by Robert Carbery
commons.wikimedia.org
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ wife, Jane Sanders, has engaged in blatant nepotism while she was president of the now inoperable Burlington College. The Sanders family are not the lovable old Socialists the left thinks they are. They are a corrupt political family and flawed human beings who will do what they have to do to get ahead in life and help their family along the way.
Jane Sanders approved a deal for Burlington College with the Vermont Woodworking School back in 2009 that surely accelerated Burlington’s severe financial problems. Burlington College poured roughly $500,000 into the school between 2009 and 2012 to cover the costs of students taking furniture-making and woodworking design courses, according to a report from VTDigger.
And guess what, Carina Driscoll, Jane Sanders’ daughter, co-founded this woodworking school and was its president while the deal was made with Burlington. The sweetheart deal was finally formalized into a contract but only after Sanders left Burlington in 2011. An investigation is now underway into Sanders’ potential fraud while head of Burlington, which filed for bankruptcy last year.
Carol Moore, who served as Burlington’s president until its collapse last year, said that “This was a sweetheart deal for Carina Driscoll.” She also felt the woodworking school was “gouging the college” and added it was “barely” profitable, in an interview with VTDigger.
But there is more to this story.
The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate’s wife also obtained a more than questionable $10 million loan secured while she was president of Burlington. The loan was to buy land and buildings for a campus expansion where disabled residents were already living. This loan would eventually fail and the college would later shut its doors. The investigation is honing in on whether or not Sanders claimed there was $2.6 million in pledged donations for the loan or not. It appears the college only took in $676,000 over four years in donations.
The Washington conservative non-partisan watchdog Judicial Watch has obtained records “that paint a rather disturbing personal portrait of a heartless spouse – and longtime political adviser – of the Democratic Socialist candidate for president of the United States.”
Judicial Watch explained further: “Jane Sanders was president of the ‘troubled college’ from 2004 to 2011 and in 2010 set up a loan and land purchase of 33 acres, ‘despite low enrollment and financial difficulties.’” Yet, somehow the bank would approve the loan. Many are alleging that her husband’s senatorial office pressured the bank to approve it while Jane orchestrated the deal to purchase the land from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington. It seems almost certain that outside pressure was applied for Burlington to receive this loan despite its porous financials.
According to records obtained by Judicial Watch, Sanders tried to kick disabled people out of their group home. Furthermore, Jane wrote a letter to attorney Todd Centybear representing the group home about how she’s having trouble evicting the 16 residents there. She wrote: “It is simply not fair to expect the college to continue to carry the burden of the expenses associated with housing both your population and ours until February 2012.” However, it was Sanders’ responsibility to help relocate these residents, not evict them. Instead, we learn of the Sanders family’s heartlessness and ultimate incompetence in this instance.
Sen. Sanders has defended his wife recently, stating that accusations against her are “fairly pathetic,” using the go-to political trick that wives are out of bounds. Well, Bernie, when your wife makes questionable moves that lead to a college shuttering its doors after some shady dealings in a state where you are one of the most, if not the most powerful politician, then no, your wife is not out of bounds. She is fair game.
This blatant nepotism is what is wrong with politics these days and in years past as well. It happens on both sides of the aisle and corrupts even the most moral of Americans looking to “serve.” Those with power will use it to their advantage, no matter the consequences. It appears even the kind old Socialist Bernie Sanders is not above this.
Jane Sanders’ actions in outright support of her daughter’s for-profit woodworking business really should never have been allowed. The loan for the land purchase made no financial sense and yet, it was swiftly approved. And now, federal investigators are digging into the Sanders family’s dealings in this area. Something doesn’t add up.
Instead of using that money for something worthwhile and beneficial to young students trying to set themselves up for success in life, the money was squandered over a decade to the VT Woodworking School that is now defunct along with Burlington College.
The Sanders family have now lawyered up while Bernie continues to deny deny deny.
The Democratic Socialist is up for re-election next November and Bernie has indicated he is running for a third term.
Will he be in damage control until then? Or will he and/or his wife be looking at time behind bars?
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