Money-Grubbing Former Air America Honcho Skips Town (Allegedly)

Air America scandal update: according to the NY Sun’s Don Lombino, the network’s former chairman Evan Montvel Cohen — who was reportedly responsible for the transfers of over $800,000 to Air America from a Bronx kid’s charity — is missing. Lombino, who as we reported at the beginning of the months was one of the first to really go after this story, says that a lawyer who is trying to serve him with papers can’t find him, that he is rumored to be in Hawaii, and that he’s not responding to emails. He’s been kicked off the board of the National Cancer Center for not attending meetings (recall that Cohen had claimed to have cancer himself, and part of the money funnelled to Air America was allegedly for his treatment). According to Lombino, Cohen was notified of this by email because the Center had no other way to get in touch with him. Bizarre.

Also a bit bizarre: no quotes from Air America in this story. You need to dig a bit on the network’s website (past the “Fire Rove” T-shirts) to a link midway down in the “Press” section, but there is a statement on the matter: it says that “if the allegations of mismanagement and corruption” are true, then it’s “absolutely disgraceful” but its hands are clean; Evan Cohen hasn’t been there since May 2004, the money went to his now-defunct Progress Media, and “the current owners of Air America Radio have no obligation to Progress Media’s business activities.” But, because Air America’s name was dragged into it, they “agreed months ago to fully compensate the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club as a result of this transaction” (and “agreement” is almost as good as a check!). As Alice and the unbending Judge Hogan would say, curiouser and curiouser.

But either way, Rachel Maddow, you’re still our girlcrush. Well, one of them. Is she yours? Let us know! Yes, this is your reward for reading to the bottom of this posting: a call for girl crushery. We’re going to blame it on August, like everyone freaking else.

STATEMENT FROM AIR AMERICA RADIO [Air America]
Network’s former chairman is missing [NY Sun]

Earlier:
Air America Scandal gives Fox another reason to decry Liberal bias [FishbowlNY]

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