Self Delete

[Junkdrawer]

See Post #2 below:

[glitch]

1. Good post. If only more people would view the issue logically.

Means, motive, opportunity, and best of all: who benefits.

[punpirate]

2. Just for the sake of accuracy...

... there's no hard evidence available that Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr., was one of the principal investors in AIS (I know--I looked long and hard for it at one time a few years ago).

Part of the problem stems from the fact that Howard's uncle and first cousin were appointed as trustees of the Ahmanson Foundation. A lot of people came to the erroneous conclusion that the Ahmanson Foundation is directly associated with Howard F., Jr. It's not. The Ahmanson Foundation was set up by the elder Ahmanson (the Foundation and Howard F., Jr. essentially split the proceeds of Ahmanson's will at his death) to promote the Los Angeles area (little known, but the elder Ahmanson was Jewish and not particularly devout--he was one of the movers and shakers in the so-called Westside development movement). In fact, the Ahmanson Foundation web site specifically states that it does not support religious causes.

Howard F., Jr. has his own foundation--the Fieldcrest Foundation, after his middle name--and there's just no indication that either Fieldcrest or Ahmanson, Jr., personally, ever invested in AIS.

The other Ahmansons did invest Ahmanson Foundation money in AIS, as an investment for the fund, and there are at least small suggestions here and there that a goodly percentage of the Foundation's shares were sold. Truth is, I don't think the Foundation trustees care much for Howard, Jr. In fact, I believe there was a lawsuit between them at one time.

Hate to burst a bubble, but after a lot of time in state and federal documents, there's just no way to be sure of this claim--even though it is generally accepted as fact due to a long period of repetition.

Cheers.

[Junkdrawer]

3. Thanks. I was quoting the second link, but you're right...

more careful research shows that William and Robert Ahmanson were the AIS investors while Howard is the Reconstructionist.

:blush:

[punpirate]

4. It's a well-travelled tale...

... and I'm not sure anyone knows for sure--the great difficulty in finding out for sure is that Fieldcrest is a private foundation, and the shares of ES&S are managed by a private investment fund, the McCarthy Group, as a private corporation. What we do know about the investors (because Hagel tried to evade this on an ethics disclosure form when he first arrived in the Senate), is that Hagel was once CEO of ES&S and when he stepped down to run for the Senate, his shares were controlled by the McCarthy Group (Michael McCarthy was his campaign manager).

People are guessing at this number, but Hagel has something around $5 million in McCarthy, but it's not known what sort of percentage that is. An investment subsidiary of the newspaper in Omaha is reputed to have about 20% of the company. Who controls the other bits and pieces, no one can figure out, because all the entities are private and have virtually no reporting requirements.

It's sort of like trying to figure out who's investing in the Carlyle Group. No one knows, because Carlyle doesn't have to tell.

Cheers.

[Wilms]

7. Your replies would make a great OP.

Just sayin'.

[Bill Bored]

5. Interesting thread.

I doubt the OP will attract much attention though!
Too late to nominate I guess.

[Wilms]

6. Why not? I just did. n/t