Paul Ryan’s ‘Problematic’ RNC Spending Spree -- uh oh

[barnabas63]

http://politicker.com/2012/10/paul-ryan-campaign-money/

"A Politicker examination of federal campaign finance disclosure reports submitted by Paul Ryan’s congressional campaign has uncovered indications Mr. Ryan may have improperly used funds raised for his re-election effort in Wisconsin for presidential campaign activities at the Republican National Convention in August. Mr. Ryan is simultaneously running for re-election in Wisconsin’s First Congressional District and on the GOP presidential ticket with Mitt Romney. At the RNC in Tampa, Mr. Ryan’s House campaign spent over $75,000. However, these convention expenses seem to go far beyond the scope of the activities and staff he had at the RNC for his bid to reclaim his House seat.

One prominent election law expert told us this is a “highly problematic” potential violation of Federal Election Commission regulations regarding candidates running for multiple federal offices. A spokesperson for Mr. Ryan’s opponent in Wisconsin’s First Congressional District described it as a possibly “troubling” element of “Paul Ryan’s overarching pattern of dishonesty in this race.” When we reached out to Mr. Ryan’s congressional campaign manager, we received a shifting series of explanations including at least one statement that was clearly untrue."

[LiberalFighter]

1. So is the Romney campaign having financial problems that they to use some of his finances?

[longship]

2. Get sources and forward to the media.

This needs to be reported.

[Lucinda]

3. That was an interesting read. Thanks for the link.

[Angry Dragon]

4. Throw him in jail until he answers the questions

[riverwalker]

5. more

http://www.prwatch.org/node/11796

FEC Complaint Filed Against Rep. Paul Ryan Alleging Improper Use of Congressional Campaign Funds

Progressive advocacy group One Wisconsin Now has filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission alleging U.S. Representative and Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan has improperly used his Congressional campaign funds to promote the GOP presidential ticket.
Rep. Ryan has purchased $2 million in ads from his Congressional campaign account, but none of the five ads specifically mention he is running for Congress. One Wisconsin Now alleges the ads promote Ryan's Vice-Presidential candidacy rather than his Congressional reelection.

"Wisconsin is widely considered to be a key swing state in the presidential election, and many pundits and political observers viewed the selection of Ryan as an attempt to boost the GOP campaign here. I don't think they had in mind Ryan would possibly violate federal campaign finance laws to do it," One Wisconsin Now Executive Director Scot Ross said in a press release.
<more>

[barnabas63]

23. ..thanks!

Good information here.

[Waiting For Everyman]

6. And this is supposedly the budget and finance "genius"? the boy wonder of money?

Wow. That's awkward.

[ProudProgressiveNow]

10. +1

[Bainbridge Bear]

13. What a surprise that he

would end up pulling a "Sarah Palin" with the money. My guess is that he "won't have time" to explain what he did with this money, either. Paul Ryan is a corrupt, arrogant asshole. Also, let us not forget "Potgate". Another great example of his shameless duplicity.

[dchill]

29. "shameless duplicity" is the actual definition...

of Paul Ryan's "genius."

[Dustlawyer]

7. Prepare for the slap on the wrist! Maybe?

[DonCoquixote]

8. Just so ya know

Many merchants in Tampa felt seriously gipped by the RNC. The Pubs used private actering and cut off private "clubs." A lot of merchants lost buisness, as the streets were cut off, and everybody assumed places like Ybor would actually be busy (ha)! If Ryan is shown to have messed up on funds, well,it would make soem tampa people mad.

[tarheelsunc]

9. I would say he should be kicked off the ticket, but they couldn't replace him with a worse candidate

so keep him there for our sake!

[dchill]

11. K & R!

[SleeplessinSoCal]

12. This is the serious wonder boy of budget and humanities?

[Supersedeas]

28. That's the guy

[jmowreader]

14. The FEC needs to audit Ryan's House race

I suspect they'll find people who hit FEC limits on donating to Romney, but didn't want to start 529s or get into soft money, laundered Romney donations through Ryan. And it would be easy to catch: if Ryan got a $5000 donation from a declared Romney contributor and spent it on Romney's campaign rather than his House campaign R&R are screwed and if it can be proven the contributor intended for it to happen he is screwed too.

The perfect ending to this campaign: Obama reelected, Romney to jail for tax evasion and violating securities laws, Ryan to jail for campaign finance law violations and the RNC closed in a RICO case.

[MuhkRahker]

25. + 3 BAZillion!

[UrbScotty]

15. Can you imagine if a Democrat did this? The conservative media would be all over it (nt)

[begin_within]

17. We'd be hearing it in 2016 and again in 2020

[Politicalboi]

18. That's for sure

Joe Biden would be poison to Obama and it would be out there every day all day. It's like the media doesn't want this to mess up the election. Like it will be resolved after the election when it's too late. Like if the media brings this up, it's like conspiracy shit, so they don't follow it, especially if it involves Repukes.

[begin_within]

16. Simpsons laugh HA ha!

[Scootaloo]

19. Whaaaaat? A Republican violating FEC regulations? You don't say!

[NCLefty]

20. Gosh, he's such a deficit hawk!

Lawrence O said tonight that Ryan voted 91% of the times to increase the debt (voting for things that were unfunded).

Or, in GOP-land: "Deficit hawk"

[Third Doctor]

21. This needs to become public knowledge in Wisconsin.

[UCmeNdc]

22. Fundraising instead of campaigning in swing states? Keep Ryan away from the press?

This might be why no one has heard from Ryan lately. Keep the Press away from him and asking questions.

[jmowreader]

30. Ryan is doing exactly what he needs to do

Romney doesn't need to campaign. Everyone at one of those rallies knows what he is going to say:

Obama bad.
He isn't spending the way we want him to.
I will give you a tax cut.
I will balance the budget.
I won't try to spend our way out of the budget crisis.

The problem with that last one is, Romney knows damn well the quickest and surest way to prosperity is to spend money in ways that will bring in more than you spent. It is what an investor does when he buys stock. It is what a business owner does when she buys a new machine or hires a person. And it is what Mitt Romney did when he bought a company. Mitt knows you do not scrimp your way to prosperity. You scrimp when you are trying only to keep the sheriff from throwing your stuff on the lawn for another day...but if you are at that point and you don't find a way to make more money the sheriff will come. Maybe he won't come this week. But he will come.

Romney should restrict himself to negative commercials. Just as effective, and less travel required.

[Scuba]

24. "... a shifting series of explanations including at least one statement that was clearly untrue."

That's the Rmoney/Ryan campaign summed up nicely.

[corkhead]

26. IOKIYR

[Kurovski]

32. Yes, that Rachel thing.

That up there ^

It's Ok If You're Repukelican.

[Javaman]

27. Perhaps he was consulting palin in the fine art of loser grift.

[heaven05]

31. so what

nothing will be done about it. give me a break,

[Blue Idaho]

33. Ayn Rand would be so proud...

Greed is good.

[lupojohn]

34. We need to get this in the news media

Get it to someone like Ed or Chris on MSNBC. We still have time to finish this joker off.

[davidpdx]

35. Paul Ryan

The new and improved Sarah Palin

[Up2Late]

36. NIce!

I hope this is trouble for him, he really disgusts me. He is a disgrace to Irish people everywhere.

[Historic NY]

37. He and sarah have a lot in common