I've tried to make these posts as concise as possible. If the reader needs further information, I suggest searching on this blog and searching "Ripple in Stillwater", the late award-winning, investigative journalist Karl Bremer's blog.
Back in 2012, City Pages reporter Aaron Rupar asked me about allegations by Amy Klobuchar's election opponent and the Daily Caller about campaign contributions to Klobuchar's campaign by Tom Petters. This is what I said:
It's a pretty explosive allegation, right? But what the report only mentions in passing, says local political blogger and longtime Petters watcher Ken Avidor, is that Klobuchar is far from the only Minnesota politician to be sullied by a connection with Petters -- the list also includes Michele Bachmann, Norm Coleman, and Tim Pawlenty.
Linking Senator Klobuchar to Tom Petters is like saying the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941. No. Was Germany an ally of the country that bombed Pearl Harbor? Yes. Can anyone prove Klobuchar knew Tom Petters was conducting a massive, multi-billion dollar fraud? Not likely since Petters was a darling of Minnesota media who ran countless flattering articles describing Petters as a business genius. Petters did have a brush with the law in 1989, but the case was dismissed and the court file was sealed in 1995.
However, Senator Klobuchar should have known that Frank Vennes Jr., a donor to her campaign and the campaigns of her friend Michele Bachmann and a benefactor and board member of Minnesota Teen Challenge (see this post) was a convicted felon, a fact Vennes himself talked about openly.
Back in 2012, the question about Amy Klobuchar and fraudster Frank Vennes Jr., the subject of this blog now serving a sentence for operating fraud connected to Tom Petters' $3.6 billion Ponzi scheme was not as clear as the relationship of Michele Bachmann to Frank Vennes Jr. detailed in the late Karl Bremer's investigative masterpiece "Lawyers Guns & Money, The Twisted Trail of the Frank Vennes Jr. Presidential Pardon".
To be fair, there is no evidence Senator Klobuchar asked for or lent her support for a presidential pardon as Bachmann, Pawlenty, Coleman and others. However, reporters should ask the Senator if she at any time supported the effort to obtain a presidential pardon for Mr. Vennes. Reporters should also ask Senator Klobuchar if she would pardon or commute the sentence of Mr. Vennes if she becomes President Klobuchar.
The $500K earmark from Senator Klobuchar likely saved Minnesota Teen Challenge from dire financial straits caused when the Petters/Vennes largesse was "clawed back" by the court-appointed receiver. Senator Klobuchar should also be asked why she did not advise MNTC to exercise due diligence and reject the donations of a convicted felon and certainly not allow Mr. Vennes to serve on the board and handle the finances as treasurer.
When Michele Bachmann ran for president in 2011, Karl Bremer appeared on Democracy Now to talk about Frank Vennes Jr. and his quest for a presidential pardon:
Years ago, I was making videos for the Dump Bachmann blog, so I took a trip to the Minnesota Capitol September 11, 2011 because Michele Bachmann was scheduled to speak at the "Patriot Day" event. Bachmann was a no-show. There was no explanation given, although one of the speakers told me Bachmann had "security concerns". Then I saw Amy Klobuchar, apparently standing in for Rep. Bachmann (both sponsored the Boondoggle Bridge legislation in Congress). Klobuchar seemed at ease standing with Pastor Brandon, virulent opponent of same-sex marriage as the photo below attests:
I also made a video featuring Brad Brandon and Senator Klobuchar (can be viewed if requested)
On the stage with Senator Klobuchar was Mitch Berg, a right-wing blogger of "Shot in the Dark" fame. Berg has a post with a cartoon on his blog portraying me as a hairy penis... "family values", I guess. So, I imagine, Senator Klobuchar would call her appearance at this event with Mr. Bergand the other right-wing culture warriors "reaching across the aisle"(a bit of an overreach if you asked me). Keep in mind, Senator Klobuchar has turned her back on environmentalists and other progressive activists. Also at the event and giving a no-comment to me was Lee Michaels who in happier times appeared with Bradlee Dean and sidekick Jake McMillian.
You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International is run by President Bradley Dean Smith of Annandale, who is better known to his followers as “Bradlee Dean,” and Secretary Jacob McMillian MacAulay, a/k/a "Jake McMillian," the only two paid members on the organization’s board. Other directors include Nicole Bengston, vice president; Heather MacAulay (Jake’s spouse), treasurer, Ron Stone, director; and Todd Bergren, director.
Reporters need to ask Senator Klobuchar why she felt so comfortable even ebullient with extremist, right-wing culture warriors, such as Michele Bachmann as this photo taken by Karl Bremer shows:
Before he was convicted for his role in Tom Petters' $3.6 billion Ponzi scheme Frank Vennes Jr. served on the board of Minnesota Teen Challenge (now, Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge). This is how the late Karl Bremer summarized the role MNTC played in Mr. Vennes' quest for a presidention pardon in Part 3 of "Lawyers Guns & Money The Twisted Trail of the Frank Vennes Jr. Presidential Pardon":
Bachmann and Pawlenty—both of whom are running for president—and Coleman have refused repeatedly to respond to inquiries from myself about Frank Vennes Jr. But one common thread connects them—and former President George W. Bush—to the convicted money launderer: the controversial faith-based drug/alcohol rehab ministry Teen Challenge.
The LGBT Community needs to watch out for programs like Teen Challenge and remember that it a massive organization with over 223 centers in North America with the capacity to sleep over 7,536 people, according to its website.
Programs like this negatively impact a high number of gay youth. I can state from firsthand experience that Teen Challenge did some long-term damage to my self esteem.
MNTC itself, has associated itself with gay conversionist Janet Boynes as well as culture warriors Marcus and Michele Bachmann. MN Senator Scott Dibble (from the Uptake):
MNTC continues to this day to be a haven for right-wing culture warriors as evidenced by a recent fundraising gala in Minneapolis attended by several prominent right-wing Republicans and one prominent Democrat - Senator Amy Klobuchar. There is a cache of photos taken at the May 4, 2018 event at Flickr. Including photos, like this one of Senator Klobuchar giving a speech and others showing Senator Klobuchar sticking around for the meal:
Also at the gala were Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, Assistant Majority Leader. Senator Warren Limmer. Former Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek and others including the former lobbyist for Frank Vennes Jr. Judge Jamie Anderson profiled in this article by Andy Birkey.
Reporters need to ask Presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar about her $500K earmark for MNTC in light of her denial of aid to debt-burdened students. They need to ask her why she attended this 2018 fundraiser and other fundraisers in the past (see below screenshot) for this bizarre, right-wing, culture-warring, fraud-friendly ministry.
Genna Gazelka, 30, who uses the pronoun “they” and now identifies as bi-gender, recalled being sent to a therapist who decried same-sex relations. The therapist was Marcus Bachmann, the husband of former U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, a fiery conservative Christian who ran for president in 2012
Genna Gazelka's father is Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka. Paul Gazelka gave a speech at the MNTC gala this year and tweeted about it.
There is no videos or audio available for Klobuchar's 2018 & 2019 speeches, but this video titled "Senator Klobuchar Praise of MN Teen Challege" is on You Tube:
