[Mpls] Z bribe allegation based on fabricated evidence

[Socialist2001 at cs.com]

Well, well, well. It looks like US attorney, Tom Hefflefinger is attempting 
to frame up and assassinate the character of Minneapolis City Council Member 
Dean Zimmermann. Hefflefinger obtained a search warrant and was poised to move 
forward with a grand jury investigation on the basis of fabricated evidence 
that was released to the public and accompanied by a sensational mid-afternoon 
raid just days before the 2005 primary election.

The linchpin of the Hefflefinger's case against Zimmermann is an audio-video 
tape recording of Dean Zimmermann allegedly being asked what he wanted, to 
which Dean allegedly replied "Money, money, money." The US attorney has refused 
to release that audio tape. However, the date of that alleged meeting between 
Zimmermann and the FBI's cooperating witness coincides with the date of a well 
publicized birthday party for Dean Z. In an interview with Minneapolis issues 
list member Wizard Marks (an except is pasted below), Dean Zimmermann 
reportedly admitted saying that he wanted "Money, money, money," in response to the 
question, "What do you want for your birthday, Dean?" which was shouted across 
the room in the presence of about 100 witnesses, according to Dean Z and his 
wife, Jenny Heiser. 

US attorney Tom Hefflefinger should immediately resign or be fired, and face 
prosecution for official misconduct in relation to his investigation of Dean 
Zimmermann. 

-Doug Mann, King Field

Tim Bonham wrote:

> Also, the concealing of this bribe money, by leaving it off the campaign 
> finance reports, is another crime that is alleged. 

Wizard Marks wrote:

I think the operative word here is "alleged." The affidavit the FBI presented 
to a judge for the warrant to seize Zimmermann's computer and campaign 
records asserts that Cooperating Witness Gary Carlson wore a wire and a camera for 
the first time on June 6 (affidavit Item #7). 

I interviewed Zimmermann and his wife today. Zimmermann and Jenny Heiser 
(Mrs. Zimmermann) both agree that Dean Zimmermann could have met Carlson on June 
6th, as the affidavit claims, but that there were over 100 people in the room 
with Zimmermann and Carlson at the time because it was Zimmermann's birthday 
party. The Zimmermann's also agree that Zimmermann said, "money, money, money". 
They further claim that his saying so was in answer to the shouted question 
from one attendee, "What do you want for your birthday, Dean?"
 
The FBI affidavit does not include any mention that there were over 100 
people who heard Zimmermann say, "money, money, money" or what prompted the remark 
or in what setting the remark was made. Readers of the affidavit are led, 
through this omission, to believe that the meeting on June 6 was just between 
Zimmermann and FBI cooperating witness Gary Carlson. This FBI omission in Item #7 
seriously compromises the integrity of the entire affidavit. The intended 
audience for the affidavit is a judge who can issue a warrant.