Reports are, as you might expect, that Vermont pols are working hard to put a little sunlight between themselves and alleged EB-5 ponzi artists Bill Stenger and Ariel Quiros. It will prove a little harder for some than others.

Early on in the EB-5 saga, in October 2009 Governor Jim Douglas went on a junket to South Korea with Stenger and Quiros . While there, according to a press release at the time,  he facilitated the first EB-5 investor seminar for the now-failed AnC Bio as part of his economic development mission to Asia.

Will former Governor Douglas try to blur it away even though he had a front row center seat?

Vermont.gov press release: “On behalf of the people of Vermont, I want to welcome AnC Bio VT to Vermont,” Douglas said while at the AnC plant in Seoul. “This is an exciting opportunity that can bring hundreds of high-tech, good paying jobs to our state.” — Gov. Douglas 2009 [vermont.gov noted that pictures were available for the press]

Starting in 2004 EB-5 was Led by Jim Douglas

The following is from Bill Stenger’s 2011 written testimony to US House Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and it couldn’t be clearer:

It was not until late 2004, because of improved C.I.S. [U.S.C.I.S.] efforts and the renewed commitment by our state officials led by Governor Jim Douglas, that the program became truly functional from our perspective in Vermont.

To be there or not to be there?

This was Bill Stenger’s birthday celebration on September 27 2012, Newport’s Lake Memphremagog.

No one is exactly trying this, because you can’t just photoshop yourself out of the recent past, but a few Vermont politicians may try to blur the lines and change the focus, with or without technical wizardry.