Brady Toensing, the vice chair of the Vermont Republican Party, alleged Thursday that Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) Senate office pressured a bank to approve a loan to Burlington College while his wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, was its president.
A spokesman for Sanders dismissed the allegation as “preposterous,” “politically instigated” and an example of an outrageous personal attack.
Toensing, a lawyer, said he was following up on a request he made in January for a federal investigation of Sanders’ wife in her former role as president of Burlington College. Toensing alleged then that in applying for a loan to purchase a new campus, O’Meara Sanders overstated by nearly $2 m
illion the amount of donations the college had received.
On Thursday, Toensing told a federal prosecutor he had new information.
“I was recently approached and informed that Senator Bernie Sanders’ office improperly pressured People’s United Bank to approve the loan application,” Toensing said in letters to U.S. Attorney Eric Miller and to Fred Gibson Jr., the acting inspector general of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.
In an interview, Toensing declined to reveal who approached him or what evidence the person offered. Asked what kind of pressure was allegedly exerted, he said, “The bank was told to get it done.”
The bank’s Vermont president, Michael Seaver, did not return a call seeking comment.
Miller said he cannot say whether his office will pursue the allegation. “As a general matter, my office does not comment on public requests to conduct criminal investigations. Every such request is evaluated for appropriate action, and we are committed to enforcing federal law in a neutral and impartial manner,” he said via email.
Miller has similarly declined to say whether there is an investigation underway based on Toensing’s January request.
The college announced May 16 that it is closing, citing “the crushing weight of the debt incurred by the purchase of the archdiocese property on North Avenue” — funded by the loan. Asked at the time if there was an investigation, interim president Carol Moore said, “No comment.”
Board member Tom Torti told Seven Days, “I have heard that federal people have been asking questions.” But he said he knew nothing more.
Toensing also wrote Thursday to Sanders’ Senate office, asking the senator to release records including his Senate office’s correspondence with People’s United Bank and the Vermont Economic Development Authority.
In both letters, Toensing said he was representing Wendy Wilton of Rutland, a Vermont Catholic whose interest in the situation stems from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington’s sale of property to Burlington College. Wilton is a former Republican state senator who ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2012.
Sanders’ spokesman Michael Briggs pointed to Toensing’s and Wilton’s GOP links in a response to the allegations via email Thursday.
He wrote:
Brady Toensing is the vice chair of the Vermont Republican Party. Wendy Wilkins [sic] is a former Republican candidate for statewide office. Bernie is currently running for president of the United States to make certain that the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, will not become president of the United States and do disastrous harm to our country. Nothing more needs to be said about this preposterous and politically-instigated charge. Sadly, making outrageous and lying personal attacks against candidates and their families is what modern-day Republican politics is all about.
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Boy, Bernie kicking Republicans tails all over the nation has really gotten under you people’s skin, hasn’t it? Your exile from power in Vermont is about to be duplicated, and you’ll soon be a marginal party nationally, just as are here in Vermont. Hence, you carp and scream and spew words devoid of facts in your pain and rage. Frankly, I’m enjoying it.
You just got to consider the source > Brady Toensing, the vice chair of the Vermont Republican Party, alleged Thursday that Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) Senate office pressured a bank to approve a loan to Burlington College,< this looks more like the pointless attack from the republicans to smear Bernie as it is obvious now that they, the republicans would rather face hillary on Nov. 8th than Bernie, go figure.
@Don Dean. what are you talking about?? Janey Sanders didn’t borrow money, she LIED about the amount that people pledged..I know of 2 families who are fighting this, the amount they pledged Janey put down their pledges for $1,000’s more then what they said..She’s a sneaky crook, a liar just like her husband, the socialist commie..
I may not have been in the service but I come from a long line of Military family, from my great grandfather to my husband who was in Vietnam, I just lost my Son last July, he was killed.he was in the Military…I know a lot about the oath that the Military takes when they join, they put their lives on the line so that 90% of these crooked politicians can sit on their asses and steal money and a lot of them are DRAFT DODGERS just like Sanders..Killary Clinton is the worse thing this country could have aside from obumass, her husband was worthless too..Sanders hasn’t done anything for our country either except draw a paycheck when he became mayor of Burlington then ran for Senate..The Socialist should go back to NY where he and his crooked wife are from..She should give back the $250,000 she stole from the college!!!!
Heywood and the rest of you. are willing to believe that Jane borrowed money for land, and then left Burlington College in the lurch. even though that 5 or 6 years ago. Meanwhile, you aren’t willing to fathom that Hillary did anything wrong with a “private” email server. I would gather none of you have ever served in the military and taken an oath to protect this country from all enemies foreign and domestic. Also, it is blatantly obvious that you know know about network security, or information technology for that matter.
The secretary of state has to sign a non-disclosure agreement when they commence work for the government. Having an offsite “private” server creates logistical nightmare that would cost a lot to maintain the security of said server.
Hillary Clinton is that largest threat to our national security that has existed since the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 60’s.
#AnyoneButHillary