In 1966, Downe purchased Family Weekly, a newspaper insert similar to Parade Magazine.
[3] In February 2009 the Hartford Courant ran a story concerning US senator Christopher Dodd's acquisition of his vacation home in Roundstone, Ireland.
[4] The article pointed out Dodd's close links to Downe, his disgraced former partner in buying the home.
[5] After paying an $11 million fine for his role in the scam, Downe later obtained a pardon in the waning days of the Bill Clinton administration.
Dodd was also criticized for claiming the Roundstone home was worth less than $250,000 in Senate ethics filings; some observers estimated the likely value in excess of $1 million USD.