More Questions About Angelo’s Sweetheart Dealer Dodd

David Patten at Newsmax begins - - -

Already under investigation for suspiciously favorable [sweetheart] mortgage terms received from Countrywide Financial [when Angelo Mozilo ran it for himself and “friends” while sticking taxpayers with Countrywide’s debt], Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd is also being called to task for a series of real estate deals and disclosures related to a cottage he owns on Galway Bay, Ireland.

Mr. Dodd is busy these days blaming everyone else for the real-estate bubble and financial meltdown, a Wall Street Journal editorial declared Thursday.

But he owes constituents and the Senate an honest accounting of his Galway property over the past 15 years.

Christopher Healy, chairman of the Connecticut GOP, told the Hartford Courant on Tuesday: There’s a body of activity here that raises questions about Dodd that so far he hasn’t really given reasonable answers to.

One reason the cottage is drawing attention: The man who witnessed the transfer of the property, Edward R. Downe Jr., was convicted of insider trading in 1993.

Downe pleaded guilty to securities fraud and insider trading, and agreed to a $11 million SEC civil settlement.

The Dodd-Downe relationship dates back at least to 1986, when they purchased a Washington [condo] together for $159,800. The Courant reports Dodd later bought out Downe’s share, and in 1999 sold the condominium for $310,000.

On former President Bill Clinton’s final day in office he issued, at Dodd’s request, a last-minute pardon of Downe’s felony convictions -- without going through the normal Justice Department vetting process.

None of which stopped Dodd from teaming up with Downe’s business partner, Missouri businessman William Kessinger, to purchase the Irish cottage.

According to Hartford Courant columnist Kevin Rennie, the saga of Dodd’s mysterious Irish land dealings date back to 1994.

Patten’s column continues here.

As for Dodd’s scandals, is there no end to them?

Hat tip: Instapundit