State Sen. Cataldo, R-Sixth District, Lying to Voters About his Qualifications?

(Above - Separated at graduation? Incumbent GOP Sen. Sam Cataldo‘s credentials as a “nuclear engineer“ appear just as impressive as Homer Simpson‘s)

(Farmington, NH-NHPoliticalWire) Republican senator Sam Cataldo often refers to his background as “nuclear engineer,” but a federal investigation into his “alma mater” suggests that he purchased his degree instead of earning it. After a review of this credentials, it appears that Sam Cataldo has a much a right to call himself a nuclear engineer as does TV‘s most famous nuclear power plant employee - Homer Simpson. At worst, he could be perpetuating fraud for monetary gain, but one thing is clear - Sam Cataldo has lied to the voters of New Hampshire‘s Sixth Senate District and the press who has covered his campaigns.

“Republican senator Sam Cataldo often refers to his background as ’nuclear engineer,’ but a federal investigation into his ‘alma mater’ suggests that he purchased his degree instead of earning it. After a review of his credentials, it appears that Sam Cataldo has a much a right to call himself a nuclear engineer as does TV‘s most famous nuclear power plant employee - Homer Simpson.”

An FBI investigation into La Salle University in Louisiana (not be confused with the legitimate La Salle U. in Philadelphia) lead to a raid by US Postal Inspectors, the IRS, and the FBI in 1996 which shut La Salle down. Thomas James Kirk, the founder of La Salle and numerous other diploma mills, plead guilty to charges of mail fraud and tax evasion, sentenced to five years. Cataldo, in a bio on the voter information service PollVault, claimed to have matriculated from “La Salle University (LA)“ in 1995.

“Generally, fake degrees are usually bought for economic advantage for people who are seeking promotion or seeking to get jobs where the employer wants them to have a degree,” said Prof. George Gollin, a board member of the U.S.-based Council for Higher Education Accreditation told CNN.

Gollin gave Wired magazine ”the example of one American who bought a Bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering, and who’s now working in the control room of a nuclear power plant.”

Again, Homer Simpson springs to mind.