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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFBI takes an interest in Team Brownback
Posted with permission.
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/fbi-takes-interest-team-brownback
FBI takes an interest in Team Brownback
04/29/14 11:05 AMUpdated 04/29/14 12:02 PM
By Steve Benen
The list of current and former Republican governors facing some serious investigations is surprisingly long.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), for example, is at the center of a series of scandals, while former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) is facing corruption charges. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has faced some uncomfortable questions recently; Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has found himself at the center of an investigation into his handling of a district attorneys drunken driving arrest; and subpoenas have already been issued in an investigation involving North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrorys (R) administration.
And it looks like we can now add Kansas to the list (thanks to my colleague Tricia McKinney for the heads-up).
The Topeka Capital-Journal learned the months-long inquiry involves Parallel Strategies, a rapidly expanding Topeka consulting and lobbying firm created in 2013 by a trio of veteran Brownback employees who left government service to work in an environment where coziness with former colleagues could pay dividends.
As influence-peddling controversies go, this ones pretty straightforward.
Parallel Strategies has quickly become a powerful firm in Kansas, led by a former Brownback chief of staff, a former Brownback adviser, and a former Brownback senior staffer. Their operation has quickly put together a formidable client list that includes, among others, Brownback.
With this in mind, when Kansas far-right governor decided to privatize the states Medicaid program, it created an opportunity for Parallel Strategies which then turned into a controversy thats drawn the FBIs interest.
According to the report in the Topeka Capital-Journal, Parallel Strategies allegedly helped secure behind-the-scenes financial arrangements that handed to three for-profit insurance companies exclusive contracts to provide Medicaid services to 380,000 of Kansas disabled and poor.
The scope of the inquiry is raising eyebrows.
The FBI also has looked into activities of individual legislators and lobbyists unaffiliated with Parallel Strategies.
Its worth noting, of course, that FBI inquiries dont always lead to charges. Its quite possible that the investigation wont turn up anything and that the suspicions wont pan out.
But over the last four years, Brownback and his team have been accused repeatedly by locals in both parties of running a ruthless, hardball political operation, so its certainly of great interest that the FBI wants to know whether the governors team directed businesses to hire former members of the governor, who in turn made behind-the-scenes financial arrangements on the companies behalf.
Its worth keeping an eye on this one.
randys1
(16,286 posts)and behind a third of the Democrats too...
Brownback really hates America though, severely so, doesnt like it when Americans vote...
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)or is it Throwback?