Keyes still has unpaid campaign debt?

[Wickerman]

Good links on the site hyper-linked below, don't know much about the actual site - seems to be good at raking the muck, but is supportive of Kerry.

Anyway, anyone know anything more about this? Seems to be a major error, bringing Keyes into this. Not only is he a whack job extraordinaire, he has some serious financial improprieties in his past campaigns.

Why did the GOP bring him in? I'm sure that he's only there to hatchet Obama, not to win. Is the GOP really this stupid, or are they attempting some sort of long term damage to the rising star?

http://www.realchange.org/keyes.htm#owes

...Incidentally, Keyes still owes over $200,000 on his 1996 presidential campaign as well. At the end of 1996, he owed $350,000; since then, he has raised over $1,000,000 for a campaign that is over, but spent even more ($1,099,972) and only reduced his debt by $150,000.

In 1995, his campaign wrote over $20,000 in bad checks, which his spokesman blamed on a former campaign aide.

[lil-petunia]

1. estimates (CHiTRib, Suntimes) suggest 500 large, not

100,000 or 200,000.

It makes one wonder who is paying him how and why - causing him to run in a race sure to be one of the biggest embarrasments in election history.

[quaoar]

2. And so here is the real reason

That Keyes agreed to run.

How much would you like to bet that the GOP offered to pay off his debt inexchange for his agreeing to run?

[jburton]

6. BINGO!

It's not unheard of.

"We'll take care of that old stuff if you just go do this thing for us."

[yellowcanine]

3. Also I believe he still owes about $6000 + in back taxes to the

citizens of Maryland - which may be one reason he didn't run for Senate against Mikulski this time around. That and the fact that the Maryland Pubs probably wouldn't have nominated him again after losing 2 Senate races.

Edit: corrected mispelling of Mikulski. Sorry, Barbara!

[madrchsod]

4. he also owes back taxes on his house

yes it is interesting how much money they are going to shove into his run..according to chicago trib he told the republicans all about his debts and back taxes and that they were being taken care of...

[DemWitch]

5. Do not forget that Keyes was also paying himself, HIMSELF

a salary while on the campaign trail, from his fund. Maybe he's running in Illinois because he has a cash flow problem and needs a second "job".