CHARLES TAYLOR-- CORRUPTION & SELF-SERVING GREED WORTHY OF A DELAY DIE-HARD

When most people put the words "Charles Taylor" and "scumbag" together, they think of the murderous Liberian war criminal. But they haven't met Congressman Charles Taylor from North Carolina's 11th Congressional District. Nor would they want to-- unless they were a special interest looking for a congressional whore to buy.

Taylor was first elected in 1990. According to his website, the district doesn't seem to have any cities-- just a bunch of towns with names like Flat Rock, Greenmountain, Tuxedo, Zirconia, Little Switzerland, Chimney Rock, Horse Shoe, Bat Cave, Pisgah Forest, Lake Lure, Scaly Mountain... It sure sounds like a great place for a nature trip, doesn't it? In the 15 years since he was elected, what sure appears like a gigantic integrity-deficit has found him navigating one embarrassing scandal after another. He seems to have come to believe that people get elected to Congress in order to line their pockets, not in order to serve the interests of their constituents. Charles Taylor serves his own interests and those of his wealthy corporate campaign contributors. One of the richest men in Congress (with a net worth of over $60 million), Taylor has refused to pay taxes to the point that Jackson County was forced to garnish his congressional salary to collect back taxes. The biggest source of a continuing Taylor scandal, though, is the bank he owns, the Blue Ridge Savings Bank, and the shady dealings it always seems to be involved in. Hayes Martin, one of Taylor's main cronies-- the bank president and his campaign treasurer-- pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering for making illegal loans. The beneficiary of the illegal $1.3 million loan was Charles Cagle, 11th District Republican Chairman, a close friend of Taylor's and, of course, a major campaign contributor. Cagle also pleaded guilty. Oddly enough Taylor was had the clout to prevent an investigation of himself although it was completely clear from the sworn testimony in the case that he was the guilty party-- with full knowledge of the illegal loans. Taylor's predatory nature may be most harmful to the folks in his North Carolina mountain district but he has also been busy disgracing our country abroad as well. Taylor and hiss partner, a former KGB General, own a bank in Ivanovo, Russia and newspapers there report that Taylor may be cheating the Russians as well, with interest rates as high as 60%!