Wal-Mart, Choice Point Inc and the Tick Tick Tick of the Clock

Site of Reference: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050326/D892B7R00.html

Choice Point, Inc and Wal-Mart, finally the Bush agenda all in one place and what do you get, a half-million dollars missing. Choice Point as you may know is the company entrusted to purge black voters from the 2000 election, employed by the Bush team. Wal-Mart, the world’s largest corporation and an endless supply of money may finally be drifting out into the open at the hands of now former employee and board member Thomas M. Coughlin. Remember that name Bush watchers as he will undoubtedly show up in a few documentaries in the coming years. The Associated Press reports, “The world's largest retailer said it asked Thomas M. Coughlin, who is also a former president and CEO of the company's stores division, to step down because of "a disagreement" over the results of the probe, which involves between $100,000 and $500,000, and his "response to questions concerning his knowledge of certain transactions," according to a regulatory filing.”
Guilty in the past of using sweatshops and child labor Wal-Mart is now guilty of one of their own board members not only cheating the employees or associates are they are called out of raises, promotions, etc., but of stealing $100,00 to $500,00. In Wal-Mart lingo it is called Internal theft and is dealt with harshly, sometimes the culprit is hired back after a short period of time at store level.

The AP also reports, “The Securities and Exchange Commission document does not directly state what role, if any, Coughlin, had in "the alleged unauthorized use of corporate-owned gift cards and personal reimbursements that appear to have been obtained ... through the reporting of false information on third-party invoices and Company expense reports."
In a separate statement, Bentonville-based Wal-Mart said that it did not expect any adverse financial impact from the investigation. The company did not name or otherwise identify the three fired employees and declined further comment Friday.
The fact that he is also on the board of Choice Point, Inc who is employed to count, I mean purge voters names, those that are black or Hispanic, those that have committed crimes in the future, is very interesting. But watch as the long, long arm of money is stretched out to keep the story at a minimum. But the blood is in the water, and investigative reporters like Greg Palast who have already investigated Choice Point, inc in the past can circle’em like nobody else.

- Chris Mansel



Coughlin is voted Retailer of the Year in 2002 by Cal State University
http://www.calstatela.edu/univ/ppa/newsrel/retl2002.htm

An Interview with Coughlin “former store detective for Macy’s” in 2002
http://www.losspreventionmagazine.com/archives_view.html?id=738

Coughlin promoted to board of Choice Point Inc
http://www.choicepoint.net/85256B350053E646/0/FC0CE85B86B3F70685256B4F0056B98B?Open