If Wild Bill Frist didn't have enough on his hands being investigated for insider trading, now it looks like he's been involved in a Abramoff/DeLay look alike where he laundered money donated to his AIDS Charity to his "buddies." Nothing wrong with this is there, Bill?
WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's AIDS charity paid nearly a half-million dollars in consulting fees to members of his political inner circle, according to tax returns providing the first financial accounting of the presidential hopeful's nonprofit.I'd like to get me onto that consultant list:
The returns for World of Hope Inc., obtained by The Associated Press, also show the charity raised the lion's share of its $4.4 million from just 18 sources. They gave between $97,950 and $267,735 each to help fund Frist's efforts to fight AIDS.
World of Hope gave $3 million it raised to charitable AIDS causes, such as Africare and evangelical Christian groups with ties to Republicans _ Franklin Graham's Samaritan Purse and the Rev. Luis Cortes' Esperanza USA, for example.That's 25% overhead for a Charity. That's the "overhead" Blue Cross/Blue shield, a not for profit health insurer, takes out of your premium (pretty outrageous, don't you think.) Oh, wait. There's more:
The rest of the money went to overhead. That included $456,125 in consulting fees to two firms run by Frist's longtime political fundraiser, Linus Catignani. One is jointly run by Linda Bond, the wife of Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo.
The donors included several corporations with frequent business before Congress, such as insurer Blue Cross/Blue Shield, manufacturer 3M, drug maker Eli Lilly and the Goldman Sachs investment firm. (emphasis added)Ever wonder why Blue Cross/Blue Shield pays $19 for a Chest X-Ray when the cost to you is $75(they do), and doesn't pay for Cardiac Rehab (they don't)? Well, now you have your answer. Your insurance dollars are going to a doctor.
Unfortunately, the doctor is Dr. Bill Frist.
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