Texas Businessman Files Lawsuit Claiming He Was Forced To Funnel $75,000 To Norm Coleman’s Wife
Texas Businessman Files Lawsuit Claiming He Was Forced To Funnel $75,000 To Norm Coleman’s Wife
A lawsuit alleges that one of Sen. Norm Coleman’s (R-MN) best friends and supporters, Nasser Kazeminy, used a Texas-based oil-rig services company to funnel $75,000 to Coleman through his wife Laurie’s insurance firm. Paul McKim, who filed the lawsuit and who until last Friday was CEO of Deep Marine Technologies (DMT), says Kazeminy — who owns about 50 percent of the company — threatened to fire him if he did not agree to the deal. The lawsuit alleges Kazeminy explicitly sought to benefit Sen. Coleman:
In March 2007, Kazeminy began ordering the payments of corporate funds to companies and individuals who tendered no goods or services to DMT for the stated purpose of trying to financially assist United States Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota. In March 2007, Kazeminy telephoned B.J. Thomas, then DMT’s Chief Financial Officer. In that conversation, Kazeminy told Mr. Thomas that “U.S. Senators don’t make [expletive deleted]“ and that he was going to find a way to get money to United States Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota and wanted to utilize DMT in the process.
Deep Marine Technology provides “comprehensive subsea services to the Offshore Oil and Gas Industry” and is “a significant player in the Gulf of Mexico,” according to its website. Coleman is a strong proponent of offshore drilling.
The lawsuit alleges that the money was sent through Laurie Coleman’s insurance firm, Hays Companies, to make it “appear as though the payments were made in connection with legitimate transactions.” A video shows Coleman ducking questions about the suit from Minnesota Star Tribune reporters on Wednesday.
Coleman called the suit’s claims “false and defamatory,” but today, McKim produced records documenting the payments to Laurie Coleman’s firm, Hays:
Earlier this month, Harpers reported that Kazeminy “covered the bills for Coleman’s lavish clothing purchases at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis” — a topic the campaign was not eager to discuss. Coleman also has a cozy deal with a political friend who lets him rent his Capitol Hill residence for a scant $600 a month.
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33 Responses to “Texas Businessman Files Lawsuit Claiming He Was Forced To Funnel $75,000 To Norm Coleman’s Wife”
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Sen. Norm Coleman’s (R-MN) wife...
...Another Neiman Marxist.
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October 31st, 2008 at 3:02 pmYo! An October surprise for Normie! Go Franken!!!
October 31st, 2008 at 3:03 pm'Bye Norm.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:03 pmI shocked! Shocked I tell you! I would never have dreamed that a politically connected republican businessman would misappropriate (steal) funds from their own company to support a politician who is in office solely to line his business partner's pockets!
Oh, the humanity!
October 31st, 2008 at 3:03 pmSpreading the wealth because senators are poor [dont make sh__]
Rapture Ready would be incensed I tell you!!
October 31st, 2008 at 3:05 pmSarah isn't the only one who shops at Neiman Marcus with other people's money. Nice price for a rental in DC, good to have friends. Coleman is finished but it's been a long time coming.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:06 pmI hope Franked jumps on this ASAP.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:07 pmCrap - Franken.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:08 pmThis bit of factual news may help Al Franken in the polls.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:09 pmBetween this, the free D.C. apartment and his annoying habit of suing anyone with the temerity to run against him, ol' Norm is sure looking awfully sleazy for a guy who looks and acts like a J.C. Penney mannequin.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:09 pmWell if this doesn't cure Stuart Smalley's depression, I don't know what will.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:11 pmI've been trying to remember who Coleman looks like, and it finally hit me.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:15 pmIn the movie Quest For Fire, an early character is a hormone driven youth who pursues sex without paying attention to his surroundings. He is the first casualty in an attack by another tribe of cavemen.
Coleman has the exact same dumb look on his face.
Earlier this month, Harpers reported that Kazeminy “covered the bills for Coleman’s lavish clothing purchases at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis”
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Nieman Marcus is getting quite the product placement this campaign season, aren't they...
October 31st, 2008 at 3:15 pmAl Franken, paging Al Franken. Al Franken, please step to the white courtesy phone, you have a very important call....
October 31st, 2008 at 3:16 pmEarlier this month, Harpers reported that Kazeminy “covered the bills for Coleman’s lavish clothing purchases at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis”...
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Nieman Marcus appears to be getting a LOT of business in that location from Republicans shopping with other people's money. Who knew that Minneapolis would be ground zero for that sort of thing?
October 31st, 2008 at 3:18 pmColeman and Bachmann sure aren't helping polish the Minnesota apple.
But I do feel sorry for the normal people there. They must be very frustrated.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:21 pmNorm! There's a vacant bar stool at Cheers.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:26 pmSo er uh Norm. How DO you afford your rock-n-roll lifestyle?
October 31st, 2008 at 3:30 pmWOW. A secret private salary from a company you don't work for on top of $171,000 as a sitting senator. This can't be legal.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:31 pmLooks like Normie can go back to making camping stoves.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:32 pmPolitical career = over and out.
The guy is a hypocrite. Case in point: he has voted against laws legalizing marijuana and voted in favor of tough sentencing guidelines for those in possession of it.
A letter to GOP Sen. Norm Coleman from a former college friend asking why he supports brutal drug laws when he was an avid pot smoker as a young man.
http://www.alternet.org/story/55830
October 31st, 2008 at 4:17 pmCan someone start that RICO investigation now?
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Documents_reveal_how_Ohio_routed_2004_1031.html
October 31st, 2008 at 4:32 pmAh, a different kind of "man in the middle"! Companies buy the legislators and get preferential government treatment in return.
This is why the FBI has terror as its #1 priority. Red and Blue corporafornication goes on without any investigation from authorities.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:39 pmOuch! this is going to hurt.
October 31st, 2008 at 4:43 pmRUCerious Says:
Yo! An October surprise for Normie! Go Franken!!!
October 31st, 2008 at 4:47 pm````````````````````````````````````````````
Sadly none of the local newscasts have picked up on this story and yet they covered Norms lawsuit against a Franken commercial.
I just hope Al wins. He does a crack Paul Wellstone impersonation.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:49 pmNice, so long Coleman. If the clowns in St. Cloud and Anoka can dump Bachmann, our state will be looking alot better Wed. morning, except for our as#hat Governor.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:50 pmHelloooo, Senator Franken!
October 31st, 2008 at 5:53 pmFranken would make 7 picks. Liddy Dole looks like she stepped in her own crap and might get knocked off for 8. Getting very close to the magic number.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:59 pmWonder what George Galloway thinks of Norms "Oil for Clothes and Money" Campaign? Somebody painted Norm is a criminal on one of his garages last week. I don't condone vandalism, but this shows Norm's time is running out.
October 31st, 2008 at 7:21 pmTo IgnoranceIsNotBliss Says:
Why would you say "Crap - Franken."? Ignorance is not bliss and Franken is not ignorant, nor stupid. I hope this story makes some TV network before Tuesday. A friend of mine said last night, "We have been living in a Cleptocracy for the last 8 years." That sums it up folks. If you want be ripped off, keep voting Republicon.
October 31st, 2008 at 9:51 pmquestioneverything Says:
Why would you say “Crap - Franken.”?
You might be misinterpreting, or it might have been better written:
"Crap" - Franken
¶ AIO
November 1st, 2008 at 4:41 amMax-1 @ 1
No kidding. It's starting to look like Nieman Marcus in Mpls is simply a front operation for the GOP.
So I guess I'm not dropping any bombshells by stating once again that Coleman is a sleaze. I blogged about a personal experience with him a few years back here: . I'm surprised Laurie Coleman is working. She had big dreams of Hollywood stardom that apparently didn't pan out. For most of his early Senate career, she lived 2,000 miles away from him, not that he ever seemed particularly lonely.
November 1st, 2008 at 3:25 pm