The Briefing Room
General Category => National/Breaking News => Topic started by: rangerrebew on March 26, 2014, 01:29:59 pm
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March 25, 2014, 05:07 pm
Reid to refund his campaign $16K for 'holiday gifts'
By Rebecca Shabad
The Federal Election Committee (FEC) is asking Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to explain the listing of more than $16,000 in holiday gifts in a campaign filing, according to a report.
Ralston Reports, run by Nevada journalist Jon Ralston, reported Tuesday that 2016 campaign money was used on presents for supporters.
Ralston said he learned the gifts were actually purchased by Reid’s granddaughter, Ryan Elisabeth Reid, who sells jewelry in Berkeley, Calif.
She bought the gifts — using the campaign’s money — for Reid’s donors and backers, the report says.
The filing only identified her as Ryan Elisabeth, and Ralston said he later figured out she was Reid’s relative.
In a letter, the FEC said Reid’s campaign must explain $11,370 and $5,416 expenditures by April 25.
“Itemized disbursements must include a brief statement or description of why each disbursement was made,” the letter read.
Friends of Harry Reid representative Chris Anderson told Ralston, “The campaign complied with all FEC rules.”
In a statement provided to The Hill, Reid said he would reimburse the campaign for the expenditure.
"I thought it would be nice to give supporters and staff thank-you gifts that had a personal connection and a Searchlight connection, but I have decided to reimburse the campaign for the amount of the expenditure.”
Reid is not up for reelection until 2016, but already began planning for another campaign last October.
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) has been floated as a possible GOP challenger to Reid that year.
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Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/201714-fec-wants-reids-2016-campaign-to-explain-holiday-gifts#ixzz2x4iuuYgo
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But if you're Dinesh D'Souza, you get indicted on felony charges that you improperly reimbursed some people for making contributions totalling $20,000 to a friend's political campaign and then causing false statements regarding the money to be filed with the FEC - a friend who nonetheless lost the election in which he was running.
So, let's get this straight: if you illegally take $16,000, use it to buy gifts for political friends, and then lie about it on your FEC filing, and you just happen to be the Senate Majority Leader, you just have to reimburse the money, but, ...
if you illegally (assuming arguendo it was illegal) reimburse other people a total of $20,000 for making contributions to a friend's campaign, and then lie about it to the campaign so that the false info is reported on the form the campaign files with the FEC, and you happen to be a critic of the sitting president, Barack Obama, you get indicted for two federal felonies and will have to spend most of your wealth fighting for your freedom against the federal juggernaut?
Sounds fair to me. Not.
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But if you're Dinesh D'Souza, you get indicted on felony charges that you improperly reimbursed some people for making contributions totalling $20,000 to a friend's political campaign and then causing false statements regarding the money to be filed with the FEC - a friend who nonetheless lost the election in which he was running.
So, let's get this straight: if you illegally take $16,000, use it to buy gifts for political friends, and then lie about it on your FEC filing, and you just happen to be the Senate Majority Leader, you just have to reimburse the money, but, ...
if you illegally (assuming arguendo it was illegal) reimburse other people a total of $20,000 for making contributions to a friend's campaign, and then lie about it to the campaign so that the false info is reported on the form the campaign files with the FEC, and you happen to be a critic of the sitting president, Barack Obama, you get indicted for two federal felonies and will have to spend most of your wealth fighting for your freedom against the federal juggernaut?
Sounds fair to me. Not.
Exactly :smokin: *mad*
can we move I'm MAD AS hell emoticon to the first page?
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Exactly :smokin: *mad*
can we move I'm MAD AS hell emoticon to the first page?
All of the animals are equal but SOME of the animals are more equal than others!
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If this were a republican they would be on their way to jail and made to resign and crucified at dawn.
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If this were a republican they would be on their way to jail and made to resign and crucified at dawn.
I don't know about that, but they would certainly be getting pilloried in the press right now and the FEC would probably be muttering dire things under its breath for a few weeks before agreeing that everything would be ok once reimbursement was made.
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I don't know about that, but they would certainly be getting pilloried in the press right now and the FEC would probably be muttering dire things under its breath for a few weeks before agreeing that everything would be ok once reimbursement was made.
Their political career would be over when Reid will go on unscathed.