Former Congressman Wes Cooley indicted for fraud
Kari Chisholm
Wes Cooley served as the Congressman from Oregon's 2nd District for just one term in the mid-1990s. Now, he's been indicted on federal money laundering and fraud charges in L.A.
He's been accused of defrauding investors by telling them his company, BidBay.com, was about to be bought by eBay.
From the Oregonian:
Cooley, 76, who represented eastern Oregon in the U.S. House for one term in the 1990s, was charged with six counts of money laundering and one count of filing a false income tax return in 2002 to conceal more than $1.1 million in illicit income. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 38 years in federal prison.According to the indictment, the investment scheme centered on the sale of shares in BidBay.com, a startup Internet auction firm, and several related shell companies. The indictment alleges that investors were lured by false statements, including a claim that BidBay was about to be acquired by eBay, the established and hugely successful Internet auction company.
In 2005, in a civil case in St. Louis, a U.S. District court jury ordered Cooley and a business associate to pay more than $2.1 million to 11 people it said were victims of the scheme.
Oh, the Oregon GOP must be so proud.
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connect with blueoregon
6:14 a.m.
Jan 30, '09
Gosh, Kari, what ever happened to innocent until proven guilty?
Of course, GOP voters defeated Cooley in his last primary.
I would think, this month especially, you would careful about blaming a political party for the misdeeds of one of its members.
Jan 30, '09
Jack i find it amusing that you would half heartedly defend Wes while reminding us how the GOP rejected him in his last race because he was so crooked. You have chosen a very difficult task to say the least ... perhaps the best thing for the GOP is to just ignore the story and hope people forget how Wes was a critical member of the Contract with America. Oops, didnt the leader of this contract also have to resign because of ethical and legal problems. Oh well ... lets not go there either LOL.
Jan 30, '09
I see your Cooley and raise you a Chicoago Blogo and a William Jefferson (frozen cash not included).
Jan 30, '09
I see your Cooley, and I raise you a Chicago Blago and a William Jefferson (freezer of cash not included).
Jan 30, '09
Cooley was crooked from day 1. When he ran for the State Senate, he didn't live in the district. He put a small trailer on a property in Powell Butte - that he didn't stay in, and then later rented a house in Prineville - that he didn't stay in. (He was supposedly my neighbor.)
When he was campaigning, he would go up streets and rip up the yard signs of his opponent.
The only bill he had really put his name on in the Oregon Senate was the one where kids were required to wear helmets when on bikes.
When Bob Smith retired, this "successful" Republican ran for the vacant seat, with only light opposition. He was caught lying about his background, including that he served on a "secret" mission in Korea (thus pissing off the veterans that had been a key group supporting him). Wes pretty much quit then. Bob Smith came back to rescue the seat for Republicans (see, even the Republicans can see the 2nd CD as a possible loss under certain circumstances!). Bob served one more term, before handing the seat over (was there an election or a coronation?) to Greg Walden.
Cooley was never loved by those on the East side. He was an opportunist, recruited by the Republican Party, who lied his way as far as that would take him.
At age 76, he actually has managed to dodge bullets for a long time.
Jan 30, '09
This is Sergeant Poppy. Tell Wes Cooley he's a liar. Tell him Sergeant Poppy said that.
Jan 30, '09
Isn't this the same guy who got in trouble for lying about his service record in the Army?
9:20 a.m.
Jan 30, '09
Oh, fun. Wes Cooley was a supporter of an all-male group in Lake County called the Order of the Antelope, which said that its purpose was maintaining the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge. In reality, their gatherings got so out of control that the federal government kicked the Order out of the Refuge in 1992 following allegations of sexism, racism and gambling at their annual party.
Nice guy, this Wes Cooley.
Jan 30, '09
Kari,
Thanks for bringing us all up to date regarding Wes Cooley. However, you hsould be intellectually honest enough to add that the local and state GOP totally repudiated him, his lies and his campiagn years ago.
9:54 a.m.
Jan 30, '09
...and I'll see your Blago and Jefferson and raise you a Duke Cunningham, Tom Foley, Jack Abramoff, Bill Janklow and Ted Stevens.
....Point is, there are a whole mess of undesirables who serve or serve those who serve. We may get a charge out of it when a bad boy from the other side goes down, but the bigger picture is about how they have affected our nation and community.
The transgressors really break into three categories: 1) their transgressions are part of a broader scheme that is just a small finger of systemic corruption; 2) they stem from being enveloped in a political culture that gives a wink and a nod to such behavior, or 3) they are just stupid stand-alone acts committed by egomaniacs who serve only their own desires with little regard for the well- being of others.
Wes, if guilty, probably fits into this latter category, as does Janklow, the South Dakota Rep. and former Gov. who, when rip-roaring drunk, ran a rural stop sign and slammed into a motorcyclist.
Jefferson and Duke probably fit category 2. The power of their positions afforded them financial rewards, and the general aura that this is status quo reveals a stink not just in the individual, but in the Beltway attitude as a whole. That their bartering also affects their voting clearly puts this in the second category rather than just the third.
But most appalling are the Level One transgressions, where the emphasis isn't on personal reward, but is specifically designed to gain the system, alter public policy, and starkly influence Government. Here stands Jack Abramoff, Lawyergate, the Downing Street memos, and a whole bevy of scandals surrounding the Bush Admin, (some, I imagine, yet to be revealed).
Wes is irrelevant. His past behavior (he was found guilty of having lied about military service in a mid-90's campaign publication) and the most recent scandal have little bearing on the behavior of state or US government. He is just revealed as a sad D-list actor on the political stage.
My over-riding concern is about the players - and the networks - of the first and second tiers, regardless of party affiliation.
10:16 a.m.
Jan 30, '09
Jack i find it amusing that you would half heartedly defend Wes while reminding us how the GOP rejected him in his last race because he was so crooked.
I'm not defending Cooley at all. It just seems to me that when it is a Democrat being charged with something, BlueOregon is the first to remind us that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
But enough of this back and forth. Political parties can't be responsible for their bad apples. I say everybody relax, lean back, and enjoy a nice, cool Sam Adams.
Jan 30, '09
You enjoy the Sam Adams, I'll pass, thank you very much.
Jan 30, '09
KC Hanson
...and I'll see your Blago and Jefferson and raise you a Duke Cunningham, Tom Foley, Jack Abramoff, Bill Janklow and Ted Stevens.
Uh, I hope you meant Mark Foley?
12:28 p.m.
Jan 30, '09
Oh yep, thanks... I merged Mark Foley and FLA Rep. Tom Feeney. Feeney was embroiled in controversy over his reported attempts to hack election software back in 2000.
He'd hired Yang industries, whose software engineer, Clint Curtis, later testified in Congress about Feeney's intentions. Curtis ran against Feeney and lost in 2006, but Feeney retired this year and the FLA 24th is now served by Democrat Suzanne Kosmas.
Jan 30, '09
To add to some of the recollections here, Cooley was probably best known during the '93 session for insulting breast cancer surviviors, saying, "this must be the day for ladies to come and vent their frustrations". He informed a reporter that he was a hard worker, "not a golfer or a drunk like everyone else" in the Captiol.
With two Jackson COunty and two Central Oregon candidiates splitting the votes in those more populous areas in the '94 2nd CD primary, he narrowly won, with Greg Walden as his campaign manager. It was revealed before Election Day that he hadn't paid child support, but that didn't hurt him. Sue Kupillas from Jackson COunty was a good candidiate and actually outspent Cooley, but the district is so R she didn't have a chance.
Someone mentioned Cooley famous lie about serving as special forces in Korea. Remember the '96 buttons- "I Served with Wes Cooley in Korea?" There was also the scandal involving his wife still claiming survivor benefits from a previous marriage, having denied on her forms that she was indeed married to Cooley.
2:45 p.m.
Jan 30, '09
Jack,
The advantage of discussing Cooley's sins is that we can still discuss it with the kids.
3:11 p.m.
Jan 30, '09
Yes, Jack, innocent until proven guilty. That's why I said "indicted" and "accused". That's a far different tone than we've heard from GOPers (and some Dems) in the Adams situation.
Jan 30, '09
That's a far different tone than we've heard from GOPers (and some Dems) in the Adams situation.
Nice try, kari.
We do know now what Adams IS guilty of:
Adams admitted he lied, and he admitted he entered into a conspiracy to deceive his constitutents. His boy toy admitted they made out in the City hall bathroom when the boy was 17.
So we KNOW Adams is guilty of at least that.
Kari's been paid to spin so long he's lost the ability to turn it off or to even be conscious of it.
8:53 p.m.
Jan 30, '09
Um, "Tide", we're talking about criminal stuff here. You can blather on all you want about how Adams has somehow harmed you personally by being embarrassed about his perfectly legal sex life - but I suggest you do that on one of the many posts we've had on that topic.
Jan 31, '09
Too bad Cooley's not a Democrat.
Timothy Geithner can get away with not paying $34K in taxes and Daschle can conveniently ignore $150K worth of tax payments. Demos must be so proud also.
I really don't think corruption is confined to anyone party.
Feb 2, '09
Forget "innocent until proven guilty" in this case....Fraud, theft and basic immorality tends to run in this family.
<h2>It's about time!</h2>