Nebraska Tea Party leader claims state Banking Department harassed him

Finance Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

BY JoANNE YOUNG, Journalstar.com

A financial adviser who has become the face of the tea party in Nebraska says his politics led to harassment by the state Banking Department.

And it has cost his business — Bob Bennie Wealth Management Inc. — more than $1 million.

Banking Department officials say their contacts and investigations of Bennie’s business practices were precipitated by his and his affiliate’s business actions and had nothing to do with politics.

It started in February 2010, Bennie said, after an article in the Journal Star about the tea party movement in Nebraska, in which he was quoted extensively.

In that article, Bennie discussed his political beliefs and called President Barack Obama a communist. That’s when his business troubles began, he said.

He hadn’t had much contact with the Banking Department during his 16 years in business, he said. His past record has been free from judgments, written reprimands, suspensions, fines or disciplinary actions, he said. But shortly after the article appeared, he received an inquiry from the department.

To read more, visit:  http://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_8c69d1d6-9286-5b19-b7c6-f7152afcfd72.html

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