POLITICS: While governor, Dean accepted speaking fees, gifts from special interests.

JOHN SOLOMON, Associated Press Writer Friday, January 9, 2004 �2004 Associated Press www.sfgate.com (01-09) 12:46 PST WASHINGTON (AP) -- While governor of Vermont, Howard Dean accepted personal pay from special interests at least five times for speeches and also received more than $60,000 in checks and pledges for his charity fund from insurers who benefited from a state tax break, according to documents and interviews. Dean's fees and charitable donations were legal and did not have to be disclosed under Vermont law but were detailed in correspondence and tax records reviewed by The Associated Press. Read more at the link. This just came in moments ago. More and more dirt and skeletons are all over the Dean campaign. It's pretty clear, once you read the story, that there is really nothing overtly illegal with these accusations... however... due to the volume of these types of stories... and especially the sources (AP!?), we wonder where all this is coming from and what the underlying motives are. Comments? [Edited on 9-1-2004 by SkepticOverlord]

I didn't need more proof of corruption in the stinking cesspit that is US politics.

How will Arnold Schwarzenneger's form be?

How common is the practice alleged here?

Who exactly is acting to clean it up?