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The drama of the Minnesota recount may be eclipsed by the spectacle of a sitting Senator facing an FBI probe into allegations of pay-for-play transactions.
First, Politico reported on 10/31/08:
Now it turns out that the FBI has launched an investigation:
Coleman has lawyered up for the FBI probe:
In a move that I find highly dubious, Coleman is tapping his campaign funds for his legal defense in the FBI probe:
How they can accuse Al Franken of "stoking" the controversy is beyond me, but it seems that's the tenuous justification for dipping into campaign funds for what appears to be a personal, not a political, complaint against the Colemans.
All of this is against the backdrop of the ongoing recount, where Coleman is also using lawyers to try and stop the the counting of ballots the state Canvassing Board has determined are legally valid and should be counted:
Nate Silver challenges both these ideas as being not particularly valid, and describes Coleman's strategy as an Underwear Gnome one:
This comes after Coleman's team tried to have 133 ballots that had been validly counted in the general election declared invalid because someone lost the envelope containing them after the fact. I guess Coleman is afraid of having valid votes counted... 
In the meantime, the Star Tribune's analysis of the recount estimates that Franken now has the lead in votes and will win the Senate seat by 272 votes:
I'm sure Minnesotans are now hoping Franken does indeed win so they don't have to suffer the embarrassment of dethroning the Blagojevich scandal should sitting Senator Coleman get indicted...
First, Politico reported on 10/31/08:
A Texas businessman who claims he was forced to make $75,000 in secret payments to the wife of Minnesota Sen. Norman Coleman has produced documents showing cash transfers to an insurance firm that employs the senator's wife Laurie.
A lawyer for Paul McKim -- who is accusing Coleman pal Nasser Kazeminy of funneling cash to the Laurie Coleman -- handed over internal accounting sheets to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
They show a Kazeminy-controlled oil-rig servicing company paid "service fees" to the Mrs. Coleman's employer, the Hays Companies. McKim served as the company's CEO until last Friday.
A lawyer for Paul McKim -- who is accusing Coleman pal Nasser Kazeminy of funneling cash to the Laurie Coleman -- handed over internal accounting sheets to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
They show a Kazeminy-controlled oil-rig servicing company paid "service fees" to the Mrs. Coleman's employer, the Hays Companies. McKim served as the company's CEO until last Friday.
Federal investigators are looking into allegations that a longtime friend and benefactor tried to steer money to U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, the Pioneer Press has learned.
Agents with the FBI have talked to or made efforts to talk to people in Texas familiar with the allegations, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Houston is where the first of two lawsuits was filed alleging Nasser Kazeminy, a Bloomington financier, tried to steer $100,000 to Coleman via his wife's Minneapolis employer. The second suit, filed in Delaware, alleges Kazeminy initially tried to get money directly to the senator.
Both Coleman and Kazeminy have denied any wrongdoing, and Coleman last month said he welcomes an investigation.
Agents with the FBI have talked to or made efforts to talk to people in Texas familiar with the allegations, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Houston is where the first of two lawsuits was filed alleging Nasser Kazeminy, a Bloomington financier, tried to steer $100,000 to Coleman via his wife's Minneapolis employer. The second suit, filed in Delaware, alleges Kazeminy initially tried to get money directly to the senator.
Both Coleman and Kazeminy have denied any wrongdoing, and Coleman last month said he welcomes an investigation.
Four of Minnesota's biggest legal guns have cast their shadows over two lawsuits that have drawn the attention of the FBI.
They have been retained by U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman; his wife, Laurie; Jim Hays, her insurance company employer; and Nasser Kazeminy, a multi-millionaire friend of the Colemans who is accused in the lawsuits of sending them money in 2007 through Hays' company. Coleman's Senate ethics form reports no such payment.
They have been retained by U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman; his wife, Laurie; Jim Hays, her insurance company employer; and Nasser Kazeminy, a multi-millionaire friend of the Colemans who is accused in the lawsuits of sending them money in 2007 through Hays' company. Coleman's Senate ethics form reports no such payment.
Coleman to use campaign funds for defense
Donors to Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman's re-election campaign may be surprised to learn that the St. Paul Republican is planning to use their contributions to pay blue-chip criminal defense lawyers to defend him against a reported FBI probe into his dealings with a wealthy businessman.
As the Strib and our Josh Kraushaar report, Coleman and his wife Laurie have retained lawyers Earl Gray and Doug Kelley to deal with allegations that his friend and political patron Nasser Kazeminy funneled $80,000 to the senator's wife through a Kazeminy-controlled Texas oil services company. The Colemans have denied the charges -- and accused rival Al Franken of stoking the controversy.
“We intend to have any legal fees related to what we believe to be a politically inspired legal action to be covered by the Senator’s campaign," said Coleman spokesman Luke Friedrich.
Donors to Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman's re-election campaign may be surprised to learn that the St. Paul Republican is planning to use their contributions to pay blue-chip criminal defense lawyers to defend him against a reported FBI probe into his dealings with a wealthy businessman.
As the Strib and our Josh Kraushaar report, Coleman and his wife Laurie have retained lawyers Earl Gray and Doug Kelley to deal with allegations that his friend and political patron Nasser Kazeminy funneled $80,000 to the senator's wife through a Kazeminy-controlled Texas oil services company. The Colemans have denied the charges -- and accused rival Al Franken of stoking the controversy.
“We intend to have any legal fees related to what we believe to be a politically inspired legal action to be covered by the Senator’s campaign," said Coleman spokesman Luke Friedrich.
All of this is against the backdrop of the ongoing recount, where Coleman is also using lawyers to try and stop the the counting of ballots the state Canvassing Board has determined are legally valid and should be counted:
Coleman v. Minnesota Canvassing Board
This afternoon, Minnesota's Supreme Court will take up Norm Coleman's request (PDF) to stop the counting of so-called "fifth-pile" absentee ballots in Minnesota. These are ballots that initially were rejected by the counties, but that upon further review appear to have been rejected for invalid reasons. Finding some way to preclude these ballots from being counted might represent Coleman's best chance for victory, since the evidence points toward Franken picking up a significant number of votes if and when such ballots are included.
Coleman is making essentially two arguments in his legal brief:
1) That the Canvassing Board does not have the jurisdiction to count such ballots (rather, he claims, authority to do so rather rests solely with the courts), and,
2) That counting such ballots under the recommendation of the Canvassing Board would violate the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution, since the different counties are apparently using different procedures in attempting to count them.
This afternoon, Minnesota's Supreme Court will take up Norm Coleman's request (PDF) to stop the counting of so-called "fifth-pile" absentee ballots in Minnesota. These are ballots that initially were rejected by the counties, but that upon further review appear to have been rejected for invalid reasons. Finding some way to preclude these ballots from being counted might represent Coleman's best chance for victory, since the evidence points toward Franken picking up a significant number of votes if and when such ballots are included.
Coleman is making essentially two arguments in his legal brief:
1) That the Canvassing Board does not have the jurisdiction to count such ballots (rather, he claims, authority to do so rather rests solely with the courts), and,
2) That counting such ballots under the recommendation of the Canvassing Board would violate the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution, since the different counties are apparently using different procedures in attempting to count them.
1. Force Franken to go to court to get the absentee ballots counted;
2. ???
3. Profit!
2. ???
3. Profit!
In the meantime, the Star Tribune's analysis of the recount estimates that Franken now has the lead in votes and will win the Senate seat by 272 votes:
Code:
RACE AT A GLANCE - Close Resolved challenges Remaining Current vote totals Coleman Franken Other/ no one Coleman Franken Margin Current recount totals 232 64 116 6,742 1,209,167 1,208,811 Coleman by 356 Challenged by Coleman 6 7 6 3,078 Challenged by Franken 225 56 109 2,631 Ballot Challenge projection 2,748 3,208 350 0 1,211,683 1,211,955 Franken by 272
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