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Fair ~ River stage: 33.37 Rising Friday, November 20, 2009 |
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Cooper pleads guilty to immigration fraudThursday, August 9, 2007State Rep. Nathan Cooper pleaded guilty to immigration fraud Thursday morning and agreed to cooperate with federal authorities in an ongoing investigation. One arrest, in Seattle, Wash., has already taken place as a result of information supplied by Cooper, said assistant U.S. attorney Jim Crowe. Cooper, 33, is a Cape Girardeau Republican in his second term in the Missouri House. Cooper said in a prepared statement that he would resign his political post.
Cooper, an immigration lawyer, waived indictment and entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Jean C. Hamilton. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of visa fraud and one count one felony count of making false statements to the U.S. Department of Labor. Cooper faces a fine of up to $500,000 and a 15-year prison sentence. Cooper surrendered $50,000 in legal fees he took from clients in the trucking industry to provide visas for seasonal workers in an industry that did not qualify for those visas. "He has agreed to cooperate," assistant U.S. attorney Jim Crowe said. "It does not have to do with anything about public corrupt, it is cooperating in the immigration investigation and last night we arrested an individual in Seattle, Wash., based on his information." The investigation of Cooper discovered that he set up companies to obtain temporary, seasonal worker visas for truck drivers. "Cooper developed a scheme to convince the government to issue improper visas and otherwise to impede the lawful operation of the H2B visa program in a number of ways," a release issued by the U.S. attorney's office in St. Louis said. "In the plea agreement, Cooper admitted to the fraudulent creation of shell companies in the name of which Cooper would apply for visa to be used for other companies, issuing bogus letters intended to deceive law enforcement as to the immigration status of his client's workers, and to the outright purchase of visas from other contracts to be illegally transferred to his client's workers." In one charge filed against Cooper alleged that, an application for a visa to hire a truck driver for Retail Trucking LLC, a company Cooper formed in 2004, stated that it was new employment, the employment was seasonal and the application was signed "Vernon Vercoe." The facts, the investigation showed, was that Retail Trucking was not an active business, that the driver would work for Pullen Bros. Inc. of Sikeston. Mo., and that Vernon Vercoe did not exist. In the other charge, Cooper was accused of seeking labor certification for 110 unnamed aliens for seasonal employment by Speedy Express LLC, a company he formed in 2004. In fact, the charges state, Speedy Express was not an active business, the work involved was year-round and no attempt was made to find U.S. workers. Cooper's attorney, Joel Schwarz, said in a prepared statement that Cooper's actions were not related to his official duties. "Nathan crossed the line in his representation of a small number of these clients and will abide by whatever sentence the court imposes." Area and state political leaders expressed surprise at the charges and plea. "It was news to me until yesterday or actually until last night," said Victor Gunn, Cooper's campaign treasurer. "I am quite shocked it happened. Nathan is a fine individual and apparently made a mistake and it sounds like he has owned up to it." After Cooper resigns from the House, political party committees from his district will select candidates for a special election. County Collector Diane Diebold, vice-chairwoman of the Cape Girardeau County Republican Party, said the news was a shock. "I figured him into one of my friends," she said. "I just saw him a couple of days ago and talked to him two or three times lately. Nobody I talked to so far had any knowledge of it and I still consider him a friend." Gov. Matt Blunt issued a statement praising the work of the U.S. attorney's office in the investigation of Cooper. "I strongly commend United States attorney Catherine Hanaway and her professional staff for highly committed and vigorous enforcement of the federal laws against immigration fraud," Blunt said in a prepared statement. "Because of Mr. Cooper's necessary resignation for serious criminal misconduct, I will take the appropriate steps to set a special election to ensure representation for the people of the district. "At the state level of enforcement, I will continue this administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, including any use of unlawful immigrants by state contractors," Blunt added. For updates, check back at www.semissourian.com or read Friday's Southeast Missourian. View the plea agreement (2 MB PDF file) Comments  Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on semissourian.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
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Who are the clients in the trucking industry?
10 years hard labor constructing the border fence with Mexico.
Adios, Nate.
I am sickened by this report. Mr. Cooper has been elected to a responsible position and has (apparently) misused the power of this position to betray the trust of his constituents.
As constituents, we must monitor our elected officials and not assume that since they have been elected that they will behave in an honorable manner.
Don't drop the soap Nate.
The universe always has a way of righting itself. This has made my day.
Cooper explains this as "overzealous representation of legal clients?" How about overzealous greed to the tune of $50,000 in legal fees. How much of the 50G went to his reelection campaign?
who are/were coopers clients in the trucking industry? let's see what will or is going to happen to them.
Am I missing something or is the fact that he is a REPUBLICAN conveniently left out of the story?
A lawyer and a politician. I guess he is doing his part in furthering those stereotypes.
Does it matter what his political affiliation is? No- that's why it is not in there. Check the police reports.. you see any political party affiliation there?
Small Fine and a slap on the wrist.
What shame this toolbox has brought to our District. I was so proud of our district at the last election when we were the only district in the State to record 40% AGAINST the minimum wage hike (minimum wage increase is window dressing for increased government revenue complimented by increased cost of living for the exact people who the hike is "benefiting"). Now this greedy little kumquat brings the reputation of our region down over a measly 50K. The judge better make him pay the full $500,000 and at least do a year in minimum security.
Another corrupt lawyer/politician? No surprise there! I'd LOVE to see this guy have to serve the full 15 years, but I won't be too shocked when they give him a year or two in some country club prison.
Good riddance I say...
Wow. A right-wing Republican smuggling illegals across the border, does hypocrisy get any more blatant?
I hope the names of the trucking industry will be made public but don't hold your breath.
Republicans....Gotta Love'em. I wonder why the FARM isn't out here mouthing off on this one?
Dr Dorthya...Noo..Nathan didn't abuse his elected position of power...He was doing this Waay before the election. The bottom line is...YOU ALL IGNORED THIS FACT...while the election was going on! Face it! You FUDGED this one!
Additionally, I hope they take away his law license. This is definately a question of ethics!
Mr_Fruity--
You are correct that his mold was cast way before he was elected. He was suspect when he was leading up the college Republicans in his SEMO days.
However . . .
Real Republicans in the know have no love for him--it was the ill-informed voters of this district who voted for him in the primary who are to blame for his ultimate election.
This is one Republican who says "Throw the book at him!"
I'm a conservative and a Republican, but I also noticed that the (R) was left out of the story. If we're to be fair, it should be in there just as it would be in any other story about a serving politician.
Cooper has really let a lot of people down.
just check this out about Rep. Cooper and a trucking company he has done work with...
www . firedupmissouri . com / node / 4002
yasgurfarm, Point well taken, but he did have the endorsement of the Republican Party. There were 2 other Republicans they could have endorsed.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who knows the truth about ole Nate!
This federal indictment against Rep. Cooper has been rumored for months. How come the Southeast Missourian has not been on top of this story before now? Is this another Rust-family coverup to protect the Republicans?
A couple thoughts come to mind after reading this initial story...
1) Nathan pleaded guilty BEFORE the indictment was even read.
2) The $50,000 in legal fees he received sure sounds like bribe money.
3) His overzealous representation amounts to knowingly participating in illegal activity.
4) Joel Schwarz must think we are all naive and stupid to think that this issue is not related to his official duties.
5) Who is the trucking company and who are the other local politicos that this trucking company have donated to.
6) Exactly how many is a "small number of clients?"
I'm sure there is much more to this story and I'm anxious and eager to learn even more of the details!
God love ya FARM, You just don't get it do you? You missed the argument between Mr_Nutty_Pancakes and myself. Hence, I created this name to poke fun at the Mr_Nutty_Pancakes name. Moreover, I was told that it is YOU who uses the Mr_Nutty_Pancakes name!
Additionally, Yes, this is about politics. Pure and Simple. This investigation was going on DURING the election. Every effort was made to cover up it's existance. Now, several months and taxpayer dollars later, we will have to spend MORE money on another election.
Great Job Guys!
Readers Beware, The F.A.R.M. also posts on here as The CAMP.
Read the case information on the Southeast Missourian site. Pullen Brothers, Inc.
Pullen Brothers of Sikeston is the trucking company that is stated in the case. I don't believe this is all Coopers fault, some blame must be left with the company as well.
Did he use any of his ties in the political world to help him secure these visas and what not.
I know he was a successful immigration lawyer long before he became a representative but I wonder if running for election didn't help him in this scheme.
My guess is he will get around a $250,000 fine and 5-10 yrs probabtion and surrender his law license. Which pretty much makes him useless in the world without his office or license to practice law.
As for a cover-up and this being rumored for along time....doubtful, I worked for the Mo House until late June and had been there 8 years....never heard of any of this until today.
I tell you the one this makes look good is Hanaway for her AG bid. Willing to put people of her own party away....good job Catherine!
The truth is folks the sooner we realize the Republican shakers and makers in this County
are out of control the better.This is a prime example of "hush hush for the good ole boys"!Terrible journalism for this media, as well as others here in Cape.Cooper was and is a typical example of a money hungry lawyer and politician.I expect there is more to come on this issue I just wonder if it will be made public.I guess there is some truth that the Republicans want the rich man rich!No worries though,the Democrats want the poor man poor also!Lets get rid of all of them!Get off your azzes and exercise your civil duty and VOTE!
Oh, this is good stuff! I am sure glad the wholesome, god fearing, ethical republicans are doing there part in "Missurah" to clean up the Immigration problems. And you bet political association should be announced over and over in this. If a Democrat had done this, I am sure that the headline would have read "DEMOCRAT facing prison!" C'mon Missouri...it's time to become a Blue state!
Mr. Cooper has cooperated fully with authorities in investigating this crime. He has admitted the offense and will now suffer the shame and financial hardship created by losing his law license, state representative post, and reputation. For two terms he worked hard as a state representative, and has devoted himself to causes in which he believes since he was a youngster. Now he is paying the price for breaking federal law. He is just like anyone else who makes a mistake. His mistake just happened to be magnified because of his position. Everyone makes mistakes, and hopefully when you do you have a supportive network of people who recognize that you are a good person, and realize that you are better than your worst mistake. I hope the posting of the comments on this site are not representative of the Cape Girardeau community. It must take a lot of guts to hurl insults behind a pseudonym at someone who is already facing the end of life as he knows it. There was once a Cape Girardeau that cared about its fellow neighbors and helped them when in need. If that Cape Girardeau still exists, then instead of hurling insults, Mr. Cooper's constituents should be thanking him for his service as a state representative and praying for him and his family during their difficult time.
Irony is so ironic! Let's start with the town dog catcher and work our way up to the Prez! FIRE THEM ALL!!!!
Blue state/red state; My hope for Missouri is that it remains an independent state. There is a reason that our state carried the winner in every presidential election since Fido was a pup.
Hopefully this will be a wakeup call to the locals that it doesn't matter if a "D" or an "R" follows a polito's monkier, they are ALL out to screw us over.
Incidentally, Cape Girardeau is Mr. Cooper's adopted hometown. He loves Cape Girardeau, and that is why he made his home here after school. He is active in the community and has supported it with his time and treasure. Yes, he made a mistake, but that does not negate his positive influence on the City of Roses. Cape should let Mr. Cooper know the are disappointed in his actions with regard to a matter related to his law firm. At the same time, isn't it appropriate to Let Mr. Cooper know that the Cape he adopted still exists, and retains its deep Christian roots and that religion's commitment to forgiveness?
sasakwa,
An example of a mistake is when I sometimes overshoot the toilet in the morning. What Mr. Cooper did was calculated and deliberate. The fact that the voters provided him with the privilage of representing them is reason enough to hold him, and all elected officials to a higher standard than routine bodily functions.
BTW: another example of a mistake is providing one's real name on an internet board.
I have made mistakes....but allowing illegal immigrants into the state to take decent paying jobs that other Missourians should have?!! He knew exactly what he was doing and this was nothing but a ploy to fill his pockets. It is very ironic that the best thing he talked about doing last year as our representative was saving cost on paper and printing in Jefferson City!
Adopted hometown...I'm sure there are plenty of guys at the Potosi Correctional Center who are ready to welcome him home with open arms.
LEt's be real. He will get a few months at Camp Cupcake. Maybe pay a fine. He will definately be disbarred. So what will be next for him? He know how to lie and cheat, so politics sounds like a perfect career.
Now the real issues. One, what will happen to his campaign contributions? WIll they be refunded? Two, who will replace hime in JC.
Thanks to the SEMissourian for posting the actual plea agreement documents. Now folks can make an informed decisions on whether or not to do business with Pullen Bros.
According the Federal Sentencing guidelines Cooper should be put away for between 30-37 months and be ineligible for probation (total Offense Level of 19 the agreement and assuming no prior criminal record).
My dearest Sasakwa:
The point you miss is that Mr. Cooper cooperated AFTER he got caught. You can talk about all the good he did for Cape Girardeau, but his act of fraud -- a federal crime -- casts a cloud over our community and all elected officials. What an embarassment. Nathan Cooper deceived the good citizens of Cape Girardeau. He committed the ultimate sin of violating the public trust passed on to him by his fellow citizens. They elected him to public office and he violated that trust.
Maybe he was greedy, maybe he was stupid. But he sure is not innocent or any kind of victim as you try to portray him.
People that talk about Nathan as being a fine person are naive. I went to school with Nathan and he was a slime ball then and it looks like he hasn't changed any. The only reason he is fessing up now is because he was caught and now he is singing like a bird to save his hide. This was not just some simple mistake he made, it was an orchastrated plot to fill his pockets.
Lumpy,
You're right. Giving one's real name might actually make one think about what they write.
This federal indictment against Rep. Cooper has been rumored for months. How come the Southeast Missourian has not been on top of this story before now? Is this another Rust-family coverup to protect the Republicans?
Not unless the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has suddenly become Repubulican.
Shane, Are you blind? Even member of Cooper's own party acknowledged this activity was going on prior to the election. Why don't you call the US Attorney's office and ask them WHEN the investigation was initiated!
Sasakwa, The scary part is, those DEEP christian roots didn't keep him from making an unethical decision. Additionally, He LIED and attempted to DECEIVE a Federal Court.
Did you eat paint chips with Nathan as a kid?
*looks at FARM* You've lost touch with reality. LOL! First of all, you think everyone is MJB, now you think everyone on here is Jerry66 and finally, you've called Bob Camp the town lunatic. LOL
The only one around here who is "Flapjacks" is you, now you're suffering from Paranoid Schizophrenia. Get some help man! LOL
After all, you were on here earlier posting your name as Wayne LaPierre. Kinda shows a history to me.
Oh no. What clown is going to be voted in his place? I can think of a couple who will want the position but they are just as crooked.
It takes a really dim bulb to get busted when every one politician is guilty of something shakey. What a nitwit!
Sasakwa, since I'm sure that is your real name let me introduce myself...
...Tonto Kowlowlski
Oh...Come off of it! Everyone knew this investigation was taking place during the election. Call Frazier or Brinson and ask them!
He's a Republican. What do you expect? How do terrorosts get into the country? Kind of obvious now isn't it? Do you think the Republican Party gives a lick about national security? If you do, you need to wake up. This scumbag needs to spend a nice long time in prison.
Hey guys, give the guy some slack. Did he do wrong, yes. Was the wrong he did worth 15 years in prison? I don't think so. He'll have a very hard time making a living when he gets out of jail; we should have a little sympathy for him.
I am disappointed at those of you that make unsubstantiated claims and irresponsible rumors. How many of you have taken the time to put yourself out there and be a leader in the community to face the scrutiny and brutality of faceless nameless comments such as the ones you all have made.
Nathan Cooper made mistakes. He is going to face severe punishment. The system works…period
Hawker cute comment, before you suggest hard labor for someone else perhaps you might want to get a job and work a full day
Hehe 1967,
The Republican Party is MUCH stronger than your Democrats are! If Hillary gets elected President, they might as well open the doors to all of Mexico, because she will let them all in. One bad apple doesn't make the whole of the Republican rotten. You should know better, hehe1967! One person a party does not make!!
Nathan Cooper is a dedicated public servant who did a fantastic job as a representative.
Everyone makes mistakes. Even me.
Cooper deserves appreciation and forgiveness from Cape Girardeau, not the venom being spewed on this comment list.
I am assuming gman is short for gay man, not that anything is wrong with that…as far as the dropping the soap is concerned---are you personally offering some act or is that a threat that should be passed on to law enforcement?
Did someone mention my name?
Chicagojh, sad that your day is made on the tragedy of others; I guess your best day was on September 11, 2001
As a gay man and a gay journalist, I take offense to any reference to gay men in prison. There are just as many straight men. Thank you!
Yes, JaysFan_20 you are missing something and the story did not leave out Cooper is a Republican. The fact is that in the second paragraph it states he is a Republican…read before you comment…it would be much more intelligent.
Shorttimer--- I wonder if you were facing up to three years in a federal prison, $50, 000 in fines, loss of your law license or ability to perform your vocation, loss of your public office, your reputation and would live with the stigma of this---would you really think that is a "Small Fine and a slap on the wrist"? How about a little compassion.
cardsfan61 "I hope the names of the trucking industry will be made public but don't hold your breath." READ the story, the names are in the story. The system works.
For someone who uses ' livefree' as a name to hide behind--- you sure are for taking other peoples freedom away
Ignatius J. Reilly , you maybe a conservative and a Republican, but your claim that the (R) was left out of the story is dead wrong. If you want to serve the Republican Party and your conservative views better---read more thoroughly--- see the second paragraph. The article is fair.
"We make men without chests and expect of them virtue and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst." --C.S. Lewis
Noomanaut, Thanks for the suggestion to look at www . firedupmissouri . Com but it is a tool for vicious and notoriously inaccurate partisan hacks---stick to the mainstream media on this one.
goodguy: They edited the story with additional information. The first draft posted here did not have the trucking company name nor party affiliation and it was less than half the length of the current story.
As for mistakes and compassion, I am certainly compassionate to good people who make a bad decision and drive home drunk or get themselves into a heated argument that turns into a brawl. However their is an enormous difference between making a mistake in judgment on a single evening and chronically making a series of mistakes over months and years while being fully aware of what one is doing.
It's not like these are his only fake companies either. Google "Winning Solutions, LLC" which was a shell company Cooper setup to funnel some political cash. Also look into the Coopers involvement with possibly accepting payments for license office positions. http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/s...
Taking those things into consideration with this indictment it doesn't look to me like Cooper was a good guy who just happened to forge a couple documents one day as a "mistake".
Any charges being brought against the trucking companies?
allen6177 if you took as much time to do some quality research as you do making inaccurate statements you would find out that the story is written on par with that of stories written about democrat officials. Take the time to review this newspapers archive. And by the way the writer of this story is personally a left wing democrat liberal. Rudy Keller is no Republican, but he is a fair journalist.
Mr_Fruity_Flapjacks are you not capable with having civil public discourse without hurling personal insults? Do you have an intellect capable of making arguments that are factual rather than cheap conspiracies that are unsubstantiated and false?
A question of ethics you note justifies taking away his laws license…What about the ethics of making repeated false statements? Perhaps you should face some penalty or at least some soul searching.
Everyone did not know this investigation was taking place during the election Mr_Fruity_Flapjacks, because the election was in August of 2004, prior to the investigation.
I have two friends that worked for Pete Frazier, the fact is he was unaware…so another false statement Mr_Fruity_Flapjacks
He did not lie or deceive the Federal Court as you falsely state.
"Every effort was made to cover up its existence" Really Mr_Fruity_Flapjacks---what evidence---what proof has you? Who was covering it up? Your assertion is laughable and unsupportable.
Mr_Fruity_Flapjacks you are so found of directing other people to research your false and misleading accusations, why don't you go out and prove them.
And why the pot shot at his Christianity. Christians sin everyday. People with Christian roots sin everyday. To lie is a sin, as you have done throughout your comments. What is your point?
yasgurfarm you sound like a Republican with an agenda and a chip on your shoulder. We had several elections, a primary and two general elections. Cooper was elected in all three.
shane. Glad to hear you had 8 years experience in the legislature. However, does that qualify you to judge that Mr. Cooper will be "pretty much useless in the world without his office or license to practice law"? What a petty and harsh statement. I would suggest he has made many contributions to the community and still can regardless of his mistakes.
ink_pen I'm sure there are plenty of guys at the Potosi Correctional Center who are ready to welcome you with open arms as well.
First of all, I cannot believe how naive people are around here. I have lived here since 1980. Slowly I have watched the quagmire that the new local Republican party has created destroy what was once a wonderful town.
I've held off blogging on the SE site as long as I could, but no longer. All I see on here are big mouth "no it alls" who act like that have a clue about what is going on. (You guys know who you are Conservative and Liberal alike!)
I'll be the first to admit it. I supported Nathan Cooper and I severely regret it! Yes, wind of "things" going on were running through our party like wild fire during the election, but a certain individual compromised our good faith and flat out lied to us. So, we supported Nathan.
Many of you on here "pose" as active Republican party members. Well, I never ever see any of you at the meetings! Yes Local Liberals, you got us on this one. Needless to say, at this point and time, the Republican Party here in Cape Girardeau is it's own worst enemy!
Additionally, I want to extend my apology to Pete Frazier. We were deceived and ignored you! Please, Run again!
Mary Kate,
Jackson, Missouri
First of all, I cannot believe how naive people are around here. I have lived here since 1980. Slowly I have watched the quagmire that the new local Republican party has created destroy what was once a wonderful town.
I've held off blogging on the SE site as long as I could, but no longer. All I see on here are big mouth "no it alls" who act like that have a clue about what is going on. (You guys know who you are Conservative and Liberal alike!)
I'll be the first to admit it. I supported Nathan Cooper and I severely regret it! Yes, wind of "things" going on were running through our party like wild fire during the election, but a certain individual compromised our good faith and flat out lied to us. So, we supported Nathan.
Many of you on here "pose" as active Republican party members. Well, I never ever see any of you at the meetings! Yes Local Liberals, you got us on this one. Needless to say, at this point and time, the Republican Party here in Cape Girardeau is it's own worst enemy!
Additionally, I want to extend my apology to Pete Frazier. We were deceived and ignored you! Please, Run again!
Mary Kate,
Jackson, Missouri
Goodguy, I hope you are not an affiliate of the Republican party. You just gave them the amo they need to certify us as idiots.
The US Attorney has the goods on him. The fight is over, we've lost. Stop beating a dead horse. We were wrong!
"missouri21", Another Rust family cover-up? Your false innuendoes are a slap in the face to the fair and objective reporters that write every day and their editors who without interference decide the content and scope of the stories in the Missourian. WHAT PROOF DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE SUCH A GROUNDLESS ACUSATION? Of course you have none. What in this story is favorable about Representative Cooper? Nothing of course.
I have known members of the Rust family my entire life. And without exception, they are ethical and have always been willing to take a stand and participate in our community regardless of whether it is popular or good for business.
Also Goodguy, I attended several of Pete's fundraisers...Yes! He did know! No wonder the liberals hate us. We lie all the time!
Gosh, goodguy. Come down from the ledge. One does not need to read every article in the archive to know which way this paper leans. I think this is a perfect time to make an example out of Ole Nate to show that as politicians they ARE to be held to a higher standard. I know that he violated Federal law with 2 felonies through his law firm, but send him on up the river, I say.
Many of us have probably voted for officials who have committed crimes, some even more serious than those of this case. Most of these are probably never prosecuted, because the lawbreaker is wealthy and well-connected enough to deter the prosecutor from ever going forward.
Also, the internal problems that may exist are not isolated to Cape Girardeau, they are common throughout the state, in both parties. Local leaders are often more interested in their own agendas than with furthering the cause of good government.
Nil, thank you. Your points are well thought out. I simply object to those who make false accusations and crude thoughtless comments, not thoughtful opinions that I disagree with.
As for the posted story, it is normal for initial postings to be void of significant details only because it is breaking story. For individuals to make attacks and conclusions on the initial posting is unfair and misleading.
Phil Brinson also knew!
Mary_Kate_Jackson I am simply objecting to those who make false accusations and crude thoughtless comments, not thoughtful opinions that I disagree with. And while I appreciate your comments, YOU ARE WRONG, PETE DID NOT KNOW…PERIOD. So please keep to the facts.
allen6177, actually you should read news few articles to find out if you are right---"the everybody knows comment is not evidence of proof. The Missourian news articles are balanced. You might also be aware that Jim Greabing, Chuck Miller, and Mark Powers all past political reporters/editors for the Missourian are or were prominent Democrat spokespersons and Press Secretaries. Democrat Political reporters have dominated the Missourian political reporting staff for over a decade.
I'm sure he pled out to avoid a lengthy series of legal proceedings, which wouldonly cause further embarrassment to his friends and family. I believe that was the appropriate thing for him to have done.
It's unfortunate that these events have come to pass, but it should also serve as a reminder to everyone that elected officials are not above the law. It appears that Cooper has made a series or errs in judgment, and money can do that; remember, we are all people and we are all susceptible to making mistakes. This is certainly not a reflection on the Republican Party, because Cooper's actions were against everything for which the MO GOP stands.
It's good to see that the party that is supposed to stand up for the core traditional moral values of America is really doing a dandy job. Ha! I don't think God would approve of this kind of corruption and fraud - after all, isn't lying a sin? But I guess since a Republican committed a sin, it only requires prayer for immediate recovery, because we all know that God is a Republican. This makes my day. I'm surprised that the biased Southeast Missourian even chose to write this article and that they properly identified him as a Republican, not like when the ever fair and balanced Fox News labeled Republican Rep. Mark Foley as a Democrat from Florida. People in this area need to wake up and realize that we need a change. Stop voting with your Bibles and start voting with your brains to elect representatives who will bring us real progress on issues that really matter like affordable health care and education and protecting the environment. Who cares about what a woman does with her uterus or what two men in the privacy of their own home? We've got bigger fish to fry. After all, Jesus was a liberal.. he rode a donkey. HAD ENOUGH? VOTE DEMOCRAT!
So the events of earlier today were all about Mr. Cooper's selfless desire to ensure his client had an adequate workforce. How commendable. And his law practice impacted his ability to serve? No, Mr. Cooper -- there's not many of us, Democrat or Republican, that will fall for that B.S. What you call overzealousness, in my book is greed and dishonesty. And your practice didn't do this to you. YOU destroyed your practice and hopefully your political career.
Situations like this sometimes make me wonder if there is such a thing as a truly ethical attorney or honest politician. But then I think of Representative Scott Lipke, and am reassured, knowing that he is both. I just wish there were more like him.
OlderEagle: Actually, some elected officials are above the law. Those who line their pockets by selling their offices through sweetheart deals on contracts or tax abatements, then use those payments as hush money to those who might bring criminal charges against them. These people are above the law, and they get away scotch free. You don't know about these people because they have purchased silence. Other legislators have undoubtedly broken the law and still represent you.
The leaders of the Republican Party should be held responsible for this man's election to the House. Most, if not all, of them were well aware that this man had a lengthy history of, at best, questionable legal and political practices. They all chose to stay quiet and allow him to pursue his political aspirations. When those who had been unaware were approached about these issues, they either declared their neutrality or refused to believe such stories could be true about a "nice" person like Mr. Cooper. And so the gifted and ambitious young politician's gluttonous amounts of money had its way with a naive electorate. Virtually no Republican leader chose to confront him and tell him not to run, or to publicly endorse either of his worthy opponents in 2004. These conservative leaders, more than Mr. Cooper, are responsible for this inevitable debacle. Where are the true leaders of integrity?
Just a few points, there are definately a few of us with political ties on one side or the other that heard rumblings and rumors about things, but none of us or very few of us probably KNEW exactly what was going on. To expect the paper to report on RUMORS would have been very irresponsible journalism and I'm honestly glad the paper did not report anything until it was OFFICIAL or it had acquired rockbed solid evidence of any misdealings on its own. It would have been foolish to do otherwise. As far as the just a slap on the wrist claims concerning Cooper's sentencing he has two things going against him: One: Federal Sentencing guidelines are much more rigid and standardized than those of the state and two if Hannaway is considering running for State AG it would not be in her best interest to give a percieved "slap on the wrist" to some one of her own party. As a representative Cooper did some positive things for the community and generally had a very positive image with the general public but his unethical and illegal actions give everyone the right to fairly criticize him for not living up to the standards of his profession and that of an elected official.
Hawker you are 100 percent right. He should be made to construct the fence and then pay 500k to those who have lost their jobs to the maggots crawling into our nation sucking it dry. Those he conspired with must also go to Jail especially the Employers and then they should be tarred and feather and staked out to an ant hill and honey poured on them in record heat. Then this crap would stop.
Agree with previous comment by Cap; reporting rumors of an indictment would have been totally irresponsible.
There have been many very thoughtful and insightful posts here, and it is obvious that most of these bloggers could represent our district better than Nathan did.
It will be interesting to see who files for the job; impeccable character will be of primary importance in the special election.
I voted for Nathan. He apparently got caught up in thing's that either lined his pockets, or he was genuinely trying to help somebody? Who knows?
I don't think he deserves a break, he practiced law, so he should know the "rules" and he should "play by the book"!
He was a lawyer, and a State Representative that got "caught"! Who's crying now?
For representing Missouri in his fashion, he deserves to go to prison! Gotta wonder how many terrorists he's given Visa's to since 9-11? Scary!!!!
"trained by Leadership Cape" ? Is that a joke? You have obviously never been in Leadership Cape if you consider that training.
MJB, glad you put down the crack pipe that you were smokin' around midnite and sobered up. I was afraid a black helicopter was going to track you via the internet and crash into your computer. Your second post was much more sensible than your first, and logical too. EXCEPT for the fact that Nathan indeed needs the compassion of Christ at this time.
It makes me laugh that someone said that Nathan had a long history of shady law and political practices, he's only 33 yrs old how long could it be.
It would be interesting to here from some of Mr Cooper's former employers, though. Mainly-David Barkledge. But now out with the old and in with the new.....
====PETE FRAZIER FOR STATE REP IN THE 158TH=====
====PETE FRAZIER FOR STATE REP IN THE 158TH=====
====PETE FRAZIER FOR STATE REP IN THE 158TH=====
====PETE FRAZIER FOR STATE REP IN THE 158TH=====
MJB,
If we want to get the dirty money out of politics we need to put clean money into it; i.e. start paying public servants what private sector people make. If we want the best and the brightest in government we WILL have to pay for it.
It's easy, just put a 1 in front of every elected officials salary ($133,000 for a state rep. instead of $33,000) and honest people will compete for the salary and the position instead of not-so-honest people competing for the power and prestige.
Nathan Cooper's downfall is common for people who lead double lives. Nathan needs to come clean on all issues he has deceived the public about. As a self-proclaimed ultra conservative and supporting that agenda to include anti-immigration, gay rights, etc., while living a completely different lifestyle causes people to do things that are self-destructive and often causing harm to his state and nation.
Come on out...Nathan...the weather is fine! Clean your plate now and after a few years in prison you can start an honest life for the first time in your adult life!
John in Jackson:
First its barklage and what do you think barklage would say?
Nathan Cooper has two things working against him at sentencing; Judges don't like lawyers standing before them accused of a crime. second, he betrayed the public trust. Whoever keeps mentioning Potosi Correction Center, Nate may fly over it on ConAir on his way to the new home, but he will go to a federal institution. Potosi is part of the Missouri Department of Corrections.
Typical friggin republican.......do whatever is good for yourself at the moment and screw the rest of the world. The main difference between this particular republican and the rest of the GWB followers is that this one has the cahones to admit he was wrong and plead guilty....maybe he would like to submit this as an example to the President.
whats the problem semissourian? didnt like the comment about yet another friggin republican gone south, so you deleted my comment?
scratch that....for whatever reason, when i submitted that last comment, the first comment appeared.....was not there before. my sincerest appologies.
training.....Leadership Cape?
Now that's funny.
Dear All,
I usually never ever blog, but I heard about what happened to Nathan Cooper and just needed to say something.
I knew Nathan in the SEMO College Republicans when I was in graduate school and he was still an undergraduate. I cannot be a judge of his character because I did not know him all that well; however, it does remind me of an article I wrote for the John Dewey Society in November of 2003 entitled, AMERICAN PRINCIPLES OF SELF-GOVERNMENT. I wrote a layman's version that can be downloaded at: http://www.designnine.com/library/docs/o....
Anyway, the point I want to make is that the First Condition of the American Principles of Self-Government holds that only mature individuals can be entrusted to govern. This has nothing to do with age of course, but it has everything to do with a person being able to govern his own affairs in an ethical and legal manner in order for him to be entrusted by the community to govern their affairs. Nathan's actions also are relevant to the Fourth Condition of these Principles which holds that one must live by both the cardinal virtues of his community and the distributive virtues of his vocation. Obviously, Nathan forgot both the First and Fourth Conditions of the American Principles of Self-Government and for whatever reason he became susceptible to a situation that led him down the wrong path and completely destroyed his legal and political career and the faith in which the people of Cape Girardeau have in our American political system.
Therefore, it should serve as a lesson to those in politics and the electorate of Cape Girardeau that only persons who emulate the American Principles of Self-Government and their Conditions should truly be leaders of our communities.
VE RI TAS
Michael Reber