Ethics

VIDEO: Shady Rick: What's He Hiding?

As Shady Rick Scott approaches his second debate today, let's take a look at his latest fiasco. A recent lawsuit claims Scott failed to disclose more than $200 million in assets on his tax returns. TWO HUNDRED MILLION. It's not just a legal issue. It's an ethical issue, one regarding transparency and conflicts of interests. Rick Scott has already proven that he's not above making decisions as governor that would be of personal financial benefit. Just look at this headline: Gov. Scott had stake in pipeline firm whose $3 billion venture he and his appointees backed.

NEW VIDEO — Yet Another Scandal For Rick Scott

From using on-duty officers as campaign props to the DEO scandal that improperly inflicted economic hardship on 19,000 Floridians, from the All Aboard Florida fiasco to his disgusting attack ad that falsely claimed Charlie Crist swindled a man out of all his money, it's almost impossible to keep track of all Rick Scott's controversies. What's worse, Scott consistently refuses to take accountability for his mistakes. Well the newest in his long line of scandals revolves around the alleged cover-up of suspicious inmate deaths at Florida prisons. According to the Miami Herald, a "letter addressed to 'Gov. Scott' and stamped as received by the governor’s chief inspector general on Oct. 25, 2012, included strikingly accurate details about the gruesome deaths of" two Florida inmates.

Misery Loves Company

Chris Christie is coming to Wisconsin today to campaign for Scott Walker, and the two have much in common. Both governors were once considered Republican frontrunners for 2016, but have since been tainted by ongoing investigations and a record of fiscal failures. A new business survey released last week showed that Wisconsin and New Jersey rank pathetically as the 46th and 47th best states for businesses. The pair of governors present themselves as business-friendly policymakers, but the facts show otherwise. Moreover, each faces looming budget shortfalls thanks to budget overhauls that gave tax cuts to the wealthy while gutting education. Christie has presided over an astonishing eight credit downgrades in his tenure in the Garden State, while Walker's Wisconsin is last in the Midwest in job growth. Walker is now statistically tied with his challenger in a race he hoped would only be a formality on his path to running for President in 2016, while Christie is struggling to remain relevant on the national stage. Scott Walker and Chris Christie are long on topics for commiseration, and short on good ideas for their constituents.

Shady Rick, Part Infinity: Donor Intimidation (VIDEO)

Shady Rick Scott and the Republican Party of Florida continue to show that there is simply no length they won't go to in order to win this election. For the past week, Scott and the Florida GOP have been subject to ridicule and disgust over a pants-on-fire that ran thousands of times across the state, and neither Scott nor the state party would disavow it.

American Bridge & Correct The Record Launch Joint Rapid Response Project Around Benghazi Select Committee Hearings

As first reported in Politico, American Bridge and Correct the Record today are launching a new joint rapid response project to prebut, fact check, and respond to the upcoming Benghazi Select Committee hearings. The new effort, modeled after a formal debate operation, will include a central online hub for research and rapid response - the Benghazi Research Center - accessible at BenghaziCommittee.com.

Get the Facts: Benghazi Research Center

The loss of life in Benghazi was a tragedy but the questions of what happened that night have already been asked and answered. President Obama & Secretary Clinton have taken responsibility, taken action to prevent it from happening again, and been transparent throughout this process. Republicans have no credibility on this issue and are wasting taxpayer dollars on these sham hearings to ask questions that have already been answered, all for political gain: both to drive up their base turnout in 2014 and to go after Secretary Clinton for 2016. Secretary Clinton has taken responsibility and action. She established a nonpartisan commission of Mike Mullen & Thomas Pickering, who made twenty-nine recommendations to improve security, and she began implementation of them all. She was transparent while doing so and made the report and recommendations public. By deciding to implement the 29 ARB recommendations, Secretary Clinton has done more to get to the bottom of Benghazi, and prevent it from happening again, than any of those who will attack her as part of these sham hearings. To learn more, visit the Benghazi Research Center at BenghaziCommittee.com.

The Cold Hard Truth About Doug Ducey's Cold Stone Legacy

The Wall Street Journal reported this week on the "10 worst franchise brands in terms of Small Business Administration loan defaults." Despite touting its rampant success as a reason he would make a good governor, Republican Doug Ducey's Cold Stone Creamery was found near the top of that list, with its franchisees "defaulting at more than double the rate for SBA borrowers who invested in" other chains, per the Journal's analysis. Like an ice cream cone in the summer heat, Cold Stone's business plan, for which Ducey has claimed credit, created a sticky mess for many franchise owners. Numerous franchisees have been quoted saying Cold Stone's business model was "defective" and pushed the cost of running a store so high that it was difficult for individuals owners to make a profit. Franchisees have called Ducey's business practices "deceptive," and said the company's business model pushed personal bankruptcies, cost savings, and homes. What does Doug Ducey have to say to Ken Gornall, who was left to fend for himself using his personal savings when his Cold Stone business was struggling - and eventually had to file for bankruptcy and lost his house? When asked by the press, Cold Stone declined to comment.

Everything you need to know about today's oral arguments in Walker's John Doe Lawsuit

Today, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals will release oral arguments in a lawsuit stemming from a John Doe investigation into Walker’s 2012 recall campaign. The probe began in February 2012, when evidence surfaced of illegal campaign coordination between Walker’s recall campaign and outside groups. Like before, Walker will dismiss the evidence against him as partisan. But the facts don’t lie. The investigation into Walker was launched by a bipartisan group of prosecutors, and the lead prosecutor is a self described supported of the governor. In addition, the probe was approved by Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board – the majority of which had been appointed or re-appointed by Walker himself. Already this case has raised the specter of pay to play politics, with documents showing enormous secret  donations from mining interests for whom Walker signed favorable legislation. What else will come to light in this case? American Bridge will be watching.

ICYMI: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel- Investigation into Scott Walker "must continue"

Last week, former Virginia Governor Republican Bob McDonnell became the first Virginia governor to be convicted of a felony, with a federal grand jury finding him guilty of 11 counts of corruption. Across the country, another GOP Governor, Scott Walker, faces questions stemming from an investigation into his own potentially felonious behavior, as highlighted by recent editorials in his hometown newspapers. Indeed, the most recent documents released in the John Doe investigation into Walker illustrate his alleged centrality to a criminal scheme to illegally coordinate campaign spending with an outside group, Wisconsin Club for Growth. The New York Times editorial board last week pointed to a $700,000 contribution from a large mining company to Wisconsin Club for Growth, timed closely with Walker signing pro-mining legislation into law, as evidence that the Governor and his aides "brazenly violated state campaign finance regulations":

Newly released documents show that the mine operator, Gogebic Taconite, secretly gave $700,000 to a political group that was helping the governor win a 2012 recall election. Mr. Walker had urged big corporations to give unlimited amounts, without fear of public disclosure, and many companies that wanted favors from the state happily obliged. Once the recall failed, the favors began to flow, even at the expense of the state’s natural resources.

But perhaps even more damning for Walker are a pair of editorials from two of the local Wisconsin publications that have been tracking the investigation most doggedly, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and the La Crosse Tribune. Both editorial boards not only offer strong rebukes for the Governor's scheme to raise money in support of his campaign during the 2012 recall election, but emphasize the importance of the John Doe investigation itself.

Where does the time go? Maybe it's stuck in that traffic in Fort Lee…

Friends, it was just one year ago this week when some mysterious traffic problems popped up in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Was it a "traffic study?" (Hint: no) Was it a pathetic attempt by the administration of a vindictive governor to exact revenge on his political enemies? (Hint: ding ding ding!) Since the story first broke, Christie's approval ratings have plummeted, he's lost voters' trust (in New Jersey and beyond), and the integrity of his conduct in office has fallen into question. Through thick and thin, American Bridge has been by his side, issuing open records requests to get to the heart of the real story, highlighting the ethical shortcomings of Christie's administration, and having a bit of fun along the way. So here's to the good times over the past year since Christie took out his political anguish on his own constituents, and so many more to come. Join us on a trip down memory lane, before Governor Christie closes it out of political retribution:

BridgegateTapes.com

BREAKING: Devastating Revelations From New John Doe Docs For Scott Walker

A new batch of John Doe docs was released today in the ongoing investigation of Scott Walker's role in a…