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Joop Runs: Bollen “Visiting Family” in Philippines

Even if we can get Senator Larry Tidemann (R-7/Brookings) to do his job and subpoena Mike Rounds's and Dennis Daugaard's EB-5 visa czar Joop Bollen, we may have trouble carrying it out. A reliable source tells me that Joop Bollen is in the Philippines.

To the best of my source's knowledge, the last time anyone saw Bollen and his wife around Aberdeen was more than three weeks ago. Supposedly Bollen is visiting his young Filipina wife's family.

From our coincidence file, just a little more than three weeks ago, we learned that the South Dakota Banking Commission is investigating whether Bollen failed to pay $2.4 million in bank franchise tax on his EB-5 activities.

Bollen's overseas travel would explain the "difficulty" reported in serving Bollen with notice of Minnehaha County Commissioner Jeff Barth's lawsuit to demand that Bollen, his attorney Jeff Sveen, his former boss and governor Mike Rounds, and other EB-5 players preserve documents related to the scandal-plagued EB-5 program.

This trip would also suggest that Bollen may not be entirely sure that the SDGOP will keep shielding him from questions about EB-5 and that he needs to back up his arrogance with absence.But now we bring the Philippines back into the EB-5 story. Stay tuned.

41 Comments

  1. larry kurtz 2014.10.04

    Exactly, Cory.

    That Kristi Noem jumped on the human trafficking bandwagon after opposing the Violence Against Women Act is such a tell that it's impossible to ignore.

  2. mike from iowa 2014.10.04

    The state could have made Bollen turn over his passport so he couldn't conveniently leave the country when the heat is turned up. More and more like Keystone whitey wingnut kops.

  3. Jane Smith 2014.10.04

    Well James Park fled to Korea, now Bollen to the Philippines. Rounds is going to be left with the EB-5 mess all on him. He does not realize he got sold out by these guys.
    There is extradition treaty signed with the Philippines. But, it is obvious that Joop Bollen will evade the law at all cost. And those authorities who allowed this by refusing to take proper action should be fired. He has property here, are they not frozen?

  4. Jane Smith 2014.10.04

    Did Charisse Oliveros Bollen get her Permanent Residence, AKA Greencard?

  5. Nick Nemec 2014.10.04

    Joop and his much younger ex-hooker wife skip the country? Any person paying attention could have predicted this would eventually happen. Why the South Dakota Republican establishment insists on protecting this guy is beyond me. I don't think we've reached the bottom of this story. Smiling Mike has some 'splaining to do.

  6. larry kurtz 2014.10.04

    And did Rich Benda embezzle $550,000 to buy a green card for his own mistress?

  7. 96Tears 2014.10.04

    Two on the lam: Mike Rounds & Joop Bollen. Mike dodges, dips, dives, ducks, and dodges debates (and I still predict he'll duck out of the SDPB and KELO TV debates) to escape public inspection before the vote. And Joop hopes to keep his hide out of prison.

  8. Francis Schaffer 2014.10.04

    Do you suppose he flew Malaysia Airlines?

  9. Lynn 2014.10.04

    Will Chad and Annette go to the Philippines next after the election? Is there a secluded compound on one of the easy to hide islands there set up by one of the cronies here in South Dakota?

  10. Lynn 2014.10.04

    Joop, Chad, Annette and various cronies all enjoying the tropical climate and cold refreshments away from that pesky prosecution and bothersome questions

  11. grudznick 2014.10.04

    Send Chad the Bounty Hunter after Mr. Bollen. If the SDDP offered a bounty he'd do it.

  12. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.04

    Last week's Seth Tupper's revelation of Mike Rounds wanting to amend his lie with another lie, cited an anonymous source that provided the documents and information.
    We just might have a "deep throat" in this saga. Is Bollen in so deep that the SDGOP has or will throw him under the bus?
    Someone inside is doing some serious talking, is Bollen "deep throat"?

  13. 96Tears 2014.10.04

    Roger, I assume Bollen is smart and doesn't want to be toe-tagged in a shelterbelt. What does he have to lose by turning in the rest of the rats? He's got an estimated $140 million that he weaseled away from the state, and as soon as the election is over, look for Daugaard to announce he's paying for yet another attorney to investigate how the state can retrieve that money along with the half-million Benda walked away with.

  14. DeeJay Beejr 2014.10.04

    I'm guessing Joop took a green card for his wife out of petty cash.

  15. Loren 2014.10.04

    Joop in the Philippines, unable to answer questions?? Coincidence, I think they can that coincidence! Probably planned this trip months ago... or not! ;-)

  16. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.04

    96 Tears,
    Two on the lam? It is more like three, anyone see Mike Rounds at a debate lately?

  17. Bob Klein 2014.10.04

    It could be a mission trip. I hear that's a good place to take a mission trip.

  18. Deb Geelsdottir 2014.10.04

    Man, the South Dakota Republican stench has wafted all the way to Minnesota! I think I'll go to Beijing, where it smells better.

  19. Jane Smith 2014.10.04

    Maybe Joop Bollen bought His Green Card too. What does his ex-wife know about all the shenanigans?
    If he is on the lam, should they not freeze his assets - all of them, including properties he gave to his ex in the divorce.
    Property settled in divorce that was purchased with the money swindled from state, rightly belongs to the state. If this guy is allowed to get away this easily, what a huge slap in the face of SD.

  20. Bill Fleming 2014.10.04

    Presumably Mr. T has The Joopinator's overseas address and phone # so he can mail/fax the questions his committee deems Joopworthy along with a generous deadline for returning the answers. Wouldn't want to harsh Bollen's mellow when he's on VayKay. :-)

  21. larry kurtz 2014.10.04

    Clarissa, "Sorry, Mr. Tideman: Mr. Bollens has the runs. Could you call back after Joop passes this KXL deal?"

  22. larry kurtz 2014.10.04

    colon humor: it's the good humor:::::::::::::

  23. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.04

    Cory has been trying for sometime now to libj Chad Haber to Mike Rounds EB-5 scandal, maybe we have that link with Bollen, Haber, and Bosworth all eventually hiding in the Philippines.

  24. larry kurtz 2014.10.04

    grope slope nope soap trope joop.

  25. lesliengland 2014.10.05

    25 clear, concise, chronological bullet points to ed schultz, please

  26. mike from iowa 2014.10.05

    Here Condeleeza Tidemann stands
    Bollen subpoena in hand
    Asking-who knew-Bollen could flee this land?

    As long as he don't come back.

    This lets me off the hook
    We all guessed Bollen's a crook
    Just close this last chapter of EB-5 book.

    Election time is here,vote for me.

  27. JeniW 2014.10.05

    I am impressed by the creativity of those participating on this forum!

    Good job, and thank you!

  28. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.10.05

    Chad, Annette, and Joop in the Philippines—the possibilities boggle the mind.

  29. jerry 2014.10.05

    Okay then, all the more reason to take a look at the deposition that Joop Bollen made under oath. The corrupted regents must release this as it is the property of the taxpayers here in South Dakota. Joop may be sipping San Miguel's on the seashore, but we here must demand and receive the documents we paid for. Mike Rounds, along with Dennis Daugaard and Marty Jackley are the main capos in this criminal enterprise. Long past time for RICO to enter the picture. The Philippines have become the Sicily to this cowboy mafia.

  30. lesliengland 2014.10.05

    UP with @Steve Kornackie has EB5 scandal in his sights.

    This morning he reports on 7 point race, and he tried to put Rick on MSNBC live but "technical difficulties" (prolly rotted janklow fiber in Ipswich!!) intervened. The Harry Reid/Tom Daschle "control of Senate" issue was featured. Last weekend @stevekornackie interviewed Larry Pressler and will interview Weiland next weekend if not sooner.

    Upcoming week on MSNBC ED SHOW Ed Schultz is promising a EB5 investigation-Weiland/Rounds review.

    Rounds is toast!

  31. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.10.05

    I disagree, Leslie. I listened to Kornacki's video. He doesn't mention EB-5, does he? He says the "real drama" in the race is the Reid-Daschle feud. Really? A Rounds employee violates at least conflict-of-interest law, litigation law, and Board of Regents policy, Rounds rewards him with a no-bid contract, and the "real drama" is Reid's pissy-pants? It sounds like Kornacki needs to take his sights off his Beltway navel and look at some real South Dakota journalism.

  32. lesliengland 2014.10.05

    Well, Cory, a well placed call from you to Steve would accomplish that!

    MSNBC now has two of it's shows (@ edshow and @stevekornackie) focusing on Weiland/Rounds race. Call Ed Schultz too and lets put this nation to bed preserving control of the Senate. Otherwise we are going to have an even rougher two years.

  33. lesliengland 2014.10.05

    Talk to Rick too, are you going to Rickstock East? You are the best person to walk him through the EB5 highlights!

  34. lesliengland 2014.10.05

    When Rick is interviewed by @Stevekornackie and/or @edshow he can lay out the EB5 scandal. Wish we could tie in Daugaard/Jackley/Tidemann/Regents dilatory obstruction too, to support Susan Wismer's well placed moves on the Governor's race.

  35. lesliengland 2014.10.05

    Had Rick Weiland appeared live this morning on MSNBC's Up with Steve Kornackie (Rachel Maddow's stand-in), this race would be on a new footing, the points might change in his favor, and who knows.... Ah for the fortuitous glitch :(

  36. Dr. Math 2014.10.05

    I just sent emails to both Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz. Let's hope that one or both of them helps expose the truth.

  37. lesliengland 2014.10.05

    The reid-daschle "pissy-pants" diversion really does shift the focus, but not from the reality of Rounds' EB% mess. wonder who is behind that? I don't get that. perhaps grudz could enlighten. :)

  38. Roger Elgersma 2014.10.05

    Rounds thought he could evade knowledge by saying that Benda was dead so it is sad that we will never know what happened. Now if they gave Bollen a free plane ticket to get out of Dodge, Rounds can claim to be even dumber by saying that both Benda and Bollen are gone so now nobody knows anything. Is that why Republicans want to privatize everything so that if there is money under the table no one will know since it is a private companies records and not government records?

  39. 96Tears 2014.10.06

    Two weeks until the first anniversary of Richard Benda's mysterious, violent death without known witnesses in a lonely shelterbelt in the middle of the state he loved.

    Over the weekend, I talked with friends from Watertown. They're Republicans but don't wear it on their sleeves. They are not political at all. They brought up the Rounds mess and I listened.

    They knew Mr. Benda and said the community dearly appreciated him and the work he did there. They said people in Watertown who knew Richard continue to be shocked at the allegations brought by the Attorney General. They are suspicious that the AG coughed up these allegations a month ago when the heat from the Rounds Racketeering Scam was pointing fingers at too many powerful people.

    They do not believe Mr. Benda committed suicide because, they say, his personality did not fit the profile of a suicidal person. They think he's being made to be the fall guy for a lot of other people who are getting away with major crimes.

    They are very disappointed and exasperated that the media has been ridiculously slow to do its job to expose major thefts and fraud being done in plain sight at the highest reaches of state government.

    Frankly, I was surprised by their remarks. Again, they are not all that interested in politics. They are not movers and shakers in their hometown. They love Watertown and they love their home state. They are upset that a great injustice is being done and that those in our government's highest seats of power are working overtime to cover Mike Rounds' ass because winning a Senate seat is more important than justice and common dignity.

  40. John Stone 2014.10.06

    Joop's wife is very sweet, American battle axes could learn a lot from her.

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