[CPEO-MEF] REUSE: Sen. McCain's friend and Fort Ord

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

A Developer, His Deals and His Ties to McCain

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and JIM RUTENBERG
New York Times
April 22, 2008


Donald R. Diamond, a wealthy Arizona real estate developer, was racing 
to snap up a stretch of virgin California coast freed by the closing of 
an Army base a decade ago when he turned to an old friend, Senator John 
McCain.

When Mr. Diamond wanted to buy land at the base, Fort Ord, Mr. McCain 
assigned an aide who set up a meeting at the Pentagon and later stepped 
in again to help speed up the sale, according to people involved and a 
deposition Mr. Diamond gave for a related lawsuit. When he appealed to a 
nearby city for the right to develop other property at the former base, 
Mr. Diamond submitted Mr. McCain's endorsement as "a close personal friend."

Writing to officials in the city, Seaside, Calif., the senator said, 
"You will find him as honorable and committed as I have."

Courting local officials and potential partners, Mr. Diamond's team 
promised that he could "help get through some of the red tape in dealing 
with the Department of the Army" because Mr. Diamond "has been very 
active with Senator McCain," a partner said in a deposition.

...

For the entire article, see
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/us/politics/22diamond.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Fort+Ord+McCain&st=nyt&oref=slogin

See also
McCAIN HELPED ORD LAND DEAL
Senator has ties to Arizona developer

By JULIA REYNOLDS and LARRY PARSONS
Herald Staff Writers
April 23, 2008

Sen. John McCain helped an Arizona developer resolve his water issues in 
a Fort Ord property purchase, according to Monterey County court documents.

The presumptive Republican presidential candidate also sent a dazzling 
letter of recommendation to Seaside city officials when developer Donald 
Diamond submitted his bid to develop the Bayonet and Black Horse golf 
courses.

McCain's assistance came to light in a New York Times front-page story 
Tuesday, thrusting Seaside's real estate machinations with Fort Ord into 
the national campaign spotlight.

...

For the rest of the article, see
http://www.montereyherald.com/local/ci_9023652?nclick_check=1#

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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