According to several media outlets, federal investigators are checking out allegations that Vermont Senator Bernie Sander’s wife, Jane, falsified loan documents while serving as the president of Burlington College. Allegedly, the Department of Justice is investigating the circumstances surrounding a loan obtained by the school for the purchase of property owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese. Said purchase had been blamed for the financial downfall of Burlington College. After failing to meet accreditation standards and faced with bankruptcy, the small liberal-arts school closed in May 2016.
One donor claims Sanders mis-characterized the terms of a gift donation she intended to give the institution. Corinne Bove Maietta, 83, was interviewed by a federal official at her home in West Palm Beach, Florida. Maietta, whose family owns the famous Bove’s Restaurant in Burlington, said she agreed to donate an undisclosed amount of money to the school upon her death. She also stated that she never signed anything but did include the school in her will almost a year after they had purchased the diocese property. It appears that Jane Sanders included Maietta’s bequest as collateral to finance the deal. However, Maietta was adamant that, though she offered to leave something for the college in her will, she never gave an amount.
Money troubles and the law
Reportedly, the college went through financial difficulties from 2004 to 2011, during Jane Sanders’ tenure. The school was faced with a $10 million debt after purchasing a new campus in 2010. Some donors who were approached by Sanders are currently in contact with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the FBI.
Sanders left the school in 2011. Prior to her leaving the college, Sanders claimed on a 2010 loan application that the school would be able to depend on $2.6 million in donations to pay for the land. However, she was only able to raise a fourth of that amount.
Discrepancies in numbers
Apparently, the numbers differ when compared to what donors say they pledged and what Sanders had documented.
To date, no comment has been made or statement released from the Sanders camp regarding this matter even though requests for comment were sent. While it’s not clear why Jane Sanders left her post in 2011, she was seen frequently supporting and campaigning alongside her husband Bernie during his run for President of the United States.
