Dean Zimmermann Protests LRT and Promotes PRT in North Mpls

I wasn't expecting to see Zimmermann today at a transportation meeting in North Minneapolis... but there he was in the audience dissing light rail and promoting the pods along with CPRT director Margaret Beegle . I asked Zimmermann a few questions.. listen:



UPDATE: Pods on Streetsblog.

Dean Zimmermann to Complete Last 6 Months of Sentence in Federal Prison

Gary Dean Zimmermann wrote a letter that appeared in the April issue of The Alley (PDF file) that claimed he was going to be released July 10th, 2008:

But my stay here in Colorado will soon be coming to an end. On July 10th of this year I am to check into the Volunteers of America half-way house in Minneapolis, E. Lake St. & 29th Ave. So., for the last 6 months of my sentence.

According to the Bureau of Prisons inmate locator, Zimmermann's current release date from Federal Prison Camp-Englewood in Littleton, Colorado is January 5, 2009.

I have confirmed the new release date with the staff at Englewood.

Gary Dean Zimmermann to be Released July 10th

The Alley Newspaper (no web site) has published a long letter from former Minneapolis Council member (Gary) Dean Zimmermann titled "Greetings to All". Much of the letter describes the trivial details of his incarceration and the "ordeal" of his wife Jenny Heiser. He mentions that he has been going once a week to Narcotics Anonymous.

Zimmermann's story that he was innocent has changed somewhat and stands in contrast to his supporters' claim that he is a "political prisoner".

Zimmermann now claims that politicians and FBI agents (he doesn't name them) conspired to "con' him into "unwittingly" commit a crime that the conspirators invented just for him:

Does Farheen Hakeem Really Believe Zimmermann Was "Innocent" and a "Political Prisoner"?

Nearly a year ago, the Green Party candidate for Neva Walker's House seat (16B) Farheen Hakeem signed a letter of support for Gary Dean Zimmermann.

These are some statements from that letter posted by Dave Bicking on David Shove's Progressive Calendar:

"We are convinced that Dean is innocent of the crime of bribery"

"we stand in support of an honest man"

"We miss Dean's leadership on the Minneapolis City
Council."

"Dean Zimmermann is a political prisoner"

Farheen Hakeem also has Zimmermann's picture (far left) on her website:

"Farheen also finds it to be important that the Green Party has little involvement with corporate corruption and greed."

This is how the U.S. 8th Circuit Court summarized the case against Zimmermann when they unanimously upheld the jury's verdict last month:

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

On January 18, 2006, a federal grand jury sitting in the District of Minnesota returned a four-count indictment against the
defendant, former Minneapolis City Councilman Gary Dean Zimmermann. The grand jury alleged in each of the four counts that Zimmermann violated Title 18, United States Code, Section 666(a)(1)(B), by knowingly and corruptly soliciting something of value with intent to be influenced or rewarded in connection with any business, transaction or series of transactions with the government of the City of Minneapolis. Counts 1, 2, and 3 pertained to $5,000, $1,200, and $1,000 cash payments, respectively, that Zimmermann accepted from a real estate developer, Gary Carlson, in June and August of 2005. Count 4 pertained to Zimmermann’s request made to a separate developer in 2004 for the construction, at no charge to him, of a retaining wall.

Zimmermann was convicted on the first three counts and sentenced 30 months in a federal correctional facility.

I had an opportunity to talk with the chief witness in the trial, Gary Carlson before the holidays. Here's the videotaped interview:



I live in MN House District 61B. I emailed Farheen Hakeem for a statement about her views on Zimmermann... I have not received an answer.

Gary Dean Zimmmermann Still Asking for the "Money, Money, Money"

The following letter was posted on David Shove's Progressive Calendar. Jenny Heiser, Dean Zimmermann's attack-wife implores the Zimmer-cult to wish her husband, Dean Zimmermann a happy birthday (and give Dean gifts and more “money, money, money”:

From: Jenny Heiser
Subject: Dean Z birthday 6.06

Dean's 65th birthday is next Wednesday, June 6. I know he'd love to
receive a greeting from you, even if it gets there a day or two late.
Here's his address:

Gary D. Zimmermann, #12696-041
FCI Englewood/Satellite Camp
9595 W. Quincy Ave
Littleton, CO 80123

In mid-April I was able to travel to Littleton, CO to visit with Dean.He's lost over 25 lbs. and looks fine. More on this visit in another message.

Here's the address for a web-blog created by friends for Dean. Feel free to post a message, I'll send them to him at least once a week.

Reading is a major pastime for Dean. Here's a link to a reading "Wish List" that his brother, Joel, created for Dean in case you'd Amazon.com to send him a book (HYPERLINK) It would be best to let Amazon send him the book you choose because of very stringent prison rules around what Dean can receive and the packaging he can receive books in.)

Dean is earning approximately $25/month. This just covers his expenses related to correspondence. His phone cards cost him $90/month. He'd love to purchase a radio from the prison commissary (no, you nor I can send him a radio). If you feel so moved, please consider contributing to his legal defense fund to help cover these costs, and either David Tilsen or Scott Cramer will see that your contribution gets put into Dean's prison commissary account:

Zimmermann for Justice
c/o David Tilsen
3220-10th Ave So
Mpls, MN 55407

Please feel free to share this information with others. More in another message with information about what you need to do if you think you'll be in the Denver area this summer or fall and wish to visit with Dean.

Love & peace to all!

Jenny

Jenny Heiser & Dean Zimmermann
2200 Clinton Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404-3655

This is likely the first of many attempts we'll see to rehabilitate Gary Dean Zimmermann's image. No doubt, the Zimmer-cult is encouraged by the fact that U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose refuses to give the FBI tapes shown in open court to the media. Those tapes would dispel any doubt that Zimmermann is guilty of soliciting and accepting bribes from a Hummer-driving developer who raised money for Senator Norm Coleman.

In other news, Zimmermann's PRT pod pal, Rep. Mark Olson's trial for domestic assault has been postponed (again) to July.

Did Republicans Fund MN Green Party Senate Candidate in 2002?

From a comment on TPM Muckraker:

The third issue is much less direct -- it was about Rove pushing money through Norm Coleman's campaign in 2002 to support the Green Party Native American Candidate in the Wellstone-Coleman race in 2002. (The Greens ultimately settled this by defeating their own candidate in the September 2002 primary). But it was hot news in the summer of 2002 that Rove was spending money through Coleman to support someone who might fool progressives, and take votes away from Wellstone. At the time it was a big issue, Heffelfinger did comment that he might investigate the matter of Coleman's campaign funds being used for two candidates and two parties -- but it never went beyond that. Again, that probably alienated Rove who was shoveling in the campaign cash.

Really!!!???!!!

I never heard that Republicans were funding Ed "Eagle Man" McGaa or that Tom Heffelfinger said anything about it... but, it would make sense in light of what was revealed during the Zimmermann trial.

For me and other former Greens, Ed McGaa's endorsement was when we realized that something was terribly wrong with the MN Green Party:

But my dissatisfaction with the Greens grew. The watershed moment, in retrospect, was the Green Party convention in 2002 where the party nominated Ed McGaa when clearly he had no credentials as a Green Party member or a Senate candidate. We know how that story turned out. The Green's gubernatorial candidate, Ken Pentel, had to publicly pull his support from McGaa when the truth came out about McGaa's "green" philosophy, which included burying toxic sludge on his home reservation for a price.

... and Zimmermann supported McGaa...

But Dean Zimmermann, 6th Ward Minneapolis City Council member and a Green Party member, said that Wellstone is responsible for collecting his votes, not the Green Party.

"They can't take votes away from (Wellstone) ... They're not his votes," Zimmermann said.

So, were the Republicans paying MN Green Party candidates back in 2002? It wouldn't surprise me... here's a few examples from that era of Republicans shoveling money at Green Party candidates:

Republican Offers $100K Bribe to NM Greens - Was It Tom Delay?

Green Party Candidate Finds He's a Republican Pawn 



Gary Dean Zimmermann Still Owns Property Worth $794,500

At the time of his trial, Gary Dean Zimmermann had a court-appointed lawyer. Zimmermann claimed he was broke.

According to the City of Minneapolis website, Zimmermann still owns 3 properties worth $794,500. How is that possible?

2200 Clinton Av. S. $226,500

2012 Grand Av. S. $389,500 

2416 - 17th Av. S. $178,500

Rachel Paulose and the Zimmermann Tapes

Reporters and bloggers are trying to figure out why a loyal Bushie was put in charge of the US Attorney's office in Minnesota.

So far they've been looking in all the wrong places.

The question they should be asking is what happened to the investigation of municipal corruption in Minneapolis.

The investigation of Gary Dean Zimmermann should have yielded a treasure trove of information about Zimmmermann and his contacts.... many of them prominent, wealthy and influential right-wing Republicans.

The FBI tapes shown in open court during his trial showed Zimmermann soliciting and accepting large amounts of cash from Gary Carlson who held a fund raiser for Norm Coleman. Zimmermann also lobbied for Crown Hydro, acompany owned by William Hawks who held a fundraiser for Michele Bachmann (special guest Dick Cheney)

Perhaps Zimmermann's computer served up a e-mails to and from prominent Republican politicians and donors. There were a bunch of prominent Republicans promoting PRT and the Taxi 2000 Corporation.

Yesterday I found another prominent Republican donor who for a time was a co-defendant in the Taxi 2000 lawsuit.

Zimmmermann lobbied incessantly for Taxi 2000 while he was in office. I hope that the media takes the time to ask the question fellow Green Party office-holder Annie Young asked back in 2004:

“This is not a Green Party issue; this is Dean’s project. I’m concerned about his relationship to Taxi 2000, and about the time he’s spending on the project and whether he’s meeting the needs of the people in his ward. There are potentially some good things that could come from it, and I see what the point is but I’m not sure the timing is right. There are also a lot of questions about it, like why are the Republicans so interested in it?... "

To learn more about Zimmermann's odd relationship with prominent right-wing Republicans and about the FBI tapes showing Zimmermann requesting and receiving cash bribes from a Hummer-driving Republican developer, read this post at Lloydletta.