When the going gets tough, the tough get weird.

I got a copy of the big full page anti-Kooiker ad that was placed by Doug Hamilton and Mike Schumacher's PAC, the Elect Better Government PAC that donated Tens of thousands to Mayor Shaw's campaign this election.

And it seems little more than a re-hashing of some of the old nonsense that's been surrounding this mystery contract since day 1.

(Click to enlarge)

There's three checks listed at the top of the ad from Doug Hamilton to Mike Schumacher. And, well, ok. I don't think that's any shock. But supposedly they're supposed to tie into this mysterious contract that was filed with the Secretary of State. And the ad demands that Sam supposedly come clean about all of this.

But absent any evidence to the contrary, I'd say it still hangs on the other side of believability.

I see evidence where Mike likely knew about the checks. And where Doug knew about them, but nary a signature from Sam can be found.

And then there's the contract which I contended some time ago was completely unbelievable. To summarize some of the suspicion surrounding the contract....
#1 - The contract was filed with the Secretary of State (the same day) that Kooiker announced for Mayor.

#2 - The contract was signed for 350 hours of work, on a date which would have left fewer hours until the election than were in the contract - by less than half.

#3 - The contract was filed with the Secretary of State, period. Anecdotally, I'd note that nobody, and I mean nobody does this. It's not a requirement in state law - the only thing that's required is a report of expenditures. Which begs the question, why? It makes no sense.
Then there's this ad itself. Politically, I'm not sure what the purpose is. There's nothing on it calling him unfit for office because of it. It just has a bunch of checks to Mike Schumacher from Doug Hamilton, and the goofy contract. And that's it.

It makes no sense. But then again look at the track record of the people involved.

One said that he had taken Hamilton money in the past, and he no longer intended to do so. The same one pointed out this questionable filing with the Secretary of State's office, despite the fact doing so was not a benefit to him.

Then there's the other person involved...

The other one's noteworthy accomplishments include admittedly abandoning his friend for money. As per the Rapid City Weekly -
Schumacher said he was talking about helping Councilman Sam Kooiker get into the mayor’s chair, but a better offer came along.

How much Schumacher will be paid has yet to be determined, as the contract is not yet complete, he said.
Read that all here. As well as abandoning his City Commission seat as this came out:
I gave them the option, at this point, to apologize to the citizens of Rapid City and this council and I’m disappointed that he hasn’t yet. Councilman Schumacher has written fictitious e-mails with a fictitious name on it.”

The false e-mails, with a clearly false and somewhat obscene name, were sent to the Rapid City Council members in June. More were sent to council members in December 2006, Hadcock said Tuesday afternoon. False letters to the editor have been sent since 2002, she claimed.
Read that here in the same newspaper. To me, all of that seems about as smart as printing unredacted checks in the newspaper with all the financial routing numbers on them to allow an incredible amount of financial theft to occur. (Bank routing and checking account numbers? Duh.)

Anyway, now as in the beginning, we have two men and two stories. It's up to us to choose who to believe.

Sam Kooiker who seems to have a track record of telling the truth, whether it has benefited him or not.

And then there's Mike Schumacher, who is on record as abandoning his former best friend for money. And declined to run for office again as he was outed by a fellow city commissioner for dirty tricks such as sending false e-mails.

Two people telling their sides of a tale. It's simply up to us who to choose the version of the truth to believe.




BTW, what's with the dates of the checks? The contract was "supposedly" written 5/31. The first check was written 6/21, less than a month after the election. But then the following two were at the beginning and the end of August, nearly two months later?

Having done consulting work of this nature, That invoice/billing system makes no sense in light of the contract. Even fishier.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I don't know who is in the right here, but there is a certain irony. PP - if you didn't like Sam, you would be preaching about how the other side is willing to come forward with the checks with a memo that appears to say something about payment for City Council or CC. The biggest point here is that Kooiker has been saying this has been done at the last minute in an effort to smear him, but for his assertions to be true, you are now looking at a 10 month conspiracy against Kooiker? Even though you like Kooiker, PP, you have to admit it is hard to believe he didn't know ANYTHING about this, which is his claim.
Anonymous said…
Notice that the RCJ has taken this whole debate off of their "Rapid Reply" board? This is really getting ripe. Even the home town blogs don't want a whiff of it.
Anonymous said…
anon 8:33 aka Mike aka Nightwatchman,.. How much are you being paid to blog and attack people?

As far as the memo on the check--YOU are on the city council.
Anonymous said…
Rapid City has a Mayor-Council form of city government. Not a Commission form.
Anonymous said…
oooooooooo yyyyyyyaaaaaaaa

Another high quality, well thought out, regerjitated, old, rehashed lie; brought to you by TIFs-R-US.

Everyone that believes Hamilton and Scumacher, line up on the left.

Everyone that believes Kooiker, line up on the right.
Anonymous said…
quoting the RC Journal about Doug Hamiltons sexual harasment case;

""Hamilton's lawyer, Jeff Hurd of Rapid City, admitted that his client was a self-confessed jerk with tastes and tendencies that many people would find offensive.""

""Veronica Duffy labeled Hamilton, who owns and rents an extensive inventory of business and residential property, a "school-yard bully" who seemed to reserve his worst abuse for the women he employed.""

Yep, still the same guy, nothing has changed. Hamilton is just as offensive in politics....
Anonymous said…
Shaw and his ponys are desperate and pulling at straws to recieve any votes on tuesday. I talked to a friend who talked to Sam and Sam had nothing but positive comments all day, not one negative out of about 25 calls...hmmmm maybe the people in Rapid City are not dumb like you hope Doug/Shaw/Schumacher?
Anonymous said…
It was great that Kooiker exposed this weeks ago. That took alot of wind out of their sails.

when the going gets tough, liars tell the same lie in bigger letters.
Anonymous said…
You are pretty selective, PP. Schumacher admitted to AN e-mail. Hadcock, in that same discussion, accused Kooiker of sending multiple e-mails. The consensus on the Council seemed to be that Kooiker was guilty of more than just an e-mail about Christmas lights.
Anonymous said…
ok this is simple.....The checks are made out to Mike Schumacher not to Kooiker's campaign....therefore he doesn't report it; MIKE DOES! It should have been on Mike's CFR if I understand the state's laws correctly.
Anonymous said…
Not so fast my friend. The checks were payments, not contributions. Under your logic, Schumacher should be reporting every paycheck he receives. Remember, this discussion is just one of three revolving around Kooiker's campaign reports. Apa ran an ad against Adelstein that Kooiker knew of prior to publication, shouldn't that be reported? If I remember correctly, it asked people to vote for Kooiker. Second, the Black Hills Homebuilders came out and said they did not give a contribution to Kooiker for the Mayor's race. Is Kooiker now comingling Mayoral campaign funds and Council campaign funds? If so, is it right to put down an organization as having contributed to you for one race, when it was meant for another race? A lot of questions around Kooiker and his campaign finance reports, but, of course, he is the one we should believe?
Anonymous said…
The ulitmate in bizarre! Hamilton, the porn-sultan runs an ad playing on his own negative reputation.

Can you spell "Twilight Zone"?

Reminds me of Groucho Marx's famous line "I wouldn't belong to any club that would have me in it."

By his logic here, both Shaw and Sam should hang it up. I've also heard that Johnson has Hamilton ties. (Anyone else heard this?) If so, that leaves Hanks with over 50% of the vote, the only non-Hamilton hip-pocket candidate with enough experience to do the job.
Anonymous said…
Not so fast 12:24 -- Hanks was paid by Hamilton's PAC for election work during the 2005 campaign (if not others). He ran Kriebel's campaign and Ossenfort's campaign. The catch is, Hanks didn't report it properly either. So there are no untouched candidates in the top four. Shaw's biggest problem is that he was open and honest (unlike others) and reported everything.
Anonymous said…
No, Shaw's biggest problem is that he unabashedly
took the biggest suck off the Hamilton sugar tit
and so is clearly the most politically beholden.
Anonymous said…
Since Kooiker has only taken $10,000 from him in contributions over the past 12 months, he is less tarnished? You really believe that? What about the fact that George Dunham has contributed about 30% of Kooiker's campaign funds? Is Kooiker less beholden to him, or more because of the percentage?
Anonymous said…
To borrow from (and expand on) an earlier poster, Hamilton, when questioned about his attempt to buy victory for incumbent Jim Shaw says,

"HA HA HA, wiska wookie, koo-koo-ka-joob umah donkeehumpin bookoo pixa shop. Yoda laydee who."

And once again resumed eating a selection of amphibians from a large, portable container.
Anonymous said…
And as he saw the reaction of his minions on the blogs, Kooiker pressed his fingertips together and gently rapped them while he softly said, "Eeexxxccceellent! Smithers, release the hounds." The physical and verbal similarities are amazing.
Anonymous said…
I think it's Schumacher who resembles JABBA more than Hamilton does.
Anonymous said…
Yeah, right. Maybe Doug H. is more like a Sith Lord.
Anonymous said…
Regardless. Tomorrow is voting day, Rapid Citooeens. Use the force. It's time for a change. No Shaw votes, no how.
Anonymous said…
Vote Hanks (he'll shut down all campgrounds within the city limits)
Anonymous said…
7:34 I doubt that, but he might
shut down a sleazeball slumlord.
Anonymous said…
Just vote for the Comrade Lenin dude. The rest make him look good by comparison.
Anonymous said…
Sleazeball Slumlord? Rather than drudging up biased information from the trial, why not focus on the fact that Hamilton and his company have done some good for the Rapid City community. He does provide quality housing for low income residents of Rapid City as well as parts of the Northern Hills and he does contribute to many local charities. & might I remind you all, that whether he supports a candidate or not, does not change the fact that he is not the one up for election. Last time I checked it is everyone's inalienable right to support whoever they want for any office. & if the populace CHOOSES not to vote, then they have NO RIGHT to complain. So if anyone in Rapid City wants a change and no longer wishes Shaw to be mayor, then they should go out today and vote versus sitting on their butts complaining to a computer.
Anonymous said…
9:45 Did I mention Hamilton in my 6:43 post?
I don't think so. And, just FYI and I've already voted, but thanks for the prompt, and for the info on Hamilton. He is on the ballot, by the way. You just have to know how to read between the lines.
Anonymous said…
At least Hamilton gives back to the community, as opposed to Kooiker, who has received thousands of dollars in food, lodging, and travel at the expense of Rapid City taxpayers. That's in addition to the $60,000 the people of Rapid City have paid him to represent them so poorly and ineptly.
Anonymous said…
11:00. So, according to you, it IS Hamilton vs. Kooiker with Shaw just being a puppet for the big dog. I notice you make no mention of how much Jimbo got in travel, food, lodging etc. or how much of his $30,000 a year pay raise he gave back to the city. Interesting. I mean the guy makes $90k a year and he has have Hamilton pay for his campaign and hire the most expensive ad agency in the state (from Sioux Falls!) While the rest of his opponants have to run their campaigns on a shoe string. Thanks for the tip. It's kind of like saying "which Hamilton Pinocchio do you want to vote for?" My answer? None of the above. I'm hoping for Hanks and Johnson in the runoff. This Kooiker/Shaw thing stinks to high heaven.
Anonymous said…
Dear 11:50 -- If you read the post at 10:46, that makes it about Hamilton vs. the actual names on the ballot. Mine was in response to that post. I agree, Kooiker shouldn't be in the runoff. BTW, there was NEVER a $30,000 payraise.
Anonymous said…
Truthfully I would like to see Johnson as Mayor but because he lacks experience, I am not sure it will happen. But no offense here, Hanks is just as bad as the other two. Being an opportunist, he will always put his own needs before those of the citizens of Rapid City. That was evident during the Custer Park issue. & besides, might I remind you all that his personal unpainted furniture business went out of business in Rapid City a few years ago. Do you honestly think someone who is unable to operate his own business should be operating a city?
Anonymous said…
Can anyone answer the following: It is rumoured that Mike Schumacher departed Rapid, moved to Eastern South Dakota and plans to run for a seat. Is there any validity to that rumour?
Anonymous said…
ref 9:45 AM, qouting 9:45 AM

""Sleazeball Slumlord? Rather than drudging up biased information from the trial,""

Biased ifo ?? one of the statements was from Hamiltons OWN attorney quoting Hamilton!!, you cant get any less biased, it was right from the horses mouth.
Anonymous said…
Pat, you have the quote wrong, it goes like this: "When the going gets wierd, the wierd turn pro." Hunter S Thompson
Anonymous said…
Even so, any minute now , we will know the answer. Do the dark Sith Lords continue to rule Rapid City or do the forces of light bring on a new dawn over Highway 16 and into the city at large?
Anonymous said…
NOW WE KNOW;
KOOIKER RECEIVED MORE VOTES THAN SHAW AND JOHNSON COMBINED,SO MUCH FOR BIG MONEY, BIG LIES AND BIG MIKE SCHUMACHER, GOOD RIDANCE TO ALL 3.
Anonymous said…
...cue the John Williams glory music track...slow pan of Rapid City from Skyline drive..fade to white...roll credits.
Anonymous said…
So, exactly what was the story behind the Black Hills Homebuilders contribution? Was Kooiker trying to imply some sort of endorsement where none existed? If it was to his Council campaign, how did it end up on the Mayoral account? Questions, Questions, Questions. Let's just hope we get Answers, Answers, Answers.

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