Navy vets fundraiser gave to top GOP candidates

[Tony_FLADEM]

Source: St. Petersburg Times

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- He called himself Bobby Charles Thompson and gave himself the rank of lieutenant commander as he headed a nationwide nonprofit for U.S. Navy veterans.

Donations solicited by telemarketers poured in to his U.S. Navy Veterans Association from around the country - largely individual gifts under $50 - piling up tens of millions of dollars intended for veterans' needs and other military causes.

Thompson and NAVPAC, his political action committee, gave lavishly to more than 50 candidates in 16 states - most of them Republicans, records show - and the generosity was rewarded with some high-level entrée, at least for photo opportunities. President George W. Bush and his adviser, Karl Rove, were among those who posing with Thompson in photographs that show him smiling broadly through an unkempt black beard and mustache.


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NAVY_VETS_FUNDRAISING_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME

[Taverner]

1. Link's broken - - got another?

[47of74]

2. Try this instead;

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NAVY_VETS_FUNDRAISING_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME

[Tony_FLADEM]

3. fixed

[Old and In the Way]

4. The Republiscam Party nt.

[iwishiwas]

5. A good opening paragraph

should include the main point/thesis of the article. IMHO!!



What a scam.

[Canuckistanian]

6. Has this guy not been sued yet?

This is an old story - I think this was caught in 2009.

[Plucketeer]

7. Must've presented himself as a submariner -

only such a vocation could get as low as this creep is!

[Judi Lynn]

8. Navy vets fundraiser gave to top GOP candidates

Source: Associated Press

Navy vets fundraiser gave to top GOP candidates
By JOANNE VIVIANO, Associated Press Joanne Viviano, Associated Press – 2 hrs 42 mins ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio – He called himself Bobby Charles Thompson and gave himself the rank of lieutenant commander as he headed a nationwide nonprofit for U.S. Navy veterans.

Donations solicited by telemarketers poured in to his U.S. Navy Veterans Association from around the country — largely individual gifts under $50 — piling up tens of millions of dollars intended for veterans' needs and other military causes.

Thompson and NAVPAC, his political action committee, gave lavishly to more than 50 candidates in 16 states — most of them Republicans, records show — and the generosity was rewarded with some high-level entree, at least for photo opportunities. President George W. Bush and his adviser, Karl Rove, were among those who posing with Thompson in photographs that show him smiling broadly through an unkempt black beard and mustache.

But authorities say veterans got precious little of Thompson's largesse and that he was a fraud, operating a bogus charity from a seedy Tampa-area duplex with a stolen identity, scamming hundreds of thousands of donors in 30 states out of at least $20 million.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110501/ap_on_re_us/us_navy_vets_fundraising

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http://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com.nyud.net:8090/timesonline.com/content/tncms/assets/editorial/6/0b/c1a/60bc1ae7-b0ef-5192-9817-41ec558fe84b-revisions/4dbdbc5a20fb6.preview-300.jpg

Bobby Charles Thompson, on the right.

[Enrique]

9. what's more Republican than pretending to support the troops? n/t

[SpiralHawk]

15. Chickenhawk Republicon Family Cesspool Values. As usual.

What freakin low-life fakers the RepubliClowns are.

[midnight]

19. Touche!

[aquart]

10. Is the bastard going to jail?

Are the Republicans GIVING THE MONEY TO THE VETS?

They will steal from anyone.

[KG]

12. whereabouts unknown. nobody is really sure who this guy is.

check out the St Pete Times for more on the story, they've been on his case for a couple years.

[monmouth]

13. They should look in Boca...I'm just sayin'...n/t

[Old and In the Way]

11. The Republiscam Party.

Every penny that was donated to Republicans ought to be returned to the donors. Obviously a bait and switch tactic.

[Archae]

14. I don't put any blame on the GOP for this guy.

They got scammed too.

[jmowreader]

16. We have us here a generic Wannabe...

This is the kind of shit Wannabes pull, although most of them don't get into con games like this guy did.

[Muskypundit]

17. One of the biggest prevailing myths in the military is that the republicans are their guys

Not many really get that once you get back home from iraq (that republicans started) with a blown off limb, its always programs championed and fought for by dems that supports them. Theres not much room in randianland for wounded vets.

[freshwest]

18. Thank you very much for saying that and welcome to DU.

[classysassy]

20. The majority

of active duty and retired military personnel are conservative and most are southerners.