A Washington Post analysis found that some of the top national tea party groups engaged in this year’s midterm elections have put just a tiny fraction of their money directly into boosting the candidates they’ve endorsed.
The practice is not unusual in the freewheeling world of big-money political groups, but it runs counter to the ethos of the tea party movement, which sprouted five years ago amid anger on the right over wasteful government spending. And it contrasts with the urgent appeals tea party groups have made to their base of small donors, many of whom repeatedly contribute after being promised that their money will help elect conservative politicians.
Out of the $37.5 million spent so far by the PACs of six major tea party organizations, less than $7 million has been devoted to directly helping candidates, according to the analysis, which was based on campaign finance data provided by the Sunlight Foundation.
The dearth of election spending has left many favored tea party candidates exposed before a series of pivotal GOP primaries next month in North Carolina, Nebraska, Idaho and Kentucky.
So then the question becomes, if they are not spending the money on the candidates, then just were ARE they spending the money?
Roughly half of the money — nearly $18 million — has gone to pay for fundraising and direct mail, largely provided by Washington-area firms. Meanwhile, tea party leaders and their family members have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in consulting fees, while their groups have doled out large sums for airfare, a retirement plan and even interior decorating.
What, no postage?
Of course we have reported fairly extensively on SarahPAC spending, but isn't it interesting to find that essentially Palin's PAC is following the same pattern as all of the others?
And of course this kind of money laundering will continue right up until the paint chip eaters who send money to these criminals wise up.
So essentially it will never end.
Well, until they all die off of course,
No surprise there.
ReplyDeleteThey are simply following the well-worn path of successful televangelists: Ask people to donate money in order to provide the resources that permit you to ask them to donate in the first place. Warn them that if they stop donating generously, you won;t be able to afford to ask them for donations, Only generous donations permit you to keep asking for donations.
Go ahead and ask: stupid people will comply! It's practically written in Bible!
Then pay yourself and members of your family or close friends incredibly generous compensation in order to keep the scam running. It works for Rev. (insert name here), Rev. (insert name here) and his wife, Rev. (insert name here), Rev. (insert name here) and his wife, Rev. (insert name here), Rev. (insert name here) and his wife, Rev. (insert name here), Rev. (insert name here) and his wife, plus The Screechy Wretch(tm) and people of her ilk, also too.
We were joking about this article last night at dinner. So, the "grassroots" TeaBag SuperPacs say that it costs them more money to raise those "small donations" than it does for more mainstream PACs to get the "big money". Basically they are trying to tell us that they are spending $7.50 to garner a $5.00 donation. They truly are spending some money on outreach and postage, but mostly they are spending lots of money to get a little bit of money and then most of that money goes to the people that are organizing the "getting more money" plan, and then the only people that end up with any money are the people that made the plan for how to get the little bits of money while spending lots of money (on their salaries) to get it.
ReplyDeleteWhew....good work, if you have no conscience!
Palin is showing her leadership! The rest of the freakin' RWNJ grifters saw her successful scam and said "Hey, I wanna piece of that action! Looks like a good deal to me!"
ReplyDeleteI say they all need to be rounded up and put in those FEMA camps.
Nearly as shameful as the "Help The Veterans scams".........well,almost nearly.......
ReplyDeleteSo, the tea party, supposedly the "grass roots" organization that speaks for the common man is ripping off people and it's organizers are lining their own pockets.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder Sarah Palin is their "it girl."
Did John McCain have something to do with setting up the system that is such a boon to those like Palin?
ReplyDeleteI wish you'd give up the 'postage' tease and make some noise about SarahPAC claiming its employees are consultants in order to avoid paying payroll taxes. This may be it's only illegal activity.
ReplyDeleteConsultants are paid just like contractors or sub-contractors in that no payroll taxes are withheld. These types of entities are paid in full and given a 1099 for income reporting purposes and are responsible for their own payroll taxes.
DeleteFreedom loving Christian Patriots screw others just like them out of money, I Love it!!
ReplyDeleteI have said right from the beginning.....the PR firms, video makers, consultants....they are making the huge money. It sounds like the media is finally doing a better job exposing these grifters....just imagine when Hillary runs!
ReplyDeleteJenny Beth Martin from the tp "patriots" went from nothing to almost half a million dollars a year in salary. you betcha. Have a look at Ted Cruz's PAC too.
ReplyDeletegood catch. I believe she declared BK in 2008 and worked in a low end retail job before acquiring the tea bagger's GrifterPAC license to print money,
DeleteA Washington Post analysis found that some of the top national tea party groups engaged in this year’s midterm elections have put just a tiny fraction of their money directly into boosting the candidates they’ve endorsed....
ReplyDeleteWhy should Sarah get all the money?
I hope Sarah Palin thanked John McCain for all the money she made since 2008. If it wasn't for John McCain she would be back in Wasilla charging taxpayers for per diem to live at home, taking her kids on unauthorized governor trips and Todd would still be in business as Shailey Tripp's employer.
ReplyDeleteWhatever happened to Shailey Tripp?
DeleteDoes Sarah Palin have two PACs?
ReplyDeleteSarahPac and I believe she is involved with ShePac?
Better yet, let's hope the FEC adds to Pity Party Palin's legal difficulties. Her grifting PACs warrant serious scrutiny.
ReplyDeleteWhat's especially ironic is that some of this money goes (indirectly) to the Koch Bros, who have heavily bankrolled many of the TP groups.
ReplyDeleteThe small-donor contributions (or, the portion that actually goes to wingnut candidates and operations) are funds that the Kochs don't need to spend themselves.
The tea party groups successfully
ReplyDeleteconned old people out of 37 million.
Most of that money went to enriching themselves and their family members.
The whole tea party movement is a giant scam and it's rewarding that the Washington Post finally exposed this.
Palin's slush fund has suffered financially because the suckers sent their money to various tea party groups instead of to her PAC.
Oh, the irony.
Jenny Beth Martin-the loudmouth of the tea party express was paid 450,000 in salary by 2 tea party groups.
I wonder when and if..it will dawn on Palin that the tea party is taking money away from her .
Palin and all the tea party scammers are fighting for the same shrinking pot of elderly marks.
In order to survive, the tea party will have to throw Palin under the bus or vice versa.
Might be time to stock up on popcorn.
Grifters gonna grift.
ReplyDelete