Breaking: UAW files ethics charge on Romney auto bail-out profiteering
The United Auto Workers and the SEIU picked up Greg Palast’s Nation story on Mitt making bank from the US Auto bailout that he claimed to hate. Since my editor here at the Mudflats allowed me some time off from my job as Mudflats NY Bureau Chief to research this story with Palast – I figured that all the mudpuppies would like to hear to that there’s going to be a press conference in Ohio that should make a big hit in that swing state – and the nation. When video is available – I’ll post… until then – watch the Democracy Now report below the press release.
-Zach D. Roberts
NY Bureau Chief, TheMudflats.net
Advisory: UAW files ethics charge
on Romney auto bail-out profiteering
Unions, Good Government Groups to File Ethics Complaint Against Romney For Failing To Disclose His Big Auto Rescue Profit
Groups Urge Office of Government Ethics to Make Romney Disclose or Divest
WASHINGTON – A coalition of community, labor and good-government organizations is calling on the U.S. Office of Government Ethics to investigate GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney for noncompliance with the Ethics in Government Act and compel him to either disclose his investments or divest them.
“The American people have a right to know about Gov. Romney’s potential conflicts of interest, such as the profits his family made from the auto rescue,” said UAW President Bob King. “It’s time for Gov. Romney to disclose or divest.”
In a Nation magazine cover story, investigative reporter Greg Palast reported that the Romney family personally profited at least $15.3 million from the auto loans of 2009 through his investment in the Delphi Corp. auto parts company. Yet Romney’s June 1, 2012, Public Financial Disclosure Report to the Office of Government Ethics did not reveal this windfall because he did not disclose the underlying holdings of his private equity and limited partnership funds.
“While Romney was opposing the rescue of one of the nation’s most important manufacturing sectors, he was building his fortunes with his Delphi investor group, making his fortunes off the misfortunes of others,” King added.
The groups sending the complaint letter, including SEIU, UAW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Public Citizen, Public Campaign, People for the American Way and The Social Equity Group, believe that Romney’s undisclosed stock holdings create serious conflicts of interest. They point to the auto rescue as a key example.
Here are details of a joint news conference to be held Thursday in Toledo, Ohio:
WHO:
- UAW President Bob King
- SEIU Executive Vice President Tom Woodruff
- Investigative reporter Greg Palast, author of “Mitt Romney’s Bailout Bonanza,” The Nation and “Billionaires & Ballot Bandits: How to Steal an Election in 9 Easy Steps”
- Delphi workers
WHAT: News conference on Mitt Romney’s conflicts of interest with his investments, including his profiting from the auto bailout
WHERE: UAW Local 12 – 2300 Ashland Ave Toledo, Ohio
WHEN: Thursday, Nov. 1, 2pm
For more information contact Julia Wouk: e-mail. You can also visit UAW.orgor SEIU.org
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwG_sBQU7OQ&w=400&h=225]
Photo from bet.com
Please consider voting 3rd party for Dr Jill Stein. She was arrested the other days for supplying protestors of the Keystone XL pipeline for tars sands refining. Both parties will not address global warming because they only represent big money interests.
Rommney is against anything that he can’t make a million or two.
Is anyone surprised? Not I. To my fellow Sandy survivors, sitting in cold candlelight, may I remind you that Willard does not believe in the necessity of FEMA.
I hope you all are safe, and power is restored soon.
And I hope this complaint goes mainstream…
I haven’t heard anything about Roosevelt island. I have friends there.
You may find an update here:
http://rooseveltislander.blogspot.com/
I’ll keep your friends in my heart, along with all New Yorkers and others who are suffering.
I couldn’t watch the film last night; I was just glad to get access to the ‘net on my iphone. This Democracy Now! segment should be mandatory viewing for all voters, IMO.
I would contradict Greg Palast (one of my favorite journalists/authors) on one little point. Paul ‘The Vulture’ Singer et al. did not EARN over $1 million on this deal. They made it, but it wasn’t earned.
Also, at his Ohio “victory” or “storm relief” political rally, he compared the aftermath clean up to picking up trash from the football field of his exclusive prep school when he was a student. The kids on the trash team had to clear the field up segment by segment, each one to do the segment assigned. That’s like telling the people in a neighborhood under five feet of water that each one should clean up his own house and yard. About how they are going to get rid of the water or the silt or the downed trees and address the downed wires, he would certainly make no mention. Romney is useless. He is clueless. He has no business running for president. All he has been about his whole life is getting richer, no matter who he has had to crush. He would be incapable of working for all the people, for “we the people.”
My response to your note, you have got to be Fing kidding! No, not directed towards you but towards Romney. He is so out of touch, how can anyone with a brain think he has any clue.
He doesn’t know how the federal govt works by his statements about FEMA and the role it will play in disaster. I’m just unable to understand why people are going to vote for him.
I hope this does go viral and maybe even some people who were “leaning” towards voting for him will understand that what he did was AGAINST the rules and he should have known them and followed them.
Glad to hear from you Zyx. Keep warm, It can’t be long now. We are also without power but are very lucky to have a generator, because “they” are giving us no date for resumption of service.
I am frustrated that the story of this suit is not being covered by many news sources. Then there’s this example of his involvement in organized crime –
http://www.politicususa.com/public-records-reveal-romney-profited-corruption-fraud-racketeering-bain.html
Martha Stewart went to jail for much much less.
I hope that’s more than a forty watt generator.
Good one! 😀