Thursday, December 30, 2010

(CREW) Calls for Criminal Investigation into Christine O'Donnell for Campaign Fraud



















(CREW) Calls for Criminal Investigation into Christine O'Donnell for Campaign Fraud

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed complaints with the Delaware U.S. Attorney's Office and the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against newly-minted Delaware senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell (R) for using campaign funds for personal living expenses.  By misusing campaign funds, Ms. O'Donnell committed the crime of conversion; by lying about her expenditures on forms she filed with the FEC, she committed false statements; and by failing to include the campaign funds she misappropriated as income, she committed tax evasion.

"Christine O'Donnell is clearly a criminal, and like any crook she should be prosecuted," said Melanie Sloan, CREW Executive Director. "Ms. O'Donnell has spent years embezzling money from her campaign to cover her personal expenses. Republicans and Democrats don't agree on much these days, but both sides should agree on one point: thieves belong in jail not the United States Senate."

CREW's complaint is based, in part, on the affidavit of former campaign aide David Keegan.  Mr. Keegan explained that in 2009, when Ms. O'Donnell was out of money, she paid her landlord, Brent Vasher, two months rent out of her campaign funds. On FEC forms, Ms. O'Donnell called the expenditures "expense reimbursements." Mr. Keegan also attested that Ms. O'Donnell routinely used campaign funds for meals and gas, and even a bowling outing. This is not surprising given that Ms. O'Donnell has not held a steady job or had a discernable source of income for many years.
Poor little conservative can't make an honest living working like most Americans. Conservatives swear the unemployed are lazy and unemployment benefits encourage laziness. So by that logic campaign contributions to conservatives encourage them to be lazy.

Today in incredibly stupid things Jonah Goldberg wrote - Gay marriage will be Bad News for Liberals, Jonah argues, because liberals hate monogamy and ABC sitcoms. Jonah only has a job writing - a profession for which he has no qualifications what so ever because his mom and dad were wealthy. It must be Republican Welfare Day.

Oh, Those Death Panels
You would think that if Republicans wanted to totally mischaracterize a health care provision and demagogue it like nobody's business, they would at least pick something that the vast majority of them hadn't already voted for just a few years earlier. Because that's not just shameless, it's stupid.

Yes, that's right. Remember the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill, the one that passed with the votes of 204 GOP House members and 42 GOP Senators? Anyone want to guess what it provided funding for? Did you say counseling for end-of-life issues and care? Ding ding ding!!