Rep, Mike Ross (D-AK) sold the land his pharmacy was on to a major drug chain for way more than the appraised value. He then got considerably more for the pharmacy and a non-compete agreement. Two weeks after the sale, USA Drug contributed $2,300 to his campaign fund.
Did I mention Ross is chairman of the Blue Dog Coalition’s health care task force?
Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) has filed a complaint against Ross with the Dept. of Justice.
CREW executive director Melanie Sloan stated, “With the sale of his business and the high priced non-compete covenant, Rep. Ross has gone from accepting campaign contributions from those with legislative interests before him to accepting significant personal financial benefits of dubious legality.” Sloan continued, “The situation is reminiscent of that in which former Rep. Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham sold his house to a defense contractor for an amount above its value in return for legislative assistance – a sale that ultimately resulted in Rep. Cunningham’s conviction on criminal charges.”
Sue is a CPA and a Certified Fraud Examiner. When news of Cunningham’s Hide-The-Bribe real estate deal first surfaced she laughed, saying “Never play hide the money with real estate, the paper trail is huge and obvious.”