Remember Steve Stockman, wingnut Tea Party GOP congressman from the great state of Texas, who served a single term in the 90’s and then another one during the Obama era, and was one of Obama’s biggest detractors, going so far as to bring his BFF Ted Nugent to Obama’s State of the Union in 2013—who was also a big supporter of guns in general but especially of guns in schools, but not of the Violence Against Women Act, which he voted against, or the IRS, which he wanted to abolish?
Yes, THAT Steve Stockman, darling of the Tricorn Set!
Well, guess who just got arrested and arraigned for the willful misuse of charitable contributions in federal court, a fraudulent act that he committed literally right after beginning his second (and hopefully final) term in congress and just before inviting the Motor City Madman to attend the SOTA?
Former Texas GOP Rep. Accused Of Taking Charity's Money
Published March 18, 2017, 9:57 AM EDT
HOUSTON (AP) — Former Texas Rep. Steve Stockman, who invited rocker Ted Nugent to President Barack Obama's 2013 State of the Union address, is accused of spending money meant for charity on himself and contributions to his campaign.
Stockman, a Republican who served two non-consecutive terms in the U.S. House, is charged with conspiracy to make conduit contributions and false statements. He was released from custody after a hearing Friday in Houston federal court.
…
In an affidavit, FBI Agent Vanessa Walther wrote that in January 2013, shortly after starting his second House term, Stockman solicited $350,000 in charitable donations from an unidentified wealthy businessman on behalf of a Nevada-based nonprofit, Life Without Limits, which had been set up to help people through traumatic events.
The donation was solicited for the purpose of renovating a house in Washington, D.C., called the Freedom House. But the check was deposited at a bank branch in Webster, Texas, into an account set up by Stockman doing business as Life Without Limits, according to the affidavit. Financial records show that Stockman made no significant expenditures toward the purchase, renovation or operation of Freedom House, which never opened.
I’m shocked—SHOCKED! Not!
Naturally, he claims total innocence, instead blaming...wait for it...Deep State!
The Houston Chronicle reports that Stockman on Friday blamed his arrest on a "deep state" shadow government, which is a theory that has taken hold among some conservatives that there is a shadowy network of powerful entrenched federal and military interests working to undermine President Donald Trump.
Is Karma great or what? She often takes her time, but the results are well worth the wait. Now what will happen? Will Sessions order the US Attorney for this district to drop the case? Will he fire them, the prosecutors, and this FBI agent? Or will he let it proceed, to avoid a strategically unnecessary scandal and not add to growing suspicion that the DoJ has been corrupted by Trump people? And will Stockman try to cut a deal, offering to out other Repubs so he doesn’t have to go to jail? Does he even have anything to offer?
However this proceeds, this sort of thing makes me hopeful that all is not necessarily lost, and there are still decent, honest people in the DoJ doing what they’re supposed to be doing, and that the system sometimes works. I kind of hope that Sessions does try to fire the US Attorney or have this case dropped, so it turns into an even bigger scandal and political disaster for Trump. Or, that Stockman will cut a deal that harms other corrupt GOP pols and operatives.