Celexa….

dude paid for empty lot next to the senator’s house. dude got govt. money

how is this difficult?

Dude’s wife sit on MILCON board (military contracts) and dude gets 7+ billion in military contracts.

I get all that. I don’t get the part about how the agent (male or female) dressed “during Allen’s testimony”. What is the significance of this detail to this case?

Buy Danish on December 23, 2008 at 4:24 PM

Ahh see now this is the “zing”.

From what I hear (gotta love small town america) the agent was told NOT to talk and was told NOT to go near anything to do with the case.

Nice huh! I wonder who was in charge.

There were more then one “agent”. The whistle blower is male… there was a couple others who were in the mix as well. From what I have noted.

upinak on December 23, 2008 at 3:40 PM

I get all that. I don’t get the part about how the agent (male or female) dressed “during Allen’s testimony”. What is the significance of this detail to this case?

One more question: Do you think Murkowski was a crook or just sort of a corruptible character? On a scale of one to ten with ten being the highest, was he, say, a three, a four, a seven, etc.?

ramrocks on December 23, 2008 at 4:08 PM

A 9 would do it. He is also speaking for Exxon at Oil and Gas Conventions now. What do you think is going on? I have been watching it since the beginning.

And you are correct on the tax scheme. It really would have helped all oil companies and subs… but Veco would have gotten a good share as well as other Alaskan Sub Comps due to the fact they get a tax deduction (Native Corps).

BP and Conoco have a “contract’ with the Native Sun Comps.. Doyon would be one, Kuupik another, and I could go on. So they couldn’t give Veco the contracts.. but they could use them as a Sub of a Sub.

Are you confused yet?

upinak on December 23, 2008 at 3:48 PM

One more question: Do you think Murkowski was a crook or just sort of a corruptible character? On a scale of one to ten with ten being the highest, was he, say, a three, a four, a seven, etc.?

upinak on December 23, 2008 at 3:48 PM

Okay, let me ask a few questions that will sound like “Alaska Oil and Gas for Dummies.”

What does an oil service company do? From what you wrote, I gather that Conoco and BP don’t use VECO, but Exxon does. So it is possible that these oil producers knew about VECO’s shady deals, but weren’t directly involved. The tax scheme that VECO bribed legislators to pass would have benefited VECO and also the other oil producers, but they were not necessarily involved in the bribery.

Am I getting this right?

ramrocks on December 23, 2008 at 3:39 PM

Big three are a tricky bunch. And as I said earlier there is more to it. Conoco and BP probably knew something was up and stayed as far out of it as possible. Exxon is a different story … and this is what I think is why.

During the time Murkowski was Gov., it was known that Exxon exec.’s were trying to get as much as they could via the contracts for paying the State taxes and such. Murkowski hired a bunch of lawyers and out of State people for this contract people were talking. Allen was a key role in the whole thing as Veco is a world wide company that started here in Alaska. He has the means, equipement, people and so on so he could “out bid” even though it was a underbid for anything service related. Exxon knew this as well as Conoco and BP. But Cheveron, Eni, Marathon also used Veco as they were at the time a reputable company.

Allen could get these companies what they needed. Some companies have their own subs (like Doyon) who could work but at much higher wages. Allen would go and speak to them personally about useing Veco instead.

But the thing you are referring to, is when a Lobbiest for Veco (not the oil comps) was standing on the side when the Legislature was about to take a vote on the Oil and gas tax (via the Murkowski Administration) and it was noted that the lobbiest was talking to a couple of Legislatures concerning it. Someone got mad (the ONE time I like Berkowitz) and told them to leave. And the vote was D.O.A. due to the Lobbiest. Lyda Green, Crowdery, Ben Stevens, Jerry Ward, and a few others are all a part of the “lobbiests” plan to start the new Taxing… which was not what the people of Alaska wanted. it was voted on for the People of Alaska to vote on it. Which never did happen.

That thought occurred to me. So what’s up with this?:

During Allen’s testimony, the agent dressed in a way that was meant to be a “surprise/present for Allen,” the whistle-blower said.

Maybe he wore a necktie that was a gift from Allen, like BJ wore for Monica?

Buy Danish on December 23, 2008 at 3:35 PM

Maybe he came dressed like this.

Buy Danish on December 23, 2008 at 3:35 PM

There were more then one “agent”. The whistle blower is male… there was a couple others who were in the mix as well. From what I have noted.

upinak on December 23, 2008 at 3:32 PM

Please explain something to me. How is it that the Feds were able to nail so much on this oil services company VECO, and yet they never seem to connect it back to the big three North Slope oil producers? I mean, VECO was bribing legislators to vote on tax legislation that would favor the oil producers. Do the Feds think that VECO did this solely on its own initiative?

The agent was male.

upinak on December 23, 2008 at 2:36 PM

That thought occurred to me. So what’s up with this?:

During Allen’s testimony, the agent dressed in a way that was meant to be a “surprise/present for Allen,” the whistle-blower said.

Maybe he wore a necktie that was a gift from Allen, like BJ wore for Monica?

It is truly one of the most malleable doctrines that prosecutors can use to prosecute anyone who may have concealed a conflict of interest. For those who have never been involved in disclosing conflicts, it is very easy to mess it up. This is especially true for people who do not make decisions based on the conflict. But, to a jury, it is easy to imply that such a conflict was at the heart of any decision.

RedSoxNation on December 23, 2008 at 12:18 PM

This is another reason why Palin should never become a senator. They’d have a field day with suggesting “conflict of interest” because her husband works a blue collar job on the North Slope. They already tried to make that argument against her now as governor.

I can’t believe that with all these multi-layer corruption scandals going on that the people of Alaska were so bent out of shape about “Troopergate” or “Tasergate”. Where’s the sense of perspective?

ramrocks on December 23, 2008 at 3:23 PM

The people who are “bent out of shape” are the transplants from other States mostly democratic idiots who have no clue about Alaska or the history in gneral. I didn’t freak about it, actually I defended it and Sarah’s decision as Monagan is an idiot… who is now going to try to run for Mayor of Anchorage. Ugh!

As I do not think Stevens got a fair trial, I also believe he was used by Bill Allen, as Allen used quite a few people. There are allegations that Allen is a possible pedifile and used Stevens house to “party” with these teenage girls. As it is only heresay, I can say i have heard enough rumors to believe them to a point.

I do think Stevens was given the upgrade to his house, but I think there is a hell of a lot more to this story then it appears. And much of it are those who have been around for years, working with the Oil Sub Comps and the Legislature getting a profit off of these people.

McCain led the bandwagon to impugn Stevens while already singing in harmony to praise Obama, advancing the Chicago political thugs. McCain ought to ask the NY Governor to appoint McCain the new Senator of New York in order to avoid the embarrassment of being deposed from his AZ Senatorial seat. Heck, the NY Governor might appoint himself the next NY Senator to replace Hillary. Caroline Kennedy Onassis declines to make financial disclosure. “I CAN’T AFFORD TO STAY OUT OF POLITICS ANY LONGER” is no reason for any governor to appoint anyone to a Senate seat.

upinak on December 23, 2008 at 11:55 AM

I can’t believe that with all these multi-layer corruption scandals going on that the people of Alaska were so bent out of shape about “Troopergate” or “Tasergate”. Where’s the sense of perspective?

Buy Danish on December 23, 2008 at 2:15 PM

The agent was male.

…It said agents took gifts and accepted favors from sources…

That’s funny, isn’t that exactly what Stevens was charged with?

We’re on a slippery slope here, as this kind of behavior is no longer out of the norm. We’re being destroyed by corruption, greed and love of self.

I feel like some people a long time ago warned about this kind of stuff, they may have even written some of it down somewhere…