And now we have a third data point to add to the trend of Republican corruption. The AP reports on Representative Rod Blum (R-IA):
A congressman from Iowa violated House ethics rules by failing to disclose his ownership role in a new company, a mysterious outfit that featured his top federal staffer in a false testimonial promoting its services, an Associated Press review shows.
Rep. Rod Blum was one of two directors of the Tin Moon Corp. when the internet marketing company was incorporated in May 2016, as the Republican was serving his first term, a business filing shows. Among other services, Tin Moon promises to help companies cited for federal food and drug safety violations bury their Food and Drug Administration warning letters below positive internet search results.
Blum claims it to be a clerical error. How corrupt is this? Not really all that … oh wait. It gets a bit worse.
Tin Moon’s website on Tuesday removed an official photo of Blum wearing his congressional pin and changed his title from CEO to “majority shareholder” after AP raised questions about ethics rules. Tin Moon is based in the same Dubuque office as a construction software company Blum owns, Digital Canal.
And then:
Late Wednesday, the company also removed an online video testimonial showing “John Ferland representing Digital Canal” and claiming to be a satisfied customer. Ferland — who is actually chief of staff in Blum’s congressional office and has never worked for Digital Canal — claimed that Tin Moon is “saving us thousands of dollars every month, keeping our traffic and leads higher,” and implored: “From one business owner to another, I suggest you take a look at Tin Moon.”
Assuming the AP has its ducks in a row, this is rather like cockroaches scurrying for their dark little holes when someone turns on the lights, isn’t it?
The omission of mentioning his ownership in the company seems quite odd. How can one forget about a company one has a financial interest in? And then Blum depicted as CEO with his Congressional title clearly shown – quite Roman, one might say, that hint of power and influence. I wonder if he was aware of it. The video, in comparison, is simply crass and deceptive. Blum later suggests he has no idea how that happened, which is doubly disgusting. You’re the majority shareholder, try being an adult about it.
The frenzied removal of evidence, as if that will help matters. It’s just so … I’ll chance the overused banal, although I sense that word is going by the wayside.
The timing is interesting, too, as while Representatives Hunter & Collins are in relatively safe Republican districts, although I can’t help wonder if they’re less safe now, Blum is in a relatively competitive district according to Ballotpedia, having won his last election 53.7% to 46.1%, and while it went for Trump in 2016, in 2012 it went for Obama.
So this ethical contretemps may result in a loss of another GOP seat, and, more importantly, contributes to the damage being accumulated by the Republican Party.
