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Your Tuesday El Paso Corruption Update

Tuesday, October 14th, 2008

Former National Center for the Employment of the Disabled President Bob Jones was arrested today, along with former NCED employees Ernesto “Ernie” Lopez and Patrick Woods. Woods was an NCED board member. Newspaper Tree is also covering the story.

With that, it’s time to update the corruption link chart. It’s below. I suppose that, based on this incomplete chart, one could say this gets closer to El Paso Mayor John “John” Cook, but that’s a faulty assumption. Links don’t necessarily mean links, if you know what I mean. So far as anyone knows, Cook’s only secret indictment is about his singing and his appearance of being kind of a willing tool. But looks usually deceive when considering politicians of greater or lesser means, talent and motivation (see Joe Wardy).

It’s almost like there are two prosecutorial lines of attack right now. There is NCED, and there are the outliers around the County apparatchiks.

Finally, in these nervous election times, with scandalous election fliers arriving in the mailbox like letters to Harry Potter down the fireplace, one notes that Dee Margo finds a place on the chart (not linked to anything) while Joe “traceofdoubt” Moody is confined to apparently slagging off military members. Can’t remember who can’t remember where he lives, but in the end, whether tainted by corruption or not, both Moody and Margo are tained by being nincompoops of the general sort.

Both of them make shady El Paso roofing contractors look like candidates for sainthood.

So here’s the latest update to the corruption chart. Clicky once to see a larger chart. Clicky twice to super-size your order:

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Your 01 September El Paso Corruption Update

Monday, September 1st, 2008

Former El Paso Independent School District Trustee Sal Mena Jr. was arrested by the FBI on Friday. He has long been associated with the ongoing El Paso corruption investigation undertaken by the FBI. An eight-count indictment was released; gory details at the link.

Mena Junior is the first person indicted for corruption in the case; others have pled guilty.

Naturally, according to the El Paso Times, Mena Junior could not be reached for comment: his cell and home phones were reportedly disconnected (and no Times reporters know where he lives to get out and do some door-knocking, I guess).

Mena’s indictment reads like a laundry list of all you ever suspected about El Paso honchos and what they’re involved in: conspiracy, deprivation of honest services, bribery, and false statements to obtain credit. I’ve had contractors come to my house conspiring to obtain credit by way of outrageous down payments, and lying through their teeth about their competence, licenses, insurance and the time of day they’d show up for work.

The “alleged co-conspirators” in this case, and others whose names will no doubt come to light (by flashing police car lights, that is), make po-dunk contractors, who try to screw their own companies by offering jobs “on the side, for cheaper,” look like amateurs.

And so here we go with an updated version of the El Paso corruption link chart. It’s getting so complicated even I’m not sure if it’s accurate anymore. If anyone knows of any El Paso politician/judge/trustee/board member who is not under suspicion, let me know. It might be easier to make a link chart of El Paso honchos who are clean.

Clicky once to see a larger image. Clicky twice to super-size your order:

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El Paso Corruption Update 22 Jun 2008

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008

The FBI El Paso corruption case keeps humming along. The latest conviction, that of Antonio “Tony” Dill, a lobbyist, made headlines last week. He plea-bargained out, admitting to bribing a member of the El Paso County Commissioners Court. Link chart (below) is appropriately updated.

I’d link to a good El Paso Times article from May 29th on U.S. District Judge Frank Montalvo’s disclosure that ‘more than 80 “persons of interest” have been linked to the investigation, including 35 past or current public officials, 13 lawyers and three current or former judges,’ but the Times’ extraordinarily-excellent archive system hides articles faster than the Air Force hid the Roswell alien bodies, and you can’t read the article out of the archives, or Google it, to save your alien body-hiding life.

Nonetheless, the center-of-gravity in this Venn Diagram-like arcade of corruption appears to be the odd construct known as the El Paso County Commissioners Court.

Newspaper Tree, which has a functioning archive system, reports on the Dill plea here.

The Old Prospector asked me by cellar phone the other day what the heck a lobbyist does anyway. “How does he make money off of urging people to do stuff?” OP asked.

“I don’t rightly know,” I said. “But if I urged you to lay off the cheladas at Acetunas would you give me five dollars?”

I couldn’t tell if the gurgling, snorting sounds coming out of the phone were laughter or anger.

Meanwhile, back on May 12th, Newspaper Tree’s David Crowder was trying to, in more cerebral terms than the Times staff had done previously, argue for more openness in the case. Well, that’s 3213 words a reader will never get back in his or her lifetime. OP told me on the phone that anytime media argues for more access, it just means they’re lazy.

“I know a thing or two about digging for gold,” he said, in a conspiratorial tone of voice that suggested he was talking to me out of a stall in the men’s room of a nearby bar on Doniphan. “And I ain’t never asked the guvmint to pint me towards the goal. I found what I found through my own hard work.”

I’d link to another Times article on Dill being out on bail quicker than you can say “Commissioners Court,” but hell, it’ll be “archived” soon enough.

“Archiving” by the Times is just another way citizens get El Paso’d around here.

OP later texted me from Acetunas. He was between sets in a karaoke showdown, having just won the narcocorrido competition before heading into the single-elimination Bee Gees Are Back retro-round. ‘Don Kirkatrick is blowing thng out of prportion.’ OP still hasn’t mastered texting on his Blackberry.

I texted him back: ‘Gt on ur mule and go hme.’ I’m no Blackberry hero either.

So here we go with another updated El Paso Corruption Link Chart:

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El Paso Corruption Update 25 March 2008

Tuesday, March 25th, 2008

Here are some updates to the ongoing El Paso corruption case.

– Raymond Telles Pleads Guilty
– Socorro Independent School District Added to Link Chart
– El Paso Community College Added to Link Chart

According to The American Chronicle, five of the seven EPCC trustees are to be indicted.

With all that juicy goodness, here’s the updated link chart with the above added. Clicky on the thumbnail for full-sized corruption goodness:

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Your 24 Feb Updated El Paso Corruption Link Chart

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

If it’s Sunday, a few changes to the El Paso alleged corruption link chart are in order.

We’re putting in Dee Margo’s interview with the FBI (he said he is not implicated) and his association with the Chicago-based McCormick Tribune Foundation, which founded Margo’s project Border Fund. There may have been rent-free (aka “pre-paid rent” dealings with both NCED and Hospice El Paso.

Here’s the gory graphic, in all its gore:

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24 Feb 2008 Corruption Chart

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

If it’s Sunday, a few changes to the El Paso alleged corruption link chart are in order.

We’re putting in Dee Margo’s interview with the FBI (he said he is not implicated) and his association with the Chicago-based McCormick Tribune Foundation, which founded Margo’s project Border Fund. There may have been rent-free (aka “pre-paid rent” dealings with both NCED and Hospice El Paso.

Here’s the gory graphic, in all its gore:

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FBI Corruption Case: El Paso Times’ Story of the Year

Monday, December 31st, 2007

Can’t argue with that title.

Two El Paso Times stories here and here.

Think I’ve covered things on this updated link chart, that can be found here (click once to see, then twice for full-sized goodness):

Link to other Times coverage of the corruption case is here.

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FBI El Paso Corruption Case: More Guilty Pleas

Sunday, December 23rd, 2007

Out in West Texas, they’re rolling faster than wagon wheels on a Wells Fargo stagecoach being chased by banditos.

Newspaper Tree reports that both Roberto Gerardo Ruiz, a.k.a. “Bobby” Ruiz, former Managing Director for the Dallas, Texas office of Bear Stearns and Christopher Chol-Su Pak, a.k.a. Chris Pak, former Vice President in the Dallas, Texas, office of Bear Stearns, pled guilty. We’re talking wire fraud and bribery here. And the intended targets shouldn’t be new to followers of corruption nodes in town: the El Paso Independent School District, the El Paso Community College District, the City of El Paso, and members of the El Paso County Commissioner’s Court.

We still don’t like the existence and purpose and framework of the Commissioner’s Court.

The El Paso Times continues, suggesting that public officials are being targeted for corruption. What? Corrupt public officials? Here??

The updated corruption link chart can be found here.

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Help Wanted: Illegal Immigrants–The FBI and CIA are Recruiting YOU!

Tuesday, November 20th, 2007

According to TV, the FBI hired a deaf person — Sue Thomas, FB Eye, so why not hire an illegal alien and fraudster as well? Hell, why not make her marriage-fraud sister a Marine?

Nada Nadim Prouty is a name you ought to remember, especially if you’re an FBI or CIA recruiting officer looking to fill empty billets. Oh, wait, maybe it’s a name you ought to remember if you’re not from the FBI or CIA, because they’ve already messed up. Prouty was an illegal alien who apparently entered the US in a sham marriage scheme, rose to the rank of FBI special agent and CIA analyst… before being busted.

What’s really shocking is the nonchalant attitude of FBI and CIA spokespersons about the whole thing… as if immigration enforcement isn’t their job. Which it isn’t, I guess. And in that case, I know some great Spanish-speaking folks in the neighborhood who are clearly cut out for sensitive, clearance-holding jobs at these top-notch American institutions.

Michelle Malkin covers this story, and another… her sister is apparently in on the marriage scam thing as well… and became a USMC officer.

When it rains, it pours: The FBI will have to relook convictions based on a faulty forensics test.

Jihad Watch notes other instances of Federal slack.

Honestly, does anyone in Washington really give a tinker’s cuss about immigration enforcement? Doesn’t seem like it. It seems, instead, that arms of the federal government are actively at cross-purposes with each other — the one enforcing laws, the other dismissing them. And that would be OK — no one expects the government to actually be useful to the citizenry – but the waste of money is galling.

UPDATE: The EPA didn’t want to be left out of the illegal migrant with access to sensitive information news. (HT: Jihad Watch.)

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Your Saturday RSS Feed – 07 July 2007

Friday, July 6th, 2007

EL PASO FBI CORRUPTION CASE UPDATE:
County Commissioner Dan Haggerty ponders the meaning of his existence and how said existence may have triggered the ongoing investigation. Haggerty recalls his contacts with the FBI back in the day, which seemingly started out as chit-chat sessions initiated by the FBI. Yeah, the FBI routinely calls up politicos to chit-chat because, you know, that’s how they like to spend taxpayers’ money. I wonder if any politician is so naive anymore and, after wondering, I doubt it.

Frank Apodaca, president and CEO of Access HealthSource Inc., got put on paid leave, likely due to the ongoing investigation. The parent company of Access HealthSource, Inc., Access Plans USA is reportedly conducting its own independent investigation.

Newspaper Tree notes that business goes on as usual inside the El Paso County Courthouse. NT seems like a decent enough online rag but, honestly, “spending the morning walking the halls and riding the elevators of the courthouse” isn’t exactly working towards establishing one’s superior journalistic bona fides.

Newspaper Tree also reports on the government’s attempt to disqualify El Paso attorney Mary Stillinger from representing three clients related to the ongoing corruption case.

Keeping the story hot, I guess, El Paso Times reports that County Commissioner Miguel Terán will not resign. Because, you know, he’s not been charged or convicted of anything. OK.

CONTENTION IN EL PASO NOT ALL RELATED TO THE FBI CORRUPTION CASE: On 03 July, a Border Patrol agent was investigating a report of illegal migrants in the vicinity of Hill and Ninth Streets. Something happened down a manhole and the BP agent fired in self-defense, wounding one. The contention is the result of the involvement of the Border Network for Human Rights, a leftist group with an office down at 1101 E. Yandell in El Paso. A few first- and second-hand accounts by Barrio Segundo residents make an El Paso Times article, with Louie Gilot’s byline. To his credit, Gilot notes the number of attacks on BP agents in the area this year: 59. Generally, according to their website, Border Network for Human Rights agitates for “basic human rights” — which sounds good to college kids — like legalization, healthy communities and human mobility. But BNHR doesn’t talk about who funds the bill. Right now the bill is paid by Americans. BNHR does not agitate for reduced attacks on Border Patrol agents, for the fiscal responsibility of educating Mexican kids in El Paso public schools by the citizens of Juarez, for equal access to Juarez schools and health care by El Pasoans, or for that matter, the right to drive around Juarez shopping without fear of murder, kidnap or robbery, as happens right across the border. I guess that’s a POE Bridge Too Far for BNHR, and it telegraphs its Leftist agenda. I’d watch my wallet if a BNHR Guevarista walked up to me.

MORE CONTENTION: Illegals are getting uppity with more than hapless Border Patrol “rocking” victims these days. Michelle Malkin links to Elvira Arellano’s announcement of a “campaign of resistance” against the US government. Who is Elvira Arellano? She’s a Mexican activist, an illegal, and a sanctuary seeker since she’s been hiding out in a church in Chicago for who knows how long. I’d think that a threat to “bring the government to a halt” warrants a raid of that church by any law enforcement entity whose members swear to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Happy Fourth of July, Elvira “FOB” Arellano.

CHURCH LADY REPORTS: On a happier, errr, more sacreligious note, seems the Roman Cathloic Mass has gotten a bit more enlightened recently. What’s next, a smoking lamp, a Tiki statue and retro-cool Members Only jackets worn by parishoners?

SHE’S NOT GOING TO BE ELECTED ANYWAY: Hillary a felon? Say it ain’t so.

IN MEXICO: Was it a flying witch? Or merely a promo for the new Harry Potter movie?

ISLAMADMINISTRIVIA: A macho, woman-hating Muslim cleric tries to flee in a burka. He didn’t want to meet 72 virgins in Paradise, apparently: he wanted to be one. How fine it is to lay the smackdown on women in Islam, and then use their identity to escape justice. I’d ask BNHR about Muslim treatment of women, because I think Pakistan has borders, I’m sure I’d only hear crickets in response.

“OFFICER’S KID”: That was a slur among military kids back in the day, and maybe today, too. Military officers had the worst-behaved kids on any base or post, or so it seemed. It was a stereotype: the successful, well-paid, college-educated servicemember and his/her crap, sluggish, juvenile delinquent spawn. These days, I guess that stereotype transmogrifies nicely to politicians.

ABOUT THAT DINING OUT EXPERIENCE: Gotta love it. Not. Not when waiters and waitresses are morons. The most hit-or-miss part of a dining experience, besides whether you’re paying $50 for a burned filleted scallop with a stale chive on top because the chef is drunk, is the wait staff. They set the tone of the meal. Or don’t. They get tipped, or don’t, depending on your perception of how they perform. So there is Bitter Waitress, a site that argues for good tips for good service, and tells great tales along the way.

And then there’s this attitude. Rule #1: Never leave less than a 20% tip. It’s “tipping poorly” if you have a problem with anything, according to 86 Bad Tips. Including sluggish, forgetful, annoying, stumbling, snot-dripping, angry, failed, besotted wait staff. Well, I guess the red, black and yellow colors of the web page tip you to the militant attitude of its host.

Here’s another waiter blog.

And another.

Here’s an article that will make you end your dining-out experience and just cook at home.

LOL THIS: You’ve heard of LOL Cats. Now get ready for LOL terrorists. My entries are here.

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