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SDGOP Chair Hopeful Lederman Worked for Saudis Against 9/11 Lawsuits, Made False Statement on Foreign Agent Registration

Dan Lederman’s pal, political crony, and sometime bail bonds employee Pat Powers seems to think Lederman’s effort to oust Pam Roberts from the SDGOP chair is newsworthy. The Iowa businessman’s effort to take over the South Dakota Republican Party is getting almost as much ink as Powers’s sponsors’ press releases.

Maybe Pat’s pal’s putsch matters. If it does, then Lederman’s recent side jobs matter. Consider this document Lederman filed with the U.S. Department of Justice last October to register as a foreign agent:

Dan Lederman to USDOJ, Registration as foreign agent, signed 2016.10.12, p.1.
Dan Lederman to USDOJ, Registration as foreign agent, signed 2016.10.12, p.1.
Dan Lederman to USDOJ, Registration as foreign agent, signed 2016.10.12, p.2.
Dan Lederman to USDOJ, Registration as foreign agent, signed 2016.10.12, p.2.

At the end of September, Congress dealt President Obama his only veto override and enacted the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which allows victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for its connections to the 9/11 attackers. Saudi Arabia has been lobbying to weaken that law. The above document shows Saudi Arabia paid Dan Lederman $8,500 as part of that lobbying. Lederman’s application describes the support he rendered in support of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia as “Outreach to media, influencers, and state and federal elected officials regarding the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act.”

Dan Lederman bowing to Saudi prince
So that’s who’s funding Lederman’s campaign for SDGOP chair…

I myself have described JASTA as “a toothless show-pony 9/11 lawsuits bill that could still provoke diplomatic and economic retaliation against the U.S.,” so if Lederman thinks JASTA is bad policy, or at least is willing to take Saudi money to tell people it’s bad policy, I lose no sleep.

But I’m not voting for Republican chair; Republicans are. And all three Republicans representing South Dakota in Congress voted for JASTA. The Republican President voiced unequivocal support for JASTA back in September. And the guy running for SDGOP chair is taking money from the Saudis to persuade lawmakers to make it harder for victims of radical Islamic terrorism to get justice.

I’ll let my Republicans friends hash that one out. Of greater interest to a broader audience should be the fact that Lederman appears to have lied on his foreign agent registration. The final question, #15, asks, “During the period beginning 60 days prior to the date of your obligation to register to the time of filing this statement, did you make any contributions of money or other things of value from your own funds or possessions and on your own behalf in connection with any election to political office or in connection with any primary election, convention, or caucus held to select candidates for any political office?”

Lederman checked No.

Lederman evidently forgot the $500 he gave Iowa Congressman Steve King on September 13, 2016:

King for Congress, October Quarterly Report to FEC, 2016.10.15, p.30.
King for Congress, October Quarterly Report to FEC, 2016.10.15, p.30.
Steve King and Dan Lederman
O.K., Steve, if anyone asks, you got the check in June and didn’t cash it until September….

Making a false statement of a material fact or omitting any material fact required in a Foreign Agents Registration Act registration statement has committed a crime and may face up to a $10,000 fine and five years in prison.

Well, I think Lederman has Larry Rhoden’s vote.

23 Comments

  1. South DaCola 2017-02-09 20:11

    I joked with a Republican friend recently, “If the SD GOP is so proud of being right-wing Christians why are they giving the party’s top job to a Jew?”

  2. jerry 2017-02-09 20:42

    Simple answer, Bannon believes that the world is gonna end soon. So nutty right wing christians are all raptured up man. I like to ask them for their stuff as they will not need it anymore. They seem to find that kind of troubling, but hey, the pawn shops are open and you can get cash for their stuff.

  3. grudznick 2017-02-09 21:24

    What? Mr. Stan is being elected Governor? My goodness we are all in for a hell of a ride.

  4. Roger Cornelius 2017-02-09 22:16

    A call to the U.S. Attorney’s office is in order.
    Lederman’s lie needs to be reported.

  5. jerry 2017-02-09 23:09

    19 Saudi’s killed over 3,000 Americans in the USA in one attack. Saudi Arabia was not on the list of the travel ban. Lederman defends them and now wants to be the republican leader, just like the old days when republicans got all cozy with them. Good news though, China got the apology from Trump and then he declared “One China” All is well now as the production of those long damn red ties will continue. Where are the jobs? When will the wall be built with the 22 billion it will take to get’r done? Where is Waldo? Where is NOem and the repeal of the the ACA Obamacare, she needs to march right on up and ignore the bathrobe to demand that deal be done.

    Do the republican people of South Dakota know the history of this bottom feeder? Do they know he condones the killing of Americans?

  6. mike from iowa 2017-02-10 08:10

    Ever notice ‘Cantaloupe Calves’ King always looks a weasel with ‘roid’ rage?

    I imagine Grudz looks similar if I could only picture him as human.

  7. mike from iowa 2017-02-10 08:13

    15 Saudis, Jerry. Why isn’t Lederman kissing the King on the mouth ala dumbass dubya?

  8. Rorschach 2017-02-10 08:36

    Who could forget how at the GOP Party national convention Pam Bobs couldn’t even remember her one line – the State’s slogan – when casting SD’s votes for Trump. Embarrassing. I wonder if she has a touch of the old timers disease?

    But then, Mr. Lederman, who quit like Sarah Palin in the middle of his senate term to spend more time on his Saudi contract … or with his family (pick your favorite excuse), couldn’t remember a $500 political contribution he made less than a month before signing his “foreign agent” form. Maybe he’s got some early onset old timers?

  9. dicta 2017-02-10 09:01

    Speaking pragmatically, if Lederman is willing to push back against a stupid bill supported by many members of his party, you should support him doing so. I’m a republican who hated the stupid bill, knew it would cause problems, and flipped my lid when McConnell blamed Obama for the bill’s passage (remember that insanity?). I think having a party member push back against idiocy is a good thing. So, good for Dan on that one.

  10. jerry 2017-02-10 09:39

    The SDGOP has had a stench for some time now, but with Lederman, that stench is the death of 3,000 dead Americans. For a few pieces of silver, he has sold out the families of those lost. To even consider this gent speaks volumes of the corruption we have been dealing with.

  11. jerry 2017-02-10 09:46

    It never ceases to amaze me the lengths that you republicans go through to defend corruption and underhanded deals. Now Lederman is viewed by you as a hero for keeping fines and penalties away from the loss of loved ones for the implication of government sponsored terror. You get an attaboy for that one Mr. Dicta, mainly for the pretzel like form for defending your party who just happens to be benevolent to the oil industry. Well played sir, well played.

  12. Cory Allen Heidelberger Post author | 2017-02-10 09:56

    Dicta, I might roll that way, too, given my agreement with you that JASTA isn’t great legislation. But will an argument based on standing up to party leaders carry in a room full of party faithful?

    And what about his lying on his foreign-agent registration form?

  13. dicta 2017-02-10 10:38

    I have no justification for the form, as it is pretty blatant. As to your first question: I doubt it would hold up. Given the fervent, populist nationalism tearing through the electorate at the moment, I doubt much of anything could be done to persuade them out of their beliefs save the passage of time and bad results.

  14. grudznick 2017-02-10 14:09

    That fellow looks like an eater but I’d vote for that pretty young Pam lady. Saudi princes be damned.

  15. Kurt Evans 2017-02-10 15:39

    “Rorschach” writes:

    But then, Mr. Lederman, who quit like Sarah Palin in the middle of his senate term to spend more time on his Saudi contract … or with his family (pick your favorite excuse), couldn’t remember a $500 political contribution he made less than a month before signing his “foreign agent” form.

    Pat Powers removes observations like these from the comments at his blog on the grounds that they aren’t “civil” or “on topic” enough.

    Cory had written:

    The Iowa businessman’s effort to take over the South Dakota Republican Party is getting almost as much ink as Powers’s sponsors’ press releases.

    Lederman is probably paying him under the table.

  16. Rorschach 2017-02-10 18:32

    Is Lederman still being paid by Saudi Arabia as a “foreign agent”? That disclosure form is less than 4 months old. Why in the world does the Saudi government need to hire a bail bondsman from Sioux City? Are there Saudis Lederman is trying to spring from jail? Someone has some ‘splainin’ to do.

    Have you seen that picture of Pam Bobs over at the #2 blog? The picture is either 30 years old or it’s heavily re-touched to make her look like she’s in her 30s. Ain’t no truth in advertising there!

    What’s behind door #3?

  17. Rorschach 2017-02-11 11:05

    If the SDGOP Party elects a Saudi foreign agent as chair who lied on his foreign agent disclosure form it will make the national news in the same negative way that the SDGOP Party has made a habit of getting into the national news.

  18. Rorschach 2017-02-11 11:07

    If the SDGOP Party elects a Saudi foreign agent as chair it will make the national news in the same negative way that the SDGOP Party has made a habit of getting into the national news.

  19. Kurt Evans 2017-02-11 15:50

    Cory writes:

    AP’s Hannah Weikel covers the SDGOP chair race, does not mention Lederman’s illegal false reporting, and gives Pat Powers top commentary in the story without mentioning Powers’s long-standing and documented financial connections to Lederman. Irresponsible…

    Irresponsible indeed. Maybe they’ll cover it now that he won.

    It’s profoundly unfortunate that Powers derives undeserved credibility from his sponsors.

  20. Roger Cornelius 2017-02-11 18:16

    Apparently Ledermen beat Roberts for party chair.

    I do wonder what the results would have been if republicans had read this post or if Ledermen being a foreign agent of a country that attacked the U.S. would have mattered at all.

Comments are closed.