Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Frank Prewitt's Book Deal - Bridges to Nowhere

[Update: September 13, 2008. The book is out and I've reviewed it here.]

Someone tipped me off to this, but I forgot to ask permission to use a name. I'll add it later if it's ok.

Makes Prewitt sound like this great public servant doing all this work for the FBI as a great citizen protecting the public interest. It doesn't mention they came to him because of his shady reputation and that there was some sort of plea agreement involved. Doesn't mention the: [from my second post on these trials this summer]

$30,000 loan Prewitt, while Commissioner of Corrections, got from Allvest another firm that subcontracted with the Department of Corrections (I think that's what he said.) Prewitt said he got the loan and paid it back. Stockler: Is there anything in writing? Isn't it true it was a bribe? No. How did you pay it back? I worked for Allvest for four months - $7500 per month. Did you pay taxes on the $30,000? No, it was a loan. But you say you worked for it. No, I was paying him back. So, all of us could avoid paying income taxes by having our employer loan us our pay before, and then we'd repay it by working and not have to pay taxes?


Nor does it mention that he asked to be paid for all the work he was doing for the FBI, but they turned him down. Was getting to write a book in lieu of pay?


Bridges to Nowhere
Nov. 11, 2007

Author:
James "Frank" Prewitt

Category:
Non-fiction: History/Politics/Current Affairs

Description:
As you are reading this, one of the biggest cases of political corruption in U.S. history is unfolding – reaching from Alaska to the United States Congress in Washington, DC. At issue is the high stakes game of taxing and developing a natural gas pipeline from Alaska to the Midwestern United States – and the spin-off, toxic culture of political waste.

BRIDGES TO NOWHERE is written by the confidential source the FBI relied on to help uncover an intricate web of bribery, money laundering and criminal conspiracy – with more indictments of major political figures expected soon. The story begins in 2004, when the author finds himself a “person of interest” to a federal investigation. To clear his name, the author agrees to “cooperate” in exchange for leniency over crimes the federal government knew he didn't commit – but could have, if their theory had been correct.

As CS-1 (Confidential Source One), the author teams with FBI Special Agent Kepner to expose a sobering and far-reaching network of political corruption. Wired for light and sound, CS-1 embarks on an incredible journey into the world of undercover surveillance and the corrupting influence of money, corporate power and politics.

While the events invite serious reflection about our system of government, the actual conspiracies unfold more like a season of Desperate Housewives Go to Washington…political intrigue and provocative crime in a delicious wrap of irreverence.

Senator Ted Stevens (Senate Appropriations Chair, President of Senate Pro Tempore) and Congressman Don Young (Resources and Transportation Chair, and 7th ranking member of the House of Representatives) play a pivotal role in this saga. Young, alone, has spent over $400,000 in attorney fees from his campaign funds preparing for the inevitable shoe of indictment to drop. Early '08 promises a season of indictments and scandal in Washington.

BRIDGES TO NOWHERE is based on thousands of hours of interviews with “perps” and “persons of interest”, off and on-the-record conversations with agents and attorneys of the Department of Justice, confidential records, transcripts of secret recordings and first hand accounts. Incredibly, every person, every event, every dialogue is real.

The author, James “Frank” Prewitt has a law degree from Seattle University School of Law. He is a 34 year resident of Alaska, and has served as the Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Corrections, adjunct professor of Justice at the University of Alaska, Director of the Alaska Psychiatric Institute and an Alaska Assistant Attorney General. He currently has a Government Affairs consulting practice. In addition to working undercover investigations as a Confidential Source, Prewitt provided indispensable strategic consultation to the U.S. Department of Justice on the behind-the-scenes world of contemporary politics and the legislative process.


Rights available:
All
Contact:
Diane Nine
Nine Speakers, Inc.
ninespeakers@usa.net
phone: 202-328-6861

Item number:
5094


[Source: PublishersMarketplace]

7 comments:

  1. Frank - you slime ball! There was a time when people in the professional field of corrections looked up to you. I warned you to stay away from Bill Weimer and his schemes back when we last met at Lazy Mt. Bible Church in early 1995. Shoulda listened, Frank.

    They'll be fueling woodstoves with your book long after you're dead and gone.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Munger is only partly right.

    Prewitt was undoubtably already on Weimar's pad before he was approached in the church. There was never any reason for anyone to have "looked up" to this creep.

    Prewitt ratted on his friends in the tradition of the fictionalized "Frank Pantangelo" or "Frankie Five Angels" in the Godfather. That character was derived from a true Mafioso rat, Joe Vallachi. But both Franks were crooks from the start!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The whole thing makes me pretty nauseous. Frank Prewitt appears to be totally without any moral standards.
    akgambit fka Elaine Williamson

    ReplyDelete
  4. So, let me get this straight. Frank is morally bankrupt because he blew the whistle on corrupt political officials. Does this mean corruption is okay until you get caught? Frank took the moral high road regardless of his motivation. The rest of you who think otherwise need to recalibrate your moral compass.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's pretty sick to try to cash in on all of this when you are such a small fish. I highly doubt this book will sell and what a waste of trees to produce such trash.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I find it interesting that people are so quick to
    criticize people based on whatever flies from the lips of the media or highly biased web blogs. What happened to people searching out the facts from both sides of the fence. What happened to people thinking critically? It appears that people take things as they hear it and then automatically make judgments concerning that person or topic. And more often then not in our world today, people cultivate hatred. Why bring the church into the conversation, while publicly slamming an individual? Isn't that the language of a hypocrite? I don't see that as very godly, but more of something the pharisees were known for doing.

    If you really cared about cleaning up the political corruption in the state of Alaska, then you would be glad that someone had the balls to "blow the whistle" on members of Alaska's Corrupt Bastard Club.

    And before you slam someone, please get the facts about that individual. I am afraid you all are missing crucial information about events that occurred and you lack knowledge of the character of Frank Prewitt. He is a man of integrity and he has sacrificed much for the sake of taking the moral high ground and cleaning up tar spilled all over by all the men and women who choose to live solely in the darkness of his and her own dishonesty, dishonor, crooked fragility

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Anonymous" calls Frank Prewitt "a man of integrity?" Thousands of comedians are out of work and he or she is looking to do stand up?

    Prewitt tried to justify the "Bridge to Nowhere" in 2001 with a proposal by his client, Cornell Companies, to build a prison Gravina. See if you recognize any of the names of the principals: "Bill Weimar." "Bill Allen."

    But don't take my word for it. Here's Frankie "Pantangelo"
    Prewitt's own e-mail on the subject.

    NOV-16-01 THU 05:13 PM
    Bruce Harding
    From: "Frank Prewitt" HYPERLINK
    "mailto:fprewitt@ak.net"fprewitt@ak.net
    To: HYPERLINK "mailto:bruce@akgetaway.com"bruce@akgetaway.com
    Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 10:12 AM
    Subject: FW: Prison

    Bruce

    Sorry I missed your call. I'll be out of the office today, however, the following e-mail will get you up to speed on the situation in Ketchikan.

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Frank Prewitt
    To: HYPERLINK
    "mailto:billelberson@remax.net;"billelberson@remax.net; HYPERLINK
    "mailto:trpm63@hotmail.com"trpm63@hotmail.com
    Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 1:17 PM
    Subject: Prison
    To: Bill Elberson and Roger Stone
    Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001
    Subject: prison

    Bill & Roger,

    As you know, I represent the team that has successfully brought the private prison opportunity to the doorstep of two Alaskan communities.

    In both instances local procurement procedures were followed, contracts were signed, preliminary planning and designs were performed and legislation was passed. In Delta Jct, the project did not move forward because of an anti-prison majority shift in the City Council, notwithstanding a positive public vote. On the Kenai Peninsula the project failed when the Borough chose to put the issue to a public vote AFTER months of public hearing, AFTER contracts to perform were signed and AFTER legislation was passed. This was done with full knowledge that, under Alaska case law, the prison was not a legally appropriate subject matter for a referendum.

    The decision to put the prison to a public vote was made to appease an anti-prison citizens group, who (sic) then rallied public employee unions to invest nearly one hundred thousand dollars in a campaign to frighten the public.

    Gentlemen, our team has been working on this project for five years and the principals have invested nearly three million dollars in "signed, sealed and delivered" projects only to watch them fail because of mistakes made at the local political level.

    When we met, I laid out the steps that are necessary to deliver this project to your community.

    Due to the time constraints, you must: 1) Select a local government entity that is legally able, and politically willing, to sell revenue bonds without a public vote; 2) Put out a Request For Qualifications (RFQ) to select a contractor to promote, design, build and operate an 800 bed prison; 3) Select a contractor; 4)
    Negotiate and execute a contract; and 5) Complete the process by January 1, 2002.

    Opponents will criticize the process as "fast tracked". Indeed, if the Borough wants to seize this economic development opportunity from another community it must be willing to expedite the public process.

    The public policy justification for these revenue bonds by passing a public vote is that they are secured by the full faith and credit of the State of Alaska; there is no financial risk to the Borough or the public. Presumably, government officials are elected to make administrative decisions that enhance the general welfare of the public.

    If they make decisions that the voters disagree with they can be replaced at the polls.

    Last year, the Kenai Peninsula Borough's mid-session bill introduction was heavily criticized and near fatal. It is imperative that the Ketchikan Borough legislative package be ready for introduction when the
    legislatiure reconvenes on, or about, January 12th. This will leave very little time for planning and production work, even if the Borough meets the January timeframe.

    After Monday night's Borough Assembly action I am deeply concerned that Ketchikan is not able, or willing, to take our advice. Today is October 16. In order to meet the January deadline, the Borough must draft, approve and issue an RFQ by November 1. If the Borough allows three weeks for responses, and only one week to evaluate, it will be mid December. The Borough must then award, negotiate and approve a contract, which is, at best, a three week process. With any slippage due to the holiday season we are in the first week of January.

    Whether selected, or not, we are the only team with the experience, data bank and expertise required to guie an able and willing community through the steps that are necessary to meet the timeline and deliver the project. We have put two other viable communities on hold because Ketchikan was the first to contact us. (This is a lie, of course, as Frank and his crew were taking very good care of his buds in Wrangell and Whittier at the time.)

    But we cannot afford the time that will be lost referring the matter to a volunteer citizens committee and waiting for regularly scheduled assembly meetings. We are also concerned by a statement made by the economic development committee chairwoman that this project will not move forward without an economic impact study and a public vote, whether required, or not.

    An RFQ must be issued by the first of November and the Borough must be
    willilng (sic) to do everything in its power to complete the process by the first of January. Wiothout (sic) that assurance, the project cannot be put together in time for the next legislative session and we will feel compelled to respond to one of the communities who have indicated they can meet the timelines. I hate to put you two under this kind of pressure, but people must be made to understand that if they truly want this project they must act quickly and decisively.

    I look forward to hearing from you, good luck.

    ReplyDelete

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