Reply #21: Bits and pieces on Prince and DeVos connections

[starroute]

Here's some stuff I dug out when I was looking into former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra's ties to the DeVos family. (He's the congressman from Holland, MI, which is apparently where they live.)

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/september26-30.htm

The DeVos family has used a corporate entities such as the Windquest Group, DP Fox Ventures, and Alticor, Inc. to funnel thousands of dollars to conservative GOP politicians and their PACs, including Restoring the American Dream board member Sue Myrick, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, and Louisiana Rep. Bobby Jindal. Erik Prince, through a Virginia entity called Prince Household LLC, as well as the Prince Group, has contributed to Tom DeLay, Peter Hoekstra, George W. Bush, South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, and Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn.


http://phoenixwoman.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_phoenixwoman_archive.html

Joseph Schmitz, until recently the Inspector General at the Pentagon, left that job "amid accusations that he stonewalled inquiries into senior Bush administration officials suspected of wrongdoing."

He was promptly hired by the Prince Group, parent company of Blackwater USA. Blackwater USA is "a private security company with millions of dollars in contracts in Iraq."

<snip>

But wait, there's more about Mr. Schmitz.

Jane Hamsher of firedoglake reminds us that Joseph Schmitz is the son of California Republican John Schmitz, who ran on "the family values" platform and considered Ronald Reagan a pinko. The thing is, Joseph was John's son by a woman other than John's wife. Joseph had a half-sister (John's "real" family) who grew up to be Mary Kay LeTourneau.