RPS: A snapshot of broken government. By Tim Connor and Larry Shook, Camas Magazine
How the following agencies and public officials figure in the RPS scandal:
Department of Justice and FBI
After a years investigation, these federal agencies found no evidence of financial fraud, and referred the manslaughter complaint back to the county. They didn’t contact key witnesses and did not refute any evidence of criminality.
Securities and Exchange Commission
Ignored a complaint filed in 1998 by former Prudential Securities attorney Mark Schwartz, who argued the parking garage was too closely tied to the privately owned River Park Square to quality for tax-exempt bonds. Schwartz appeared before the city council and called the project’s financing a heist by the Cowleses. SEC intervention could have saved the community millions of dollars and years of litigation. (See Secret Deal, part 2)
Freedom From The Press – Media Corruption & Government Fraud – Exposed
IRS
Also ignored a complaint filed by Mark Schwartz in 1998. But the IRS also ignored evidence of criminality detailed in its own 2004 report, which ruled the garage bonds were illegally sold as tax-exempt. (See Ominous Message from the IRS)
Senator Patty Murray
In 1998 the Senator snubbed Mayor John Talbott and Councilwoman Cherie Rodgers, who both hoped she might take an interest in the River Park Square controversy. Instead the Senator issued a false press release, claiming HUD support, that promoted the project. (See April Fooled)
HUD
In 1998 John Talbott traveled to Washington, D.C., to consult the federal agency about a proposed $23 million loan of Spokane’s block grant money to the Cowleses for their mall. Although the loan violated its own guidelines, HUD still approved it. Then-HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo was present at the meeting. Cuomo is now the New York Attorney General.
James A. McDevitt
The current U.S. Attorney for Eastern Washington was in the middle of the RPS controversy. Billing records of his former law firm, Preston, Gates & Ellis, indicate that McDevitt was part of the illegal cover-up of the loss of half the revenues needed to pay off the garage bonds. Complaints to the Justice Department and the Washington State Bar Association brought no action. (See McDevitt v. Ethics Rules)
Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick,
County Prosecutor Steve Tucker, Mayor Mary Verner,
Spokane City Council
Former sheriff Tony Bamonte says all have looked the other way in the face of mounting evidence of financial fraud, criminal conspiracy, manslaughter and public endangerment.
“This is my hometown. I’m not going to live here. I’ve always considered this a company town, like a coal-mining town.”
—Richard Guy, Former Chief Justice, Washington State Supreme Court
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