Al Franken finally admits he failed to comply with workers’ comp, disability benefits laws

By Michelle Malkin  •  April 11, 2008 10:02 PM

1alfranken.jpg

More than a month ago, investigative GOP blogger Michael Brodkorb in Minnesota first broke the news that Al Franken had violated New York state’s worker compensation laws. The Franken campaign finally ‘fesses up:

DFL Senate candidate Al Franken acknowledged today that his New York-based business wrongly failed to provide workers’ compensation insurance for nearly three years, his campaign said.

According to campaign manager Andy Barr, after five weeks of investigation the accountant for Alan Franken Inc. (AFI) was unable to figure out “the exact circumstances that led to the oversight.”

However, the accountant “has determined that, in fact, AFI was not in full compliance during the period in question,” Barr said, in a statement released this morning. “Therefore, no further attempt will be made to contest the resolved judgment.”

New York state fined Franken $25,000 nearly three years ago for failing to provide workers’ compensation insurance for his business employees. After the state did not hear from Franken, the judgment was entered in the New York Supreme Court last summer.

But Franken and his wife, Franni, said they were not aware of the penalty before it was reported in a Republican blog early last month. The Frankens paid the fine immediately, along with a separate $833 penalty for also failing to provide disability benefits insurance for two years.

Another Man of the People.

At least I can say Al Franken has finally made me laugh.

Snort, actually.

Posted in: Al Franken

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Comments


  1. #284924
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:06 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Michelle, when will you understand these people are above the law? ;)

  2. #284925
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:08 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    He needs better business advisers all around – an LLC would probably do him more good than an “Inc.”

  3. #284926
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:09 pm, AlohaGuy said:

    Is that a Frat photo of Howdy-Doody or actually Al?

  4. #284929
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:13 pm, meatpieandtatters said:

    Guy Smiley=Putz in real life.

  5. #284932
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:15 pm, navywife91 said:

    That’s Stuart Smalley aka Al

  6. #284936
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:20 pm, navywife91 said:

    I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me.

  7. #284937
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:22 pm, englishqueen01 said:

    When conservatives don’t provide such coverage, they are greedy capitalists who make a fortune off the backs of poor, underpaid employees.

    When liberals like Franken do it, it’s a mere oversight. An accident. No big deal.

    What Franken did was wrong. He broke the law and should be punished accordingly.

  8. #284941
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:27 pm, BadIdeaGuy said:

    New York’s workers comp is so ridiculous that it’s difficult for a lot of companies to afford to do business there.

    It’s infuriating to think that other companies are held to account for their WC bills but Franken isn’t.

  9. #284943
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:29 pm, BadIdeaGuy said:

    But then again, I am just a Pennsylvanian who clings to religion, guns, and wants the border closed, so color me rustic.

  10. #284949
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:38 pm, puhiawa said:

    This is all over the MSM, right?

  11. #284952
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:39 pm, vsatt said:

    When you’re smart enough and doggone-it people like you enough, you don’t have to worry about small, petty things like obeying the law.

  12. #284954
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:40 pm, puhiawa said:

    I suppose there were no claims made. if there were, this is a very serious incident. Then there is the question of the comp audits. Any info on how that went? That is also very serious and should now be made public. This concerns the under payments.

  13. #284955
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:41 pm, right_on said:

    …unable to figure out “the exact circumstances that led to the oversight.”

    This is the type of answer we can expect from every elitist liberal Democrat running for office who gets caught breaking the law. They are quick on the trigger to point fingers at Conservatives, but when they themselves get caught…

    “…due to some unfortunate oversight, blah, blah, blah…etc., etc…” Of course, they would NEVER break the law on purpose…and don’t ever make accusations, but if you have “proof?”

    “…oopsy! My bad! I mean, er, uh, it wasn’t me, it was my ______!”

  14. #284959
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:44 pm, BrianNY said:

    Air America, his employer for a few years, didn’t comply with State law on a host of disclosure issues…so why should Franken?

  15. #284962
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:50 pm, puhiawa said:

    Hillary was caught in something similar. Failure to pay her employees med insurance. In most States, it is against the law to fail to do so once offered. You must go through a Federal Compliance protocol to cancel. In some states it against the law to cancel. MSM went silent. Wonder how the reporters would feel if it were them?

  16. #284963
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:52 pm, BrianNY said:

    Time to pull up any quotes of Franken’s charges of criminality in the way GW Bush ran Harken Energy?

    I imagine GW had the sense to pay his Worker’s Comp. Insurance.

  17. #284967
    On April 11th, 2008 at 10:57 pm, shimauma2 said:

    $25,833 fine?? That’s it??? glad HE can afford it, unlike that unfortunate worker who may have slipped on all those banana peels….

  18. #284973
    On April 11th, 2008 at 11:06 pm, DougT said:

    Lucky for Al that Andy Barr was his only employee.

  19. #284984
    On April 11th, 2008 at 11:20 pm, Tennessee Dave said:

    But Franken and his wife, Franni, said they were not aware of the penalty before it was reported in a Republican blog early last month.

    Translation: The collection agency finally caught up with them after the summons couldn’t be served.

  20. #284985
    On April 11th, 2008 at 11:21 pm, ammo john said:

    I’m still waiting for him to show that he’s a comedian. Comedians and clowns are two different things.

  21. #284988
    On April 11th, 2008 at 11:23 pm, TexasTiger said:

    If one of his employee had been diagnosed with MCS due to the odor Franken emits, who would have paid for his treatment?

  22. #284998
    On April 11th, 2008 at 11:53 pm, DirkBelig said:

    Gee, first Al rakes in millions while Air AmeriKKKa staffers go hungry and that youth charity in NYC gets ripped off; now we learn that he didn’t pay what he should’ve for years. This can only mean one thing for the Treason Media…

    “IMPEACH BUSH!!! NO WAR FOR OIL!!! BUSH LIED!!! PEOPLE DIED!!!! EVERYBODY LOVES BARACK!!! 9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB!!!! HILLARY LIED, BUT IT’S OK!!!”

    Ahem.

  23. #285059
    On April 12th, 2008 at 4:53 am, Straight_Talk_Luigi said:

    I have only one thing to say about this:

    Norm Coleman for Senate in 2008.

  24. #285080
    On April 12th, 2008 at 7:56 am, zorro said:

    Yet another above the law democrap.

  25. #285093
    On April 12th, 2008 at 8:55 am, Dandapani said:

    The Left’s motto is: “Do as I say, not as I do!” Far too many examples to list…

  26. #285106
    On April 12th, 2008 at 9:06 am, Boomer said:

    The same type of people that slam the evil corporate Wal-Mart for not providing free medical, dental, and lavish workman’s compensation insurance appear to have real problem with the same laws they shove down corporate Americas throat. Yep! Laws for thee and a separate set of laws for me.

  27. #285114
    On April 12th, 2008 at 9:24 am, Tennessee Dave said:

    On April 12th, 2008 at 9:06 am, Boomer said:
    The same type of people that slam the evil corporate Wal-Mart for not providing free medical, dental, and lavish workman’s compensation insurance appear to have real problem with the same laws they shove down corporate Americas throat. Yep! Laws for thee and a separate set of NO laws for me.

    Fixed that for ya Boomer.

  28. #285117
    On April 12th, 2008 at 9:32 am, Dimsdale said:

    Vote for me!! I am a hot tempered scofflaw!

    Laws are for other people!

    This campaign is the only funny thing Franken has ever done.

  29. #285147
    On April 12th, 2008 at 10:54 am, DBNinKY said:

    Another Man of the People.

    Of course he is! And so is Obama – so long as “the people” is defined as those with seven-digit plus incomes and their own insurance.

  30. #285154
    On April 12th, 2008 at 11:06 am, DagneyT said:

    Translating liberal-speak;

    oversight=breaking the law I should be above

    misstatement=lie you aren’t supposed to notice

  31. #285182
    On April 12th, 2008 at 12:15 pm, MNUSMCDavid said:

    Anybody ever notice the voice tones of MN politicians and wanna be’s? Listen to Franken, Mondale, Humphrey, Dayton….. they could be the Whine Quartet!

  32. #285416
    On April 12th, 2008 at 8:09 pm, terrig said:

    I hope this idiot doesn’t win but I’m afraid he might. What a insert expletive here.

  33. #285603
    On April 13th, 2008 at 10:38 am, Chuck said:

    terrig said: I hope this idiot doesn’t win but I’m afraid he might. What a insert expletive here.

    This is the Peoples Republic of Minnesota. The land of White Guilt. Of course Franken will win. We had Paul Wellstone didn’t we? Apparently it’s Minnesota’s job to supply clowns to Congress. Clowns scare me.

  34. #285644
    On April 13th, 2008 at 12:26 pm, procopy said:

    I am so reminded of Phil Och’s “Love Me, I’m a Liberal”

    “I love Puerto Ricans and Negroes, as long as they don’t move next door… so, love me, love me, love me…. I’m a Liberal.”

  35. #286199
    On April 14th, 2008 at 9:32 am, wingleader said:

    three flippin years worth! How do you not know for three years?

  36. #287233
    On April 14th, 2008 at 5:36 pm, damn_good_man said:

    I’m new here and this is my first comment! Thanks, Michelle. Hypocrisy is my biggest pet peeve and this self-aggrandizing, pompous, attention seeking little boy is a perfect example. Throw the book at him!

  37. #287445
    On April 14th, 2008 at 7:44 pm, ac2 said:

    Hello… first time posting here. Sorry to report that I am from MN and our state kicks this crap out!!!!!

    We are trying to fight the madness though!!!!!

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