The First Time I Heard About Michael Steele (and His Sister)
Email…was back in 1998 while working on a story about Mike Tyson for Washington City Paper.
The scene took place right after Tyson had pleaded no-contest to charges that he committed two acts of second-degree assault after a Maryland fender bender.
"…while reporters are dying to know what Tyson thinks about his latest romp in the judicial system, and his fans want to hear that he’s OK, the boxer inexplicably weighs in on a local politician. ‘I’m joining the new forum of black Republican leadership here,’ Tyson says as he reaches the cameras and dives into the media molecule. ‘My vote is going for me and Charles Barkley, and [Barkley]‘s gonna come and help me campaign for Michael Steele for Congress.’ Reporters furrow their brows.
"’ Michael Steele, y’all! Vote for Michael Steele! Michael Steele, now!’ Tyson says, joining his wife in the back seat of his Lexus.
"As the former champ’s bodyguard drives him and Turner away, (Tyson’s attorney Paul) Kemp takes center stage. ‘I have no idea’ who Steele is, he says. (Steele, chairman of the Prince George’s County GOP and an African-American, was running for the chairmanship of Maryland’s Republican State Committee, though he withdrew from the race that same day. He has no apparent plans to run for Congress.)"
At the time, Tyson was married to Steele’s sister, Monica Turner.
Now, however, Steele is chair of the RNC and his former finance chair from his unsuccessful 2006 Senate race is questioning payments Steele made to Turner’s company, as reported by the Washington Post.
The former finance chair, Alan Fabian, claimed that Steele made the more than $37,000 payment to Turner for services never rendered 11 months after her company dissolved. Fabian told this to prosecutors "as he was seeking leniency for himself during plea negotiations on unrelated fraud charges."
Steele told George Stephanopoulos yesterday that the money was a "legitimate transaction and Fabian’s charge is simply "not true."
"Those allegations were leveled by a convicted felon who was trying to get a reduced sentence on his conviction," Steele said. "The reality of it is that the US attorney, as well as the judge, looked at what he presented and it did not apply. He said there was no credibility to it." Steele said, "the Washington Post ought to be ashamed of itself for getting out in front of something without all of the facts."
- jpt
Santorum: Money Will Not Defeat Obama, Ideas Will 
Rick Santorum's Full Speech at CPAC 2012
Steele is/was Tysons brother-in-law?
amazing
Posted by: smith | February 9, 2009, 9:46 am 9:46 am
The more interesting story is the second half of the article, where the reporter does not provide any new information on the current issue/scandal.
Posted by: RRM | February 9, 2009, 10:14 am 10:14 am
Mr. Steele….welcome to the world of Washington where “bipartisanship is overrated” and being legally cleared does not mean conduct was ethical or will not be used by opponents in a partisan manner.
Posted by: indy_voter | February 9, 2009, 10:22 am 10:22 am
lmao George ( i have a serious conflict of interest which i won’t talk about) S. is desperately trying to divert attention from the criminal element of the dem party…
DOH-BAMAs FEma after not showing up for 6 days now ships Tainted peanutbutter to the victims of the ice storm and doh-bamas policies
how long will this post stand? lol
Posted by: DOH-bama Cabinet of Corruption | February 9, 2009, 10:22 am 10:22 am
OK, other than tying Steele to Tyson through a siblings marriage, what news is this? Is than an attempt to discredit Steele because his sister married a dimwitted boxer? Really, I don’t know where you are going with this Jake, but is this really news?
The first time I heard about Barrack Obama was when his foul mouther anti American preacher came to light. Funny, it took ABC around a year in to Obama’s campaign to cover that. But you’re all over the Steele/Tyson connection.
And people say that the mainstream media has a liberal bias! Ha!
That, ABC, is called sarcasm.
Posted by: Ted Lee | February 9, 2009, 10:22 am 10:22 am
“Those allegations were leveled by a convicted felon who was trying to get a reduced sentence on his conviction,” Steele said. ”
People are locked up with very stiff sentences every day on the testimony of felons. Keep this out front so the arrogance of Steele stays in check.
Posted by: watching | February 9, 2009, 10:36 am 10:36 am
These right wing nuts are still at it. Could care less about this country, only their perverse idealogical zaniness. It used to be the threat were the left wing extremists, not the right wing is far worse.
Posted by: John | February 9, 2009, 10:37 am 10:37 am
I had a thought yesterday while I watched a rerun of the Markopolos testamony at the congressional hearing about the Madoff situation. If terrorist organizations incorporate into for profit entities,will the government put same rocket scientists in charge of homeland security as are in charge of the FDA and the SEC????
Posted by: Mike | February 9, 2009, 10:41 am 10:41 am
The first time I heard about Barrack Obama was when his foul mouther anti American preacher came to light.
*****************************************************
Me too. I think that was back in March of 2008. But I had voted for McCain already, so I just got giggles from watching that dude jumping around and yelling stuff from the pulpit cause it’s not like I had to have some second thoughts about my voting. The chickens have done come home to roost on that one a long way back. Dude, let it go and say your amens!!
Posted by: amber | February 9, 2009, 10:50 am 10:50 am
They don’t mention that Steele chose the swindler and felon Alan B. Fabian to serve as his finance chairman of his 2006 senate race.
Posted by: David | February 9, 2009, 11:24 am 11:24 am
The screeching by both sides of this fiasco that we call a United States Government and the two political parties has reached a fever pitch on each side. Both sides are WRONG!
Until and unless WE the People wake up and take charge outside the two piles of manure that are constantly spread as political rhetoric by the two political parties: this nation is doomed to constant turmoil and eventually, to massive national failure.
I refuse to participate in the back and forth name calling that is constantly used to justify one or the other’s excesses or failures. George Bush was everything, is everything, his detractors say he is. So is Kennedy, Obama, and Pelosi.
The only hope we have of fixing this nasty, boggdown, horrendous mess is for those of us who see the truth to step outside party loyalties and stand up for what is right for our nation. THERE IS A BETTER WAY, NEITHER PARTY HAS REALIZED THAT FOR FAR TOO LONG.
Posted by: wrong | February 9, 2009, 11:26 am 11:26 am
The First time I Heard about Michael Steel is when he was going around Campaining calling Himself a DEMOCRAT To win. lolol hahaha The poor tool doesnt even realize he is being Used By the RNC, What a Pathetic Joke the Republican party has Become!
Posted by: Angie | February 9, 2009, 11:30 am 11:30 am
Steele should be judged by the company he has kept. His associations with
characters like Tyson and Barkley
do not suggest anything uplifting about him to be the leader of the party of Lincoln.
Posted by: anon | February 9, 2009, 11:33 am 11:33 am
He probably never heard of Obama either. GIVE THE MAN A BREAK.
Posted by: pepsi | February 9, 2009, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
Lame attempt by Tapper to associate Steele with Mike Tyson.
Grow up.
Posted by: Lynn2008 | February 9, 2009, 1:07 pm 1:07 pm
Me thinks Mr. Steele has a MAJOR problem.
Posted by: jas | February 9, 2009, 1:14 pm 1:14 pm
Tapper and other Obamabots are afraid of Michael Steele because he is a real black man and makes more sense than Obama.
Posted by: Peace Train | February 9, 2009, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
Steele and Tyson are just two small bumps.
Talking about bumps, the president bumped his head on the helicopter.
This isn’t the first time a president’s head has collided with Marine One: President George W. Bush hit his head on the helicopter — also in full view of a row of cameras.
Luckily for both men, no visible signs of injury resulted from the minor mishap.
======
Our Greatest Smartest Leader is finally in good company of Presidents. Just wondering if the bump caused all the mis-steps and mis-judgment in the rest of the presidency of GWB. HOPE, hopefully, PBO would not end up with the same many mistakes as GWB in judging our economy.
However, in terms of spending, our Greatest Smartest Leader is already way ahead of GWB in just 2 weeks in office than the latter in two terms.
Posted by: two cats | February 9, 2009, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
What about the sealed documents getting leaked to the media? I want to know how sealed court documents “inadvertently” made their way to the Washington Post. Bigger story than Mike Tyson if you ask me.
Posted by: delois | February 9, 2009, 6:49 pm 6:49 pm
“The First time I Heard about Michael Steel is when he was going around Campaining calling Himself a DEMOCRAT To win.”
*chuckle*
That was also the first time I heard of him.
Now he is the party head.
Posted by: Ryan C | February 9, 2009, 7:28 pm 7:28 pm
“Those allegations were leveled by a convicted felon who was trying to get a reduced sentence on his conviction,” Steele said.”
Did Steele add anything as to why this obviously untrustworthy fellow was put in charge of his Senate finances?
Posted by: Ryan C | February 9, 2009, 7:34 pm 7:34 pm
Wow! It is really funny that the Republicans chose Steele as their RNC chairman. As one of the late night commedians commented: “Do they (Republicans) think that just any African American makes a difference?
As far as the stimulus package: Republicans would rather the whole country fails (i.e. Rush, Boehner, McConnel, et. all) then try to work with the president to save this nation.
Posted by: 1495findlay | February 10, 2009, 12:43 am 12:43 am
Steele spells defeat for Republican
candidates out on the hustings in
future elections under his tenure.
Posted by: anon | February 10, 2009, 11:35 am 11:35 am
I’m not beating up Steele. It’s too early.
I would like to know how common it is for a candidate to use their families’ businesses during a campaign. How many of those businesses go bankrupt during the process? How many receive checks for services rendered after they are defunct?
Steele hurt himself with that work and job distinction he made. It was hard to listen and take him seriously when there is no true distinction between those synonyms.
Posted by: Genna | February 10, 2009, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
The conspiracy theorists at Kos are having a ball with this. They think the onion has more layers and they are correct. Forget about Tyson, a stand up guy compared to the balance of dramatis personae in the saga about to unfold. I give Steele 45 days, tops. His board of directors doesn’t play this game.
Posted by: CCM | February 10, 2009, 4:40 pm 4:40 pm