Republican Governors Association collected $500,000 from Michael Scanlon

[kpete]

January 11, 2006
The RGA's Abramoff 500K
In 2002, the Republican Governors Association collected $500,000 in donations from Michael Scanlon, the president of Capitol Campaign Strategies.

The large contribution was legal and put to good use.

It's likely the money was given to CCS by one of three Indian tribes on the advice Jack Abramoff.

MO Dem consultant Roy Temple wondered whether the RGA would ever give back the money.

Under new exec. dir. Mitt Romney, who on Tuesday called for Republicans to strip Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) of his committee chairman's position, we hear that the RGA is on the verge of announcing it will donate the money to charity.

We were unable to reach an RGA spokesperson, but we expect this story to develop within the next 24 hours.

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/01/the_rgas_abramo.html

[Straight Shooter]

1. That gravy just poured everywhere.

Gravy and pork, a Repub's favorite meal.

[applegrove]

2. Look for the renewed threads on how Bush did 9/11 whenever campaign

finance reform makes the news!

[NVMojo]

3. disgusting!!!

[starroute]

4. Here's some more to chew on

http://spinwatch.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=21

Washington Post
17 May 2004

A Senate committee investigating millions of dollars in fees paid to powerful Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff and public relations executive Michael Scanlon also plans to examine $500,000 in contributions from Scanlon's firm to the Republican Governors Association. . . .

The Capitol Campaign Strategies money was delivered in two contributions of $250,000 each on Oct. 17 and Oct 22, 2002. Other contributions from that year that went unreported until last month include $300,000 from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners.

On Oct. 21, 2002, the RGA reported two transfers of cash to the Republican National State Elections Committee, a soft-money arm of the RNC. One was for $450,000, the other for $2 million.

http://www.opednews.com/toenjes_101504_Bush_DeLay.htm

Mike Scanlon at one time was a staff member and spokesperson for Tom DeLay, playing a key role in DeLay’s earlier successful drive to impeach President Bill Clinton. In October, 2002, Scanlon sent $500,000 to then-candidate for Governor of Alabama, Bob Riley. These funds apparently flowed through the Republican Governors Association and the Republican National State Elections Committee, increasing to $600,000 by the time Riley received them. Riley won a narrow victory and became Alabama’s Governor.

Why was Mike Scanlon so interested in the successful candidacy of Bob Riley in Alabama ? In addition to the fact that Scanlon was an ex-press aide to Riley, it seems that Riley’s opponent in the race, the incumbent Don Siegelman, was intent on opening up Alabama to casino gambling. Since the Alabama border is only about an hour by car from the Mississippi Choctaw tribe’s casino, this possibility posed a threat to the Choctaws’ casino revenues, from which Scanlon was benefiting. Hence a victory for Riley was a victory for Abramoff, Scanlon, and the Mississippi Choctaw Indians.

[tanyev]

5. I guess Republicans do donate a lot of money to charity.

But only after the criminal investigations get going.