MNpublius.com

Eric Black has taken my previous line of reasoning and, you know, actually followed through on it (he being the responsible reporter he is and I the lowly blogger I am!). The result? A must read. Let me give you a taste:

If Norm Coleman is as innocent as he says of receiving tens of thousands of dollars of improper gifts from his wealthy friend Nasser Kazeminy, there’s a lot he could do, with the help of his friends, to put the allegation to rest.

So far, he has declined to do these things, relying instead on ever-more strongly worded denials but not putting out any proof, some of which he almost surely possesses.

What could he possess that would almost assuredly prove his own innocence? Well, it’s quite simple really:

What documents am I talking about? It’s pretty simple. Norm and Laurie Coleman could make public records showing what Mrs. Coleman has earned since the beginning of 2007, a copy of the contract under which she is paid by the Hays Companies, the nature of the work she did under that contract and documents indicating which Hays clients she serviced and what she was paid. If Sen. Coleman can establish that his wife did a reasonable amount of work for a reasonable amount of pay, the idea that her job is some kind of a sham will take a serious blow.

But that’s not the end of it. Black continues on to explain how several involved parties could possibly offer compelling evidence demonstrating their guilt. Of course these parties may have less of a reason to come forward with these documents pre-trial in fear that they might give something up prior to litigation that could damage them at trial. In certain cases, however, Coleman could request that the exonerating document be brought forward.

Clearly we will not know whether Senator Coleman has committed some incredibly serious ethical violations until the case has been resolved, but as Black concludes, he could take some steps right now to demonstrate his innocence. Why is he opting to simply deny allegations and decry them as “baseless” instead of offering proof of his innocence? Your guess is as good as mine, but it certainly doesn’t bode well for his public image…

Bottom line:

Coleman has said that neither he nor his wife ever got a dime out of any such deal, but questions linger — questions that could be easily answered if Coleman, Kazeminy and Hays produce documents that back up their public statements.