Sun
Aug 20 2006
09:32 pm
U.S. Senate Candidate Bob Corker's Wal-Mart Deal
By: Brian A.

A lawsuit raising challenging how a Bob Corker real estate company obtained a construction easement over wetlands property and subsequently sold land to Wal-Mart has been reinstated.  According to the Commercial Appeal article, the court has sealed number of documents in the suit.

Questions: 

  • Who could have ever imagined that a public official might use his or her governmental clout in a manner which ultimately advanced a personally-beneficial  development project?  Has this kind of thing ever happened in local government before?
  • Why is the court keeping information on this transaction secret?
  • Will this issue have any impact on the senatorial race?
Topics:
R. Neal's picture

I was surprised to see this

Submitted by R. Neal on Mon, 2006/08/21 - 8:48am.

I was surprised to see this on the front page of today's KNS (right next to the lead headline about JohBenet Ramsey's killer). Sadly, this type of behavior seems not only expected, but accepted as the norm by Tennessee voters.

Knoxquerious's picture

Why is this an issue? There

Submitted by Knoxquerious on Mon, 2006/08/21 - 8:52am.

Why is this an issue? There are plenty of wetlands to go around, and society as a whole needs more Wal-marts. Oh, wait...

Old Hickory's picture

Explains why tax returns are not forthcoming

Submitted by Old Hickory (not verified) on Mon, 2006/08/21 - 12:23pm.

There are probably a number of other schedules which would show other corker related entities frm which he received income, which have engaged in questionable development, which Junior would want to exploit.

Eleanor A's picture

If you've got leads on anything like that, Old Hick,

Submitted by Eleanor A on Mon, 2006/08/21 - 10:04pm.

out with 'em. I would imagine some folks here might get time to run down to City Hall and pull some records.

Old Hickory's picture

Looking Into It, He's Not Going To Release Them Volunarily

Submitted by Old Hickory (not verified) on Mon, 2006/08/21 - 10:39pm.

There are a number of inter related entitites that have prospered through zoning variances/changes in traffic flow, rock bottom real estate reappraisals, and other things which might be hard to explain in the heat of a Senate battle. A full release of his returns (assuming they are up to date and fully filed) would have the schedules such that the pubic would have an insight into the entities he controled and as such the specific developments he was a part of.

Unlike Frist's HCA holdings, Corker's holdings were driven by Corker, managed by Corker, and sold by Corker. When Frist ran for the Senate, he had never been on the HCA board, had never had an official title at HCA, and had never even operated/seen a patient in an HCA hospital, such that his holdings really were a non issue. In Corker's case, Corker's holdings are all Corker until he sold virtually everything to run for the Senate.

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