Reid Reid Reid

[imported_Lothar]

If a politician like Clinton who has a $35 million warchest(pun intended ) decides to leave politics for good and they can't use campaign funds as personal finances what do they have to do "legally" with the money, donate to charity or other candidates?

Just a question...I don't know campaign finance laws that well.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: Wreckem

Originally posted by: Rainsford
If he broke the law, he should be held accountable. However, I see very little law breaking and a lot of Sean Hannity-ish hand waving from the righties and the press.

He clearly broke campaign finance laws.

Originally posted by: judasmachine
I say if he broke the law, then give him his day in court just like would happen to me.

Apparently unlike you and I elected officals can just "make up" for it and never be charged. A normal person isnt going to get away from theft charges if they give the item back, but a Senator can illegally use campaign money, and then pay it back.

He should resign all leadership positions period.

Hmm, upon closer inspection it would seem that he DID indeed violate campaign finance laws.

Still, let's be honest here...while our system should not allow for special treatment, it DOES allow for different magnitude of offenses. Not all criminal activity is created equal, and Reid's particular activity seems a lot more along the lines of "slap on the wrist and move on" than the death by stoning a surprising number of people seem to prefer. Let the courts take a look at what he did and if it turns out that he needs to step down, I'm all for it. And while there is certainly something to be said for "fighting the culture of corruption", burning the first offender at the stake just for the sake of making an example of someone seems a bit premature.

And I realize this doesn't make an illegal activity OK, but am I the only person who thinks this is the result of Republicans spending a lot of time and money digging for dirt on Reid and giving it to the papers? The timing and the target seem way too good for the Republicans, and the magnitude of the story doesn't seem like something the media itself would have spent a lot of time on...especially the very whitewater-ish land deal. "Liberal media" indeed

 

[BaliBabyDoc]

Originally posted by: Lothar
If a politician like Clinton who has a $35 million warchest(pun intended ) decides to leave politics for good and they can't use campaign funds as personal finances what do they have to do "legally" with the money, donate to charity or other candidates?

Just a question...I don't know campaign finance laws that well.

It's sketchy but I thought a politician that leaves office with campaign funds . . . gets to keep the money.

Curiously, there's at least one politician (Republican, naturally) that pays his wife as a campaign/fundraising consultant. So she puts 15% of every contribution in her pocket . . .

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc

Originally posted by: Lothar
If a politician like Clinton who has a $35 million warchest(pun intended ) decides to leave politics for good and they can't use campaign funds as personal finances what do they have to do "legally" with the money, donate to charity or other candidates?

Just a question...I don't know campaign finance laws that well.

It's sketchy but I thought a politician that leaves office with campaign funds . . . gets to keep the money.

Curiously, there's at least one politician (Republican, naturally) that pays his wife as a campaign/fundraising consultant. So she puts 15% of every contribution in her pocket . . .

Well that's the thing, the laws are intentionally a little vague...lawmakers don't WANT to make it illegal for them to do stuff like this

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
Curiously, there's at least one politician (Republican, naturally) that pays his wife as a campaign/fundraising consultant. So she puts 15% of every contribution in her pocket . . .

One? Last I heard there were TENS of them paying wives/inlaws/extended family members to do various jobs in their offices / campaigns. It is nothing new and it happens on both sides of the aisle.

 

[imported_Lothar]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc
Curiously, there's at least one politician (Republican, naturally) that pays his wife as a campaign/fundraising consultant. So she puts 15% of every contribution in her pocket . . .

Doolittle
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061017/ap_....3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NGRzMjRtBHNlYwMxNjk5

 

[Fasil]

I say off with his head!

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
If he broke the law, he should be held accountable. However, I see very little law breaking and a lot of Sean Hannity-ish hand waving from the righties and the press.

This doesn't smell fishy to you?

1. He sells his parcel of land to a company owned by an old friend for the same amount he paid for it. In exchange he gets an ownership position with that company.

2. The company uses Harry's clout as a senator to twist the arms of the zoning board to rezone the land for commercial uses, tripling the value of the land. (These things happen... Nobody put a gun to the zoning board's collective heads... Obvious influence pedaling but probably nothig thta would ever hold up in court)

3. The company sells the land for a huge profit. No big deal. Profits are what make the world go 'round. BUT... (This is where it get's really interestng) Harry gets ALL of that profit for himself.

Hmmm...

At best that $400k land swap would have bought him a minority ownership position in that company. But let's say that the owner was a complete tool and offered Harry a half owner stake. At best harry would have only been entitled to $550k of the profit on the land deal.

And there-in lies the rub. How, as only a partial owner of a business, is he entitled to the entire profit on this land deal? Senate disclosures aside... how does that work?

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: BaliBabyDoc

Originally posted by: Lothar
If a politician like Clinton who has a $35 million warchest(pun intended ) decides to leave politics for good and they can't use campaign funds as personal finances what do they have to do "legally" with the money, donate to charity or other candidates?

Just a question...I don't know campaign finance laws that well.

It's sketchy but I thought a politician that leaves office with campaign funds . . . gets to keep the money.

Curiously, there's at least one politician (Republican, naturally) that pays his wife as a campaign/fundraising consultant. So she puts 15% of every contribution in her pocket . . .

When a politician leaves office, resigns or decides not to run ala Delay and Foley, they do not get to KEEP the money as in put it in a personal bank account. But they do get to decide where and how the money is spent. Normally they give he money to other members of their party or a charity or even send it back to the donors.

And umm balibabydoc, I think you should leave partisanship out of the family consulting things since EVERY ONE of Reid's sons is a consultant of some kind.
Here is a great PDF from the LA Times with details of this. The Reid Connections
Some other details

At least 17 senators and 11 members of the House have children, spouses or other close relatives who lobby or work as consultants, most in Washington

[?]But Harry Reid is in a class by himself. One of his sons and his son-in-law lobby in Washington for companies, trade groups and municipalities seeking Reid?s help in the Senate. A second son has lobbied in Nevada for some of those same interests, and a third has represented a couple of them as a litigator. In the last four years alone, their firms have collected more than $2 million in lobbying fees from special interests that were represented by the kids and helped by the senator in Washington. So pervasive are the ties among Reid, members of his family and Nevada?s leading industries and institutions that it?s difficult to find a significant field in which such a relationship does not exist?.

 

[ProfJohn]

More insane details about Reid!

Reid's son is the CHAIRMAN of the commission that approved the zoning change that made his dad all that money. He is not chair of the zoning commission, which voted against the zoning change, but chairman of the county commission!
Rory Reid

For Reid to keep his leadership position after this would be a travesty.
With him in charge the Dems might as well kiss away and ?corruption? cries they plan to make.

 

[senseamp]

Too bad the voters don't see it that way. Bummer

Even worse for you, Reid is not even up for reelection this year. Oh the horror!!!

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: senseamp
Too bad the voters don't see it that way. Bummer

Even worse for you, Reid is not even up for reelection this year. Oh the horror!!!

Thanks for showing us what a partisan hack you really are.

Corrupt bastages like Reid ought to be out on their ass regardless of which animal is printed on their business card.

EDIT: Also, FWIW, Reid has 4 sons who are all paid lobbyists. Sounds like a nice way for the old man to earn some extra greenbacks, eh?

 

[senseamp]

You can yap all you want about this, but it's only going to hurt the GOP. First, they still won't be back to their message of scaring Americans, and secondly, Reid is not up for reelection, so corruption atmosphere is only going to enhance the anti-incumbent sentiment, which this cycle will help the Democrats.
Face it, GOP has no outs left, you can bash Reid every day till November, and you'll still have your rear ends handed to you.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: senseamp
Too bad the voters don't see it that way. Bummer

Even worse for you, Reid is not even up for reelection this year. Oh the horror!!!

Thanks for showing us what a partisan hack you really are.

Corrupt bastages like Reid ought to be out on their ass regardless of which animal is printed on their business card.

EDIT: Also, FWIW, Reid has 4 sons who are all paid lobbyists. Sounds like a nice way for the old man to earn some extra greenbacks, eh?

The guy should resign immediately:

10-17-2006 Reid used campaign money for bonuses

WASHINGTON - Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has been using campaign donations instead of his personal money to pay Christmas bonuses for the support staff at the Ritz-Carlton where he lives in an upscale condominium.

Federal election law bars candidates from converting political donations for personal use.

Residents and workers at the Ritz said the fund's full name is the Residents Executive Committee Holiday Fund and that it collects money each year from the condominium residents to help provide Christmas gifts, bonuses and a party for the support staff.

Federal election law permits campaigns to provide "gifts of nominal value" but prohibits candidates from using political donations for personal expenses, such as mortgage, rent or utilities for "any part of any personal residence."

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: senseamp
You can yap all you want about this, but it's only going to hurt the GOP. First, they still won't be back to their message of scaring Americans, and secondly, Reid is not up for reelection, so corruption atmosphere is only going to enhance the anti-incumbent sentiment, which this cycle will help the Democrats.

Face it, GOP has no outs left, you can bash Reid every day till November, and you'll still have your rear ends handed to you.

After 2004 I don't believe any Polls ever again.