Trump campaign using reelection money and RNC funds to pay legal fees resulting from Russia probes.

Courtesy of CNBC:

U.S. President Donald Trump is using money donated to his re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee to pay for his lawyers in the probe of alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. 

Following Reuters exclusive report on Tuesday, CNN reported that the Republican National Committee paid in August more than $230,000 to cover some of Trump's legal fees related to the probe. 

RNC spokesperson Cassie Smedile confirmed to Reuters that Trump's lead lawyer, John Dowd, received $100,000 from the RNC and that the RNC also paid $131,250 to the Constitutional Litigation and Advocacy Group, the law firm where Jay Sekulow, another of Trump's lawyers, is a partner.

It should be noted that they are still soliciting donations on the Trump reelection website.

That means that the party of Ronald "Tear down this wall" Reagan is donating money to help the campaign of the current president fight charges that they may have colluded with the Russians to steal this last election.

Just let that sink in for a moment.

However according to Law Newz there is nothing necessarily illegal about this:  

“I have a hard time envisioning the FEC having a problem with this,” Paul S. Ryan told Law Newz in a phone interview. He’s the Vice President of Policy & Litigation at Common Cause, a watchdog group. He said these expenditures are probably legal, especially after the passage of the “Cromnibus” bill in December 2014, which relaxed campaign finance rules. In short, yes, politicians can use campaign funds to pay for legal frees arising from an election. 

One major restriction is that such money cannot be used for personal bills. Ryan referenced the legal battle surrounding Ex-Sen. Larry Craig, who used campaign funds to defend himself after his arrest for an incident at an airport report. The courts ruled that he illegally used that money for personal use. But since the Russia probe arises from allegations linked to the election, Ryan said the Trump team has a strong argument to show that this is a campaign-related matter.

Keeping that last part in mind there is also this bit of news courtesy of Raw Story:

After revelations that President Donald Trump is using funds from his campaign and the Republican National Committee to pay for his legal defense, news broke that the RNC also paid almost $200,000 to lawyers representing Donald Trump, Jr. 

According to the Wall Street Journal‘s Rebecca Ballhaus, the RNC paid $166,000 to Trump Jr.’s personal lawyer Alan Futerfas, and paid another $30,000 to Washington, D.C.-based firm Williams & Jensen. Both payments took place in the month of August. 

Futerfas, Ballhaus pointed out, received a $50,000 payout a few weeks before Trump Jr.’s infamous Trump Tower meeting with Russian operatives last June. 

In total, the RNC and the Trump campaign combined have shelled out at least $500,000 to defend the president and Trump Jr.

I would assume that since the Trump Tower meeting happened during the election, that they are still on relatively firm legal ground. Relatively firm.

However since this is supposedly a billionaire family, one might wonder why they do not pay their own fucking legal bills and leave the money donated to the RNC by hardworking Americans where it belongs?

Oh, and remember that promise to donate the left over inaugural funds to charity? 

Yeah, I'm going to assume that the money is now lining the pockets of Trump's legal team.

60 Minutes expose reveals that members of Congress spend up to 30 hours a week on the phone raising money.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

“The number one priority they tell new members of Congress is: raise money, raise money, raise money,” David Jolly (R-FL) told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell as part of 60 Minutes Overtime. 

The story that O’Donnell was covering for 60 Minutes dealt with the call centers that elected officials spend upwards of 30 hours per week inside of with one express purpose: make phone calls to influential donors to raise money. 

Holy crap! This is stunning!

No wonder nothing ever seems to get done in Washington.

I think that this "Stop Act" is a good first step in getting money out of politics, which clearly is something that needs to happen as asking for money seems to be the job one for politicians in Washington right now.

And then after that we need campaign finance reform and for a new Supreme Court to reverse the Citizen's United decision.

Just imagine how politics would be changed for the better if all of that were to happen.

I'm fantasizing out loud again aren't I?

Still a boy can dream, can't he?

Well if this next Presidential election is determined solely by money raised, then we might as well just give it to Jeb Bush now.

Courtesy of HuffPo: 
  
Jeb Bush's presidential campaign announced Thursday it had raised a combined $114 million since the former governor of Florida began exploring a run for the White House earlier this year. 

"Jeb is encouraged and grateful for the tremendous early support and enthusiasm his candidacy has generated since he launched his campaign," Woody Johnson, Bush's national finance chairman, said in a statement. "We are confident our campaign will have the resources needed to get Jeb’s conservative record, message and vision for the future out to voters across the country.” 

Bush's campaign said it had raised $11.4 million in the 16 days since the governor announced his candidacy last month. The haul amounts to an average of $700,000 raised per day in the first two weeks of his official campaign. Aides to Bush did not yet disclose how much cash the candidate has on hand, nor did they share the number of donors who contributed to his fundraising total. Presidential candidates are required to report those details and other fundraising information to the FEC by July 15th.

That essentially leaves virtually all of Bush's rivals on the Right in the dust, and even Hillary Clinton so far is only announcing donations of around 45 million. (Though it should be noted that the superPAC backing her, Priorities USA, has not announced their donations as of yet.)

I think it is becoming crystal clear that if politics is now just a numbers game, which is how Republicans want it set up, that the ONLY person who has any shot at beating Jebbie is Hillary. 

And that is sad for a lot of different reasons. 

Personally I am sickened by this whole thing and really, really want somebody to introduce a bill to get all of this money out of politics. And then of course have the pull to get it passed.

I am literally embarrassed for the rest of the world to see how we conduct our so-called "democracy" here in the United States.

Vanity Fair brings you a day in the life of convicted criminal Dinesh D'Souza. And it is even more pathetic than you imagine.

"The conservative accepts that the world is a dangerous place. I’d rather pull the bandwagon than sit in the bandwagon, and I think that’s probably what distinguishes me from a lot of other people."

Well that and being an unbelievable douche-bag. 

Here's Wonkette's take: 

See Dinesh walk the mean streets of L.A. with nothing but a latte and a camera crew for protection! Watch Dinesh shave! Observe as he ties his shoes! See him flash gang signs while dressed up as a fashion magazine’s version of a cholo!

Damn there is so much to mock here I quite literally do not know where to begin.

Everything about this video screams "I am a pathetic pretentious loser, pity me." While at the same time trying to convince us that he plays an important role in the fight against liberals and their agenda.

Personally I am torn as to what is more pathetic, watching him being dressed as an extra in "The Wire" or watching him shave around where his chin should be.

A blast from the past. Christine O'Donnell is being sued for breaking campaign finance laws in 2010.

Courtesy of HuffPo:  

The Federal Election Commission filed suit Monday against former Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell for allegedly using campaign funds for personal purposes. 

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for Delaware, claims that O'Donnell and then-campaign treasurer Matthew Moran illegally used $20,000 in funds raised for her 2010 Senate campaign to pay for her personal rent and utility bills during and after the election. The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington originally filed a complaint with the FEC containing those allegations in September 2010. 

From 2010 through 2011, the complaint alleges, O'Donnell and Moran spent at least $20,000 on rent and utilities at O'Donnell's townhouse in Greenville, Delaware, which doubled as her campaign headquarters. Federal campaign finance laws forbid the use of campaign funds to pay rent on a personal residence. 

Lawyers for the FEC ask the court to force O'Donnell to repay the $20,000 in expenses spent on her housing, and to find an appropriate civil penalty for both O'Donnell and Moran for breaking the campaign finance law. The suit also notes that the FEC has attempted to settle with O'Donnell and Moran for payment of the $20,000, but was rebuffed.

There was a time when Christine O'Donnell was my favorite incompetent teabagger politician, and I wrote about her often.

But then she lost to Chris Coons, which was appropriate, and I stopped giving a shit.

However seeing her in the news due to a lawsuit for breaking campaign finance rules, just made her more interesting again.

And let's face it the news could be worse. At least she's not a witch.

Though come to think of it being a witch and NOT a criminal who misused campaign funds given to her by ignorant under educated morons who actually thought she could be a Senator might be better.

Convicted conservative filmmaker avoids prison. Gee how surprising.

Contestants in worst fake a smile competition.

Courtesy of HuffPo:  

Conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza was sentenced on Tuesday to spend eight months in a community confinement center during five years of probation after pleading guilty to a campaign finance law violation. 

The defendant, a frequent critic of President Barack Obama, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan. He was also given a $30,000 fine and ordered to do one day of community service a week during his probation. 

D'Souza, 53, admitted in May to illegally reimbursing two 'straw donors' who donated $10,000 each to the unsuccessful 2012 U.S. Senate campaign in New York of Wendy Long, a Republican he had known since attending Dartmouth College in the early 1980s. 

"It was a crazy idea, it was a bad idea," D'Souza told Berman before being sentenced. "I regret breaking the law."

Yes he regretted breaking the law so much that he tried to blame his conviction on the fact that he was "targeted" by the Obama Justice Department.

POS.

Too bad really, I was kind of looking forward to hearing how D'Souza fared in the general population of a federal prison while surrounded by inmates who may not have taken kindly to the fact that he makes his money attacking the first black President of these United States.

The Feds would like to send conservative filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza to the big house for up to 16 months. Sounds a little light to me.

Courtesy of Raw Story:

The U.S. government wants conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza to be sentenced to as much as 16 months in prison, following his guilty plea to a campaign finance law violation. 

In a Wednesday court filing, federal prosecutors rejected defense arguments that D’Souza was “ashamed and contrite” about his crime, had “unequivocally accepted responsibility,” and deserved a sentence of probation with community service. 

D’Souza, 53, admitted in May to illegally reimbursing two “straw donors” who donated $10,000 each to the unsuccessful 2012 U.S. Senate campaign in New York of Wendy Long, a Republican he had known since attending Dartmouth College in the early 1980s. 

The government said a 10- to 16-month prison sentence was appropriate for D’Souza, and necessary to deter others from abusing the election process, including “well-heeled individuals who are tempted to use their money to help other candidates.” 

It also said D’Souza waited to “the last possible moment” prior to trial before admitting guilt, and then went on TV shows and the Internet to complain about being “selectively” targeted for prosecution, and having little choice but to plead guilty. 

“Based on the defendant’s own post-plea statements, the court should reject the defendant’s claims of contrition on the eve of sentencing,” prosecutors led by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan said in the filing.

Wait, you mean going on Fox News and claiming you are being persecuted by the Federal government is NOT a good idea while also telling a judge that you were wrong and will accept full responsiblity?

Who knew?

Boy that Sarah Palin curse is a doozy, isn't it?

.@SarahPalinUSA WELL, I'VE GOT THE LOOKS AND SHE'S GOT THE BRAINS: 2,000 people coming to hear us in Phoenix today pic.twitter.com/8VhJ3C7d7W
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) September 4, 2014

So wait, we LOVE Citizens United now?

Courtesy of Mother Jones:  

Four years ago, in his inaugural State of the Union address, President Obama famously shamed the Supreme Court's five conservative justices for their decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The court, Obama said, "reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests—including foreign corporations—to spend without limit in our elections." Democratic lawmakers, activists, operatives, and donors piled on, condemning the ruling as "scandalous," a "disaster," and "bad for American democracy." When a subsequent court decision, nodding to Citizens United, opened the door to super-PACs, a new breed of political committee that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of cash, Obama branded them "a threat to our democracy." 

The Obama of 2010 might not recognize the Democratic Party of 2014. 

In the intervening years, Obama and his fellow Democrats embraced big-money politics. Democrats formed super-PACs to defend the presidency, gain seats in the House of Representatives, and preserve their majority in the Senate. Obama is the first president in history to utilize a tax-exempt 501(c)(4) group, which can accept unlimited sums from anonymous donors, to promote his policy agenda. (Organizing for Action, the president's nonprofit, chose to voluntarily disclose its 2013 donors.) And with an eye toward the 2016 presidential race, Democratic operatives have gone to work for various super-PACs mounting a campaign-in-waiting for presumed front-runner Hillary Clinton. If Democrats hate Citizens United on paper, they love it in practice.

Wouldn't it be just like the Right Wing to fight for a Supreme Court decision that ended up being more of a benefit to the Left Wing?

Still, I hate to be a wet blanket or anything, but this law needs to be thrown out and REAL campaign finance reform needs to be implemented. Period!

The idea that those with the most money get to choose our elected leaders should be something that unifies both the Right and the Left.

Dinesh D'Souza the guy who tried to slime President Obama with the mockumentary "2016: Obama's America" has been indicted for violating campaign finance laws. Update!

Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter: 

Conservative filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, whose documentary 2016: Obama’s America took a critical look at President Barack Obama and was a surprise hit in 2012, will be arrested in New York on Friday for allegedly violating campaign-finance laws, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. 

Federal authorities accuse D’Souza of donating more than is legal to the campaign of Wendy Long, who ran in 2012 for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton but lost to now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Long, though, is not mentioned in an indictment obtained by THR on Thursday.

I don't know how many of you are familiar with D'Souza but he is a hateful Right Wing troll who spends all of his time making shit up about President Obama and Hillary Clinton. 

The garbage that he put into that Obama attack movie was so laughable that I could not believe it when I saw it on the marquee of my favorite movie theater in Anchorage. However I have learned to never underestimate the Right Wing appetite for manufactured "scandals" about our President.

The guy is a scumbag, and I am not even a little surprised to see that he broke the law.

Of course the Right Wing will simply chalk this up as an orchestrated attack on D'Souza by the Left, and that he is a martyr for their cause.

Update: Just in case you are not aware of just how hypocritical this so-called Christian crusader is, check out why he was fired from his job at King's College.

Update 2: Ahh you knew a picture like this had to exist didn't you?

Joe Miller, the "Barely Bearded One," is asking the FEC for permission use campaign funds to pay legal costs that he owes to the Alaska Dispatch.

Courtesy of ADN:  

Federal elections regulators are set to decide whether to adopt a draft advisory opinion that would allow Joe Miller to use campaign funds to pay a legal judgment in a case stemming from his unsuccessful 2010 U.S. Senate run in Alaska. 

During Thursday's meeting the Federal Election Commission could also opt to make changes to the opinion. Public comment is being accepted in the lead-up to the meeting. 

State court Judge Stephanie Joannides in May ordered Miller to pay more than $85,000 in legal costs to the Alaska Dispatch, which was among the media organizations that sued during the 2010 campaign to obtain records from Miller's personnel file from his time with the Fairbanks North Star Borough. 

Joannides found Miller's conduct in the case caused unnecessary delays and costs for the Dispatch and Fairbanks North Star Borough. She also found there were significant matters at stake in the case, with the records emerging near the end of the 2010 campaign. Miller lost the race to incumbent Lisa Murkowski, who mounted a write-in campaign after losing the GOP primary to Miller. 

Miller was a part-time borough attorney for seven years. He was disciplined in 2008 for using work computers for political purposes, information revealed in his personnel file. 

He is appealing Joannides' ruling and through an attorney, asked the FEC whether campaign funds could be used as a cash deposit that would be held while Miller appeals the judgment against him. Miller also asked if he could use campaign funds to pay the judgment if his appeal fails, a request the opinion suggests should be granted. 

Can you believe this guy?

Miller did everything he could to stop the Alaska Dispatch from revealing to the Alaska citizens what was in Miller's employee file from his days working at the North Star Bureau. And his actions were indefensible in the eyes of Judge Joannides:  

“Miller’s conduct, which included taking inconsistent positions, failing to disclose information during discovery, and his procedural filing, which the record did not support, all caused unnecessary delay and costs for both Alaska Dispatch” and the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the judge wrote in her ruling.

The court costs for the Alaska Dispatch were $112,375. Miller was ordered to pay 75% of that, $85,000. (At the time of the ruling Miller had almost half a million dollars in his campaign war chest.)

Of course in the end Miller failed in his bid to block access to those records and we all got to learn that he broke into the computers of his fellow employees and used them to vote in his own straw poll in an attempt, along with then Governor Sarah Palin, to oust party chairman Randy Reuderich.

Ultimately that damaged his character enough to allow Lisa Murkowski to beat him in the general with a write in campaign.

And remember, this guy is STILL trying to run for office in Alaska, and is currently mounting a campaign for the GOP nomination to run against Mark Begich for his Senate seat.

Justice Department subpoenas records in investigation of Michele Bachmann. Well it's about time.

"Uh oh! I think I;m fucked."

Courtesy of the Star Tribune: 

In the waning days of U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s presidential campaign, her husband, Marcus Bachmann, allegedly wrote an e-mail describing his efforts to raise much-needed funds through an outside “super PAC.” 

That e-mail is now in the hands of the U.S. Justice Department, which has subpoenaed records from the National Fiscal Conservative (NFC) Political Action Committee as part of a federal grand jury investigation into potentially illegal coordination between the PAC and Bachmann’s campaign. 

The grand jury subpoena, first reported in the New York Times, represents a major escalation in the multiple federal and state inquiries that rose from alleged election law violations brought forward last January by campaign whistleblower Peter Waldron. 

“It’s a pivot point,” said Waldron, a Florida minister and longtime Republican operative who says he grew disillusioned with the ethical practices of the campaign. 

Officials representing Bachmann and the NFC PAC did not respond to requests for comment Friday. Bachmann announced in May that she would not seek a fifth term in Congress next year.

Forced out of office because of a Federal investigation. Hmm, where have I seen a similar case?

Personally I hope this is just the beginning. I think that there are a LOT of these Teabagger types who could use a little Federal scrutiny.

Well it looks like at least ONE Teabagger Queen has attracted FBI scrutiny.

"I'm sorry, I'm being investigated by who?"

Courtesy of MinnPost:  

The FBI is investigating complaints of alleged campaign finance violations in Rep. Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign. 

The FBI joins the Office of Congressional Ethics, the Federal Elections Commission and an Iowa state Senate ethics committee in probing whether Bachmann's presidential campaign paid an Iowa state senator from her MichelePAC, a fund that should not have been used for campaign expenses, and whether the state senator stole the email list of an Iowa home-school group from another Bachmann staffer, Barbara Hekki, prior to the Iowa caucuses in January, 2012. 

Andy Parrish, former Bachmann chief of staff and one of the directors of Bachmann's Iowa GOP presidential campaign, will be interviewed by the FBI, according to his attorney, John Gilmore. 

"I can confirm that Andy Parrish has been contacted by the FBI for a scheduled interview next week," Gilmore said. "He will cooperate fully." 

Okay perhaps this is NOT the Teabagger Queen that MOST of us would like to see the FBI going after, but it is still a good thing that they have started to take some of these finance violations seriously and are looking at how money is spent from these PAC's.

Now you watch, if they continue forward the Right Wing will start bitching that now "Obama's FBI' has joined "Obama's IRS" in targeting the Tea Party.

Personally I think it is pretty damn clear that ALL of our criminal and regulatory agencies should be taking a long hard look at these PAC's, Right Wing politicians, and Teabagger groups.

I bet they would find tons of criminal activities if they did.

And I know JUST where they should start.