Republican Congressman Billy Long has some explaining to do

The Cowboy Hat wearing Freshman Republican has some explaining to do..

Last Year, a number of candidates, 8 total, were vying for election in the Republican primary in Missouri’s 7th Congressional District.

This District is a ‘Redder than Red’ with a very strong base in the Evangelicals, States Rights advocates, and your standard gun toutin’ and pick-up drivin’ denizens who work hard and play the same way and are proud of their independent ways.

During the primary run-up, then candidate William ‘Billy’ Long II, sold himself as a small businessman who was ‘Fed-up’ with Washington D.C. and all it’s backroom deals and the ‘quid pro quo’s’ that most Americans detest. He beat out two well respected State Senators and a host of others that rounded out the field to win the nomination and the General Election.

In this district, even a conservative Democrat would not be able to win.

However, his win didn’t come without controversy.

Weeks before, a woman came forward and alleged the Mr. Long and his cronies had participated is several debaucheries at a local restaurant. Poker, Strippers, and booze were on the playbill, as well as his behavior towards people of color.

Long denied the allegations.

One day before the general election a fake e-mail address with his opponents name on it, was distributed to numerous news outlets in the 7th Congressional District, stating that the Democrat challenger, Mr. Scott Eckersley, had withdrawn from the race. News stations ran with the story without checking the validity of the claim, damaging his small but hopeful campaign to win the general election.

Eckersleys’ staff quickly determined the IP address of the originating sender and that info was turned over to the authorities and was traced back to what looks like an old friend of the Long Family. This may considered election tampering.

If Congressman Long’s fingerprints are on this or is implicated in this mess, his short political career will be over.

But unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there as there are two more issues that may keep the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as well as the Ethics Committee in Congress busy.

Congressman Longs Springfield office is a little off the beaten path but close to his favorite restaurant where he has a steak named after him, the Billy Long Cut, an 11oz. Boneless Rib-Eye, and its close to his home. The problem arises when one looks at the lease his official office has. Not so much as the price of the lease but to whom. A quick check on the Greene Co. Assessors and the Missouri Sec. of States Office, reveals that Long rented space from CRW Properties and is owned by Jerry Jared.

Nothing wrong with that until you cross-reference this name with Congressman Long’s Donors.

Jerry and his wife both donated a total of $4800 each for Congressman Longs Campaign.

The House Ethics rules page 150 second paragraph clearly state that “…No solicitation of a campaign or political contribution may be linked to any action taken or to be taken by a Member or employee in his or her official capacity.

House Ethics Rules Page 162 of 456 of PDF

In other words, Congressman Long may have violated house ethics rules and the acceptance of a contribution in this circumstance and may violate a provision of the federal gift statute (5 U.S.C. § 7353) or the criminal statutes on bribery and illegal gratuities.

A second charge under this statute would be the $5,000 Dollar ‘donation’ to Longs campaign from the National Auctioneer Association and Congressman Longs sponsored Bill that called for an ‘National Auctioneer Day’

Last but not the least, Congressman Long should have been included in the top 50 richest members of Congress and may have misled or lied to the FEC and The House in his financial statements.

From the beginning of Congressman Long candidacy, once the threshold of raising five thousand dollars is met, all candidates are required to disclose their personal financial situation. Congressman Long owned several businesses that engaged in auctioning and real estate sales. He also publicly stated that he owned one third of the largest real estate company in southwest Missouri.

That would be Murney Associates.

According to the Sec. of State’s office in Missouri, Congressman Long was president and owner of Billy Long Inc. until his election to office, when his wife took over the business. This is key because all the while he was a candidate, he stated on his financial disclosure forms that he was the only one owning and controlling Billy Long Inc. that he claimed was worth between $2-30k

Billy Long Inc. owns 1/3rd of Murney Associates according to the Missouri Sec. of States office corporate web search site. see here

According to RSIMedia, the nations go-to website for anyone in the real estate business, in 2009 when Congressman Long started his campaign, Murney Associates was on a Half Billion Dollar rip, $655,507,132 to be exact, (see here) and was ranked at number 81 of America's Power Brokers.

From the years '08 '09 & '10, Murney Associates had gross sales in excess of $1.8 Billion

Considering just the '09 data, and doing some quick math, it can determined that after paying commissions on the gross and before paying for the lights and staff on four building, worth about $1million each, it would equal about $12-14 million, net $10-12 million.

Using the standards for business worth: assets plus Price vs. Earnings ratio (P/E) of say 10 to 1, (GE is 16 to 1), That would put Murney Associates estimated worth of $100 million which Congressman Long owned one third during that time. Based on that information his Billy Long Inc. is estimated worth between $15-30 Million. Not the pittance he stated on his financial disclosures.

All of these things may set him up for House Censure, perjury charges, and federal indictment for taking, according to House rules and the U.S.C., a bribe from a donor in return for Congressman Long moving his Official Office into his owned property, not to mention his potential involvement in election tampering.

When the people of Southwest Missouri, find out this info, Mr. Longs days in D.C. may be numbered if any of these allegations are true.