Still No Definitive Answer on Neiman Marcus Shopping Spree from Coleman
Christian Church
October 22, 2008
Coleman responds but does not say whether he accepted gifts from Nasser Kazeminy.
St. Paul — At a press conference (open only to certain members of the Minnesota media), Norm Coleman did not offer a definitive answer on whether he received gifts from wealthy investment mogul Nasser Kazeminy.
This week, Harper´s Magazine broke the news that a major Norm Coleman campaign donor, wealthy investment mogul Nasser Kazeminy, "covered the bills for Coleman´s lavish clothing purchases at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis."
DFL Chair Brian Melendez released the following statement:
"All this week, we've heard conflicting reports, equivocation, and parsing from Senator Coleman and his campaign. This morning he carefully told us, ´nobody except my wife or me bought my suits´ — but he still didn´t answer the fundamental question. Senator Coleman can, and must, answer ´yes´ or ´no´ — did Nasser Kazeminy ever pay for his clothes at Neiman Marcus, either while he was senator or beforehand? We still don't have that ´yes´ or ´no,´ and Minnesotans deserve it."
Norm Coleman Still Refuses to Answer the Simple Question:
Coleman: "Nobody Except My Wife Or Me Bought My Suits." In a prepared statement delivered on October 10, 2008, Coleman said, "While I have answered honestly the question about suits and jobs – I will say as clearly as I can. Nobody except my wife or me bought my suits. If my friends have shared gifts with me and my family — or I have shared gifts with them — if they rose to the level of having to be reported — they were reported." [Coleman Campaign Statement, 10/10/08]
Coleman Spokesperson Refused To Answer Reporter Inquiry About "Lavish Clothing Purchases" At Neiman Marcus. In October 2008, Ken Silverstein of Harper´s "Washington Babylon" blog, wrote: "I´ve been told by two sources that Kazeminy has in the past covered the bills for Coleman´s lavish clothing purchases at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis. The sources were not certain of the dates of the purchases; if they were made before Coleman joined the Senate in 2003, he obviously would not be required to report it under senate rules. But having a private businessman pay for your clothing is never a good idea if you´re a public official (Coleman was mayor of St. Paul from 1994 to 2002). Kazeminy did not respond to a request for comment. I´ve been trying unsuccessfully since last week to get Coleman´s press office to give me a direct answer about the matter." [Ken Silverstein, Harpers.org, 10/6/08]
Silverstein´s First Inquiry To Coleman Campaign Was Not Answered Directly
Email to [Coleman spokesperson] LeRoy Coleman [no relation to senator]: "Wanted to run this by you one last time: Two sources have told me that Nasser Kazeminy has paid for clothing for Senator Coleman and his wife at Nieman Marcus… Seems like a pretty straightforward question, and [I] was hoping I could get a response to it. If it´s not accurate, please let me know. [I] am planning to write an item about this over next day or two; if Senator Coleman disputes the accounts I have heard, I would like to know."
Coleman´s response: "As required, any gift Norm Coleman has received from his friends has been fully reported." [Ken Silverstein, Harpers.org, 10/6/08]
Silverstein´s Second Inquiry To Coleman Campaign Was Not Answered Directly
To Coleman: "Sorry to be so persistent, and maybe I´m missing something here, but I am still hoping you can just give me a direct ´yes or no´ answer: Has Nasser Kazeminy paid for clothing for Senator Coleman and/or his wife at Nieman Marcus? If, so, when were the purchases made? Was he already in the Senate [then], or was it prior to his joining the Senate? Saying he´s reported any gifts "as required" does not necessarily mean Kazeminy has not paid for Coleman´s purchases at Nieman.
Coleman´s response: "As required, any gift Norm Coleman has received from his friends has been fully reported." [Ken Silverstein, Harpers.org, 10/6/08]
Pioneer Press: Coleman Was Not Forthcoming About Clothing Purchased By Kazeminy. On October 7, the Pioneer Press "Political Animal" blog, reported, "Pioneer Press reporter Dave Orrick bumped into Republican Sen. Norm Coleman at the Viking Cafe in Fergus Falls today and asked the Senator the question of the moment: whether Nasser Kazeminy ever bought Coleman any clothing? (A Harper's Magazine blog item suggested that indeed Kazeminy had picked up the tab for some Coleman wear.) The answer from Coleman, who was not wearing a suit today, was no more forthcoming than the answers his spokesman gave yesterday. 'First of all, every gift I've ever received has been reported, ok. But the idea of responding to the things bloggers throw out is something I'm not going to get into. There are very awful things that are said about people on the blogs," he said. Orrick then asked for a simple yes or no answer on the suit question. 'That's the answer, period. You can read it in the answer,' he said." [Pioneer Press, "Political Animal," 10/7/08]
St. Paul — At a press conference (open only to certain members of the Minnesota media), Norm Coleman did not offer a definitive answer on whether he received gifts from wealthy investment mogul Nasser Kazeminy.
This week, Harper´s Magazine broke the news that a major Norm Coleman campaign donor, wealthy investment mogul Nasser Kazeminy, "covered the bills for Coleman´s lavish clothing purchases at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis."
DFL Chair Brian Melendez released the following statement:
"All this week, we've heard conflicting reports, equivocation, and parsing from Senator Coleman and his campaign. This morning he carefully told us, ´nobody except my wife or me bought my suits´ — but he still didn´t answer the fundamental question. Senator Coleman can, and must, answer ´yes´ or ´no´ — did Nasser Kazeminy ever pay for his clothes at Neiman Marcus, either while he was senator or beforehand? We still don't have that ´yes´ or ´no,´ and Minnesotans deserve it."
Norm Coleman Still Refuses to Answer the Simple Question:
Coleman: "Nobody Except My Wife Or Me Bought My Suits." In a prepared statement delivered on October 10, 2008, Coleman said, "While I have answered honestly the question about suits and jobs – I will say as clearly as I can. Nobody except my wife or me bought my suits. If my friends have shared gifts with me and my family — or I have shared gifts with them — if they rose to the level of having to be reported — they were reported." [Coleman Campaign Statement, 10/10/08]
Coleman Spokesperson Refused To Answer Reporter Inquiry About "Lavish Clothing Purchases" At Neiman Marcus. In October 2008, Ken Silverstein of Harper´s "Washington Babylon" blog, wrote: "I´ve been told by two sources that Kazeminy has in the past covered the bills for Coleman´s lavish clothing purchases at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis. The sources were not certain of the dates of the purchases; if they were made before Coleman joined the Senate in 2003, he obviously would not be required to report it under senate rules. But having a private businessman pay for your clothing is never a good idea if you´re a public official (Coleman was mayor of St. Paul from 1994 to 2002). Kazeminy did not respond to a request for comment. I´ve been trying unsuccessfully since last week to get Coleman´s press office to give me a direct answer about the matter." [Ken Silverstein, Harpers.org, 10/6/08]
Silverstein´s First Inquiry To Coleman Campaign Was Not Answered Directly
Email to [Coleman spokesperson] LeRoy Coleman [no relation to senator]: "Wanted to run this by you one last time: Two sources have told me that Nasser Kazeminy has paid for clothing for Senator Coleman and his wife at Nieman Marcus… Seems like a pretty straightforward question, and [I] was hoping I could get a response to it. If it´s not accurate, please let me know. [I] am planning to write an item about this over next day or two; if Senator Coleman disputes the accounts I have heard, I would like to know."
Coleman´s response: "As required, any gift Norm Coleman has received from his friends has been fully reported." [Ken Silverstein, Harpers.org, 10/6/08]
Silverstein´s Second Inquiry To Coleman Campaign Was Not Answered Directly
To Coleman: "Sorry to be so persistent, and maybe I´m missing something here, but I am still hoping you can just give me a direct ´yes or no´ answer: Has Nasser Kazeminy paid for clothing for Senator Coleman and/or his wife at Nieman Marcus? If, so, when were the purchases made? Was he already in the Senate [then], or was it prior to his joining the Senate? Saying he´s reported any gifts "as required" does not necessarily mean Kazeminy has not paid for Coleman´s purchases at Nieman.
Coleman´s response: "As required, any gift Norm Coleman has received from his friends has been fully reported." [Ken Silverstein, Harpers.org, 10/6/08]
Pioneer Press: Coleman Was Not Forthcoming About Clothing Purchased By Kazeminy. On October 7, the Pioneer Press "Political Animal" blog, reported, "Pioneer Press reporter Dave Orrick bumped into Republican Sen. Norm Coleman at the Viking Cafe in Fergus Falls today and asked the Senator the question of the moment: whether Nasser Kazeminy ever bought Coleman any clothing? (A Harper's Magazine blog item suggested that indeed Kazeminy had picked up the tab for some Coleman wear.) The answer from Coleman, who was not wearing a suit today, was no more forthcoming than the answers his spokesman gave yesterday. 'First of all, every gift I've ever received has been reported, ok. But the idea of responding to the things bloggers throw out is something I'm not going to get into. There are very awful things that are said about people on the blogs," he said. Orrick then asked for a simple yes or no answer on the suit question. 'That's the answer, period. You can read it in the answer,' he said." [Pioneer Press, "Political Animal," 10/7/08]
Print
Email
