

Yep. You would have thought Gotti would have learned from his predecessors.

[rock2casbah]

I think his jealousy of Obama's success coupled with most people's being aghast at how low the repubs went in seeking a VP candidate in their party, while Governors like Blago did not have a chance in hell on the Democratic side to ever get anywhere near the White House.

He was shunned and ignored throughout the election by Obama and the party. Not even acknowledged at the Democratic convention as a young comer like Warner , Schweitzer, and the others. Rightly so because Obama Axelrod, Rahm and all Team Obama knew from years now that Blago is bad news and to keep him at arms length.

He wanted to flex muscle around Illinois and try and play big Capo and simply lost his marbles.

I could not believe it either. He clearly went off the deep end thinking he may have a chance to stomp with the big boys in Washington through Obama's win. Which we all know is simply delusional because they have NOTHING whatsoever in common other than the same state.

[LeeCalif]

Why aren't these payments to Coleman in the news ???

[jdcccccccc]

It takes the writers at Comedy Central a few days to catch up with current events.

[Wiserone]

Check Coleman's freezer for $$$'s.

[firstcrasscitizen]

Or Democrats.

[bygollymissmolly]

They already did. And a funny thing happened. The Democrats roundly criticized Jefferson and tried to force him to step down from his committees. Unlike the Republicans who immediately close ranks around their crooks.

[HallStyle]

lol :-)

[IkeChicago]

Coleman is a walking disaster waiting to happen.

[firstcrasscitizen]

Waiting?

[CheshireCat2]

Unfortunately, the alternative isn't any better. It is a lose, lose for the people.

[IkeChicago]

Ches

It's a far far better thing to vote for the guy out of jail, than to vote for the guy going to jail. Do you realize that all Coleman's time is going to be dedicated to keeping himself out of jail and not on the business of Minnesota.

[Merp]

First.

[liberaldawg]

I want to see this story get the same play as the Blagojevich story
but I bet I won't.

[VPN]

Probably not, Republickers don't consider anything wrong with stuff like that, just ask Ted Stevens former Republicker Senator from Alaska.

[firstcrasscitizen]

With "the Tubes?"

[atlantajoe]

The guy that lost the election, William Jefferson was re-elected 6 months after he was charged after finding 90 k in marked money.

[firstcrasscitizen]

Wag of the tail!

[atlantajoe]

It won't because the stories have no comparison. The story says coleman paid the bill. Blag is a train wreck sitting gov that is on tape doing many bad things. For you to think botj should receive the same coverage is sophmoric.

[rock2casbah]

Coleman is showing the same signs of the same corruption of a Blago. We were hearing the same whispers about Blago 3 years ago, and the Feds just kept "investigating" and never did anything until now.

If the Feds are sitting around waiting for a first class blow up over the phone lines like Blago committed than they never will catch anymore of these crooks.

You are watching way too much Perry Mason if you think that a politiician is clean unless they get the smoking gun of a wiretap on them.

[Grunty1]

Keep dreaming. The Media supports corrupt Republicans and demonizes Democrats regardless of facts.