We've said repeatedly that Pat Stryker's role in Abound Solar getting a $400 million taxpayer-backed loan from the Obama administration always reeked of pay to play. Today The Colorado Observer's Mark Stricherz reports on Stryker's curious habit of listing her role with Bohemian Companies, which has invested privately in Abound Solar, whenever she was donating to a politician that could have a large role in regulating or loaning money to Abound Solar.
From Stricherz's article:
Patricia Stryker’s self-identification on federal forms as a major Democratic donor depended on whether she gave money to politicians with influence over energy policy or not.
When the billionaire heiress donated money to Democratic pols who could shape federal energy policy directly, usually she identified herself in connection with Bohemian Companies, the Fort-Collins based firm that made key investments in a participant in the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program.
When Stryker donated money to Democratic politicians with no direct influence over energy policy, she identified herself on Federal Election Commission forms as retired, self-employed, or a philanthropist.
Stryker’s donations in the 2008 election cycle illustrate the pattern.
Listing her occupation as chairman or owner of Bohemian, Stryker donated to the presidential campaigns of Democrats Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John Edwards as well as the congressional candidacies of Representatives Diana DeGette of Denver and John Salazar of Alamosa.
Obama, Clinton, and Edwards each had the possibility if elected of overseeing the Department of Energy. DeGette sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, while Salazar sat on a key Appropriations subcommittee that oversaw energy and water development.
Listing her occupation as retired, self-employed, or a philanthropist, Stryker donated money to every Democratic member of the state congressional delegation as well as three non-incumbents — Joan Fitz-Gerald, former Representative Betsy Markey, and Representative Jared Polis.
Yet again, it's the alternative media, not the mainstream media, digging up these investigative gems on what should be a huge national story.
Why is the mainstream media, like CBS4, spending their time giving softball fake interviews to President Obama when a huge pay to play scandal is possibly sitting right before their eyes?
As Macbeth might say to the media, yes, it is a dagger you see before you, handle toward your hands.
Pick up the damn dagger and start ripping open this story.
As they say, if it bleeds it ledes. And we're betting Abound Solar will bleed worse than King Duncan.
(Photo Credit: Complete Colorado)