#masterofdeceit

[dance-of-deceit]

*a loud knock erupts at the spires door. It’s sunset, and SOMEONE decided it was smartass to go to beast yeast AT NIGHT.*

“Shadow Milk? Uhm- are you… home? (If that’s what this is..)”

@healer-of-truth

*Shadow milk opens the large door.*

who- NILLY?? What- what are YOU doing here…

-✧.*

[ekuroeil]

Fallen angel and Lord of darkness, he's always ready for a pact.

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[masterofdeceit-blog1]

A New Norm in Politics?

I was researching presidential access for money for my book, Master of Deceit, when the news aired somewhat of a déjà vu.

Today’s news included a report that a post-inauguration event will offer access to the now President-Elect Donald J. Trump the day after his inauguration. Cost for the event ranges from $25,000 and $1 million and sparked a new discussion on the old pay-to-play argument. The event is being put on by a foundation created by Trumps’ sons, Donald Jr., and Eric Trump.

It smacked of coincidence with what I was working on.

My pending book unravels how a former Army Intelligence Officer and Harvard Law School graduate pulled off a swindle that took more than $100 million intended for veterans and funneled the money into politics; his generosity earned him a private meeting with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office in 2008 as the president was leaving the White House.

A fingerprint search could have shown that the scam artist (who entered the White House under his alias Bobby Thompson) was wanted for espionage under his real name, John Donald Cody. Can’t think of a better example of why we should question how money can facilitate access if a man wanted for espionage is allowed to cozy up to a president. Thompson’s Catch-Me-If-You-Canesque story including how he pulled off the scam and where the money went is part of the book.

But news of Trump’s event got me thinking. Is this the new norm? Before I get too far in this, let me be very clear. This column is not about one side or another. It’s amazing how access for high-level donors happens with both Republicans and Democrats.

Look back over the last 20 years and see what I mean. These are just a few random examples, though, there are others:

-         In 1997, President Bill Clinton was accused of a practice that allowed big donors the right to stay in the Lincoln bedroom. He also combatted reports of granting golf games and morning jogs with other donors.

-         President George W. Bush had events that also drew suspicions. Not only did he host the private gathering for donors that scam artist Bobby Thompson in for a private reception in the Oval Office, he came under fire for policy changes that benefited donors and how his presidential library took $1 million or more Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates after he left office.

-         Then who can forget when the New York Times revealed donors to the Republican Governor’s Association and the size of their checks? The story was facilitated by work from a Democrat-leaning group, and led others to charge it is evidence of how corporations use money to buy influence. Not to be outdone, the Republicans then released documents from the Democratic Governors’ Association showing donors and benefits like preferential seating at policy discussions.

-         President Obama has faced accusations of his own including a report from MapLight, a website that shows money’s influence on politics, in 2016. The website exposed how all of the donors to the Obama Foundation who gave $100,000 or more have been invited to the White House for events with the President.

-         Not to be left out, questions about Hilliary Clinton and the Clinton foundation have been almost common place since 2015. One such accusation was criticism for accepting donations from foreign governments, which stopped when she was secretary of state, but resumed in 2015 as she got ready for her presidential run.

-         Now allegations are being raised against Trump before the event takes place.

Instead of simply just rehashing how much it took to stay the night in the Lincoln bedroom, or how what a $1 million ticket could buy to be with Trump the day after his election, why can’t we evolve this into a discussion about making it stop?

I am not knocking those who uncover the exist of the events by any means. But it just strikes me, how time and time again after something is exposed in the media, the discussion seemingly ends there.

Is it shocking to see what money can buy? Absolutely. Explicit quid pro quos – money in direct exchange for benefits – are illegal and the FBI hunts to prove such cases all the time. News by definition should be something unusual, something novel, or something rare. Reports of access have been around for more than 20 years.

So, in addition to reporting when it happens, when will there be a discussion about how or whether it should stop?

Photo credit: Shannon Young

[masterofdeceit-blog1]

This book has been percolating for six years.  Six long years, of research, interviews, analyzing records and large scale reading about events surrounding events in the book. The hunt for Bobby Thompson became part of my job at the Ohio Attorney General’s Office in 2010 and remained my focus until I left the office in early 2012. You would think after I left my job at the AG’s Office, I would be able to leave the case. Move on, right? Apparently not. There were just too many unanswered questions. How could one man build a fake national charity on his own?  And why didn’t states realize the charity was a fake when it was approved in more 40 states? Where did the $100 million raised for veterans go? And how in the hell did a man with a fake ID get in the White House and get next to President George W. Bush as “Bobby Thompson” had done? The story for me should have ended when a small team of U.S. Marshals from Northern Ohio and the U.S. Secret Service Office nabbed Thompson in Portland, Ore., in 2012.  But nothing pointed to “Bobby Thompson’s” real identity and “Bobby” wasn’t talking. It would be six months before they would determine he was really John Donald Cody – a Harvard Law School graduate and former Army Intelligence Officer. That only made me more determined. How could a former military man scam the men and women he fought alongside? I was devoted to finding answers in the case because of my deep appreciation for our U.S. military.  To learn the scam was led by a military man was sickening. My pending book Master of Deceit is the culmination of that work aimed at finding out more about this scam artist. That’s because Bobby Thompson is not just any conman. I think history will show him as one of America’s most formidable conmen of all time. I began work fulltime on my book about Mr. Cody and his scams this summer. I say fulltime, though to be honest I use that word loosely. I am married, a mother of 3 and we have seven (yes, seven) animals in our house. So, there is never a dull moment around here. A new friend I have in the business, Lynette Hoy, suggested the blog. She said people will want to follow along on the chronicles of the book and I hope she is right. The book is a fascinating journey. I not only want to share the book with the nation, but share the roller coaster ride that goes along with finishing it. This is the first installment of my blog with many more to come. For anyone following along, you can expect to hear about the difficulties in gathering information, ethical battles I may run into when writing, writers block (though hopefully not), how this story is important to the nation and other important topics. Of course, since this is a blog you may occasionally hear about my husband, Jason; our children, David, 17, Andy, 15 or my step-daughter, Olivia; and even more likely you may hear about my writing partner, Oliver the English bulldog. Oliver has become my writing partner because, well, I really have no choice. We got Oliver as a puppy this summer. I fell in love. This roly-poly, wrinkly, playful pup tends to stay by my side. And he has a knack for creating trouble. In his few short months with us, he has tangled himself in a cord leading to the printer and broke the cord. (Mind you, most of the cord was encased in a floor strip. He somehow miraculously got the wee-bit that was exposed leading to the computer.) He also decided to wrestle with our Labrador mix, Air Bud, right by my computer, hitting and unplugging the computer power cord as I worked on a chapter causing me to lose work and utter more than a few swear words. He has also knocked down a blow-up Christmas tree outside and nearly pulled down the Christmas tree inside. Need I say more? So, don’t be surprised if he ends up in the mix. But I digress. I have never been more excited for something professionally as I am this book. I hope you follow along with me and of course read the book when it comes out.  This book is a labor of love and I believe it will be an eye-opening experience for the nation. I hope you enjoy.