Corruption in the Bush Administration? Shocking!
Jim Lippard has an interesting article up about the Leavitt family (including Mike Leavitt, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services). Seems they’ve managed to get quite a racket going with the Southern Utah Foundation and Southern Utah University.
“The Leavitt family gave $443,500 to the Dixie and Anne Leavitt Foundation, which gave it to the Southern Utah Foundation, which gave the money to Southern Utah University (along with another $135,000 from Leavitt Land and Investment), which gave the money to students in the form of scholarships that could only be used for housing at apartments owned by the Leavitt family. The Leavitt’s Cedar Development Company got $578,000 from the student rent payments.”
So not only are they getting their donation back they also get a tax break for their “charity.” The best part? They claim there is nothing wrong with the arrangement!
“What we have seen thus far suggests that it’s very hopeful that we’ll be able to continue the relationship as the Dixie and Anne Leavitt Foundation supporting the Southern Utah Foundation.”
“We’re certainly comfortable with the state of our records and comfortable with the transactions we’ve done that they’re consistent with law,” he said.
Legal or not, this doesn’t look good. More at NPR.
