Air America Scandal: Al Franken Blows It Off

The Radio Equalizer -Brian Maloney has Mr. Subliminal Returns! Franken Transcript Reveals Much About Scandal.

That’s because slipped into Franken’s rambling set of excuses over why he and Air America are not responsible for $875,000 in taxpayer funds, diverted from a Bronx-based community center, a key admission is made.

Take a look at this snippet, with a full Radio Equalizer-produced transcript below, (bold emphasis mine):

And he uh, borrowed (laughter) $875,000 from, I don’t know why they did it, and I don’t know where the money went, I don’t know if it was used for operations (softer, faster), which I imagine it was.

Care to elaborate on this, Mr. Franken?

That’s a big point to bury in your public statement.

Does that mean you were paid with public money, intended for an inner-city community center?

For two weeks, we’ve been cautioned to be careful about assuming the $875,000 actually went into Air America’s account, funding network operations.

And along comes Franken himself, making it appear to be true!

Here is a complete transcript of the on-air admission by Franken.

The original audio is at Brainster’s Blog.

Click here to Listen.

Michelle Malkin has more on this scandel AIR ENRON: HEADS ROLL, VICTIMS SHAFTED

Acting executive director Lorraine Corva

The New York Post reports this morning on a drastic shake-up at the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club, the Bronx non-profit charity ensnared in smelly “loan” schemes with the liberal Air America radio network:

The Bronx social-services organization that made a controversial loan to the Air America radio network has been rocked by more high-level staff departures, sources said.

Just days after the executive director abruptly resigned following Post reports that the club had provided $875,000 in bizarre loans to Air America, two other top officials at the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club have quit.

Acting executive director Lorraine Corva — who took over after Charles Rosen suddenly resigned last week — will be leaving her job on Aug. 26, sources said.

Assistant executive director Jeff Aulenback also resigned, effective immediately, sources said.

Their departures from the embattled social-services agency are tied to the ongoing fallout from the highly unusual and possibly improper loan to Air America, as well as other dubious fiscal practices, sources said.

A spokesman for the club declined to comment on why the two were leaving.

Corva made $181,000 a year, and Aulenback was taking home more than $150,000 annually, accord- ing to recent records.

A board member at Gloria Wise, which is struggling to stay afloat and has scaled back its programs for kids, has told The Post that the board was hoodwinked by Rosen into making the highly unusual loans to Air America.

The Boys & Girls Club is funded almost entirely from grants and government contracts.

“We’re not commenting on anything right now because of the delicate nature of negotiations to get the money back” from Air America, said spokesman Jim Grossman.

The left-wing radio network, which showcases Al Franken, last Friday made a $50,000 repayment on the loan to an escrow account controlled by the station’s lawyer.

“The [city] Department of Investigation advised Air America to repay $875,000 into an escrow account from which no money can be disbursed without our approval,” said DOI spokeswoman Emily Gest.

“Air America has not followed that recommendation.”

But an Air America official told The Post yesterday that both sides had agreed to a payment plan months ago and that they were on schedule with their payments.

That was news to the Boys & Girls Club. “Air America has agreed in principle to give the money, but nothing has been finalized yet,” Grossman said yesterday.

“They haven’t agreed how and when to do it.”

Along with the DOI,state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer also opened an investigation into the case.

Wow! Al Franken blows it off and Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club goes under.

Goish, Al a big 50K payment when you owe 875K.

Pay them the money dumbnuts – they need it.

Get George Soros or another Leftie benefactor to bail your sorry ass out or file for bankruptcy.

North Carolina bloggers John in NC and Confederate Yankee are demanding answers about MSM silence from their local newspaper. As a result, Raleigh News and Observer executive editor Melanie Sill has asked the Associated Press to move a story on the scandal.

Minnesotans are on their local media’s case, too.

Mark Steyn explans why the same MSM outlets that are ignoring Air America’s financial shenanigans spilled so much ink on the liberal radio network last year:

The basic problem for AA is that it signed high-priced talent to an untested business model that never lived up to the hype. Rush and most other successful “right talk” started small and grew naturally. Air America announced it was big, CNN and the other gullible boosters took it at its word, and, when it became clear, there was simply not enough audience for what it was offering, it was inevitable that slyer minds would have to find a way to circumvent the shortfall.

Then there’s this intriguing e-mail I received last night concerning the whereabouts of the elusive former AAR/Gloria Wise official, Evan Montvel Cohen. Spread the word far and wide:

Thought you should know that Evan Cohen, believe it or not, has relocated to Hawaii and had been applying for Development Director positions at local nonprofits. I was involved as a part of an interview team in which we interviewed him a couple of months ago…

…Fortunately, we did some research on him…and eliminated him from the process. I am fearful that some unsuspecting nonprofit could hire him, so have been trying to get the word out to folks. Chances are, he has already moved out of the state. If not, hopefully, your article will help!

Find Evan Cohen and put him before a New York and Federal Grand Jury.

This scandel should be on the front page of the New York Times and Washington Post.

Flap wonders why these so-called investigative papers can carry the Karl Rove leaks but ignores an out-right theft by a left-wing media organization.

Hummmmmmmm!

Technorati Tags: Air America, Al Franken, New York City, Evan Cohen, theft