Posted on 10/16/2006 2:50:31 AM PDT by Aussie Dasher
A political action committee created by the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, whose financial accountability has been challenged by MCDC members, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations to support Republican candidates -- much of it through private companies with ties to conservative activist Alan Keyes.
Claiming access to 500,000 households nationwide, the Minuteman PAC has pledged to do what it can financially to help elect "committed and principled conservative leaders" -- citing as examples MCDC President Chris Simcox and Mr. Keyes.
"Our intent is to secure our borders, and we are hoping to influence the elections to get that done," said Rick Shafton, a political consultant in Sparta, N.J., who recently signed on as spokesman for the Minuteman PAC. "The Minuteman movement has proven to be very popular across the country, and it is raising a lot of money."
According to the most recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) records, the Minuteman PAC spent $240,000 through the first week of September on eight congressional campaigns, although just $5,000 was direct candidate contributions.
The FEC records also show that about 60 percent of the Minuteman PAC's expenditures through early September went to private companies -- several with ties to a labyrinth of Virginia-based tax-exempt charities and fundraising groups founded or headed by Mr. Keyes. The money was used for direct-mail fundraisers, telemarketing programs, advertising campaigns and disbursement fees for four candidates.
The Minuteman PAC spent nearly $88,000 through early September on its own operations, including fees to many of the Keyes-aligned private firms to collect and disburse donations and do direct-mail fundraising, the FEC records show. Other PAC money went to Web site construction, bank charges, salaries and advertising.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Your attempt to make Seper the focus fails to address the larger issue, which is the disposition of the funds contributed to the Minutemen. Sooner or later the truth will come out. My own guess, based purely on the behaviour of the participants, is that the money-spent-on-immigration to money-spent-on-processes-and-facilitators ratio will be difficult to see on a pie chart.
Everyone here knows that I've worked with some of the organizations that you and Jerry Seper are trying to tear down.
But that doesn't translate into me being paid to post here, or having anyone ever tell me what to post.
So, have you ever posted here on a subject that affects someone with whom you were working to advance the conservative cause? Be truthful.
If you're a donor to MCDC, and you're not happy with their efforts to bring the border problem to the forefront of the public's consciouness and the political agenda, ask for a refund.
Otherwise, it's hard for me to understand how it's any of your business.
I've read allegations to that effect on earlier Seper/DF/DA/DAPAC/MM/MCDC/RU/RM/Keyes/Lewis/Hair/Sheldon/Greene threads, but I hadn't seen you confirm it directly.
But that doesn't translate into me being paid to post here, or having anyone ever tell me what to post.
True. But your relationships to the entities involved can reasonably be assumed to influence your position. I wonder if you would express similiar views if an organization to which you lacked such attachments repeatedly promised to provide financial information and failed to do so.
So, have you ever posted here on a subject that affects someone with whom you were working to advance the conservative cause? Be truthful.
Sure. The best known occasion would be when I was running the web site for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004. My efforts to publicize their story here predated my being retained by the Swifties as a contractor by several months, but continued throughout the campaign. I did draw the line at posting the contribution link at FR or asking for donations.
The comparison ends there, however, as the financing of the Swift Vets is an open book.
One final point that may not have occurred to you: it's clearly in the best interest of the tangle of organizations with which you are associated that this story is seen by as few people as possible. This thread had attracted little attention when I made my first post. Yet here you are, drawn like a moth to a flame, provoking an argument that is guaranteed to help advertise the story by bumping the thread back to the top. It may even bring in other freepers who know far more than I do about the skeletons I mentioned earlier.
It's therefore difficult for me to see how your actions are advancing the interests of your various employers.
Well, that's something you'll have to work out on your own.
As has become your wont, you totally misunderstand my motivation, and display your ignorance of my affairs.
I was simply responding to what I perceived as an injustice you were perpetrating on people who are simply trying to forward the conservative movement and agenda. No more, no less.
If someone would have told me a few years ago that you would be capable of this, I would have told them "no way."
I couldn't care less. Your actions speak plenty loudly without knowing the why.
bump
Yes, I understand completely. This is really about me. Or Jerry Seper. Or people who don't understand the threat of unchecked illegal immigration.
The one thing it absolutely, unquestionably isn't about is what happened to all the money donated to the Minutemen.
"If you're a donor to MCDC, and you're not happy with their efforts to bring the border problem to the forefront of the public's consciouness and the political agenda, ask for a refund.
Otherwise, it's hard for me to understand how it's any of your business."
WELL SAID!
I gather that E.V. is on break, and this is the junior varsity?
Nope, I support the cause. I can't support MMP due to certain members of the board of directors (see: http://www.godlikeproductions.com/bbs/message.php?messageid=285956&mpage=1&showdate=9/2/06 ). MCDC may be a money making business, but they get the job done. What are you doing to help? Are you just sitting on your brains and complaining? If so, your opinion doesn't matter.
"Thanks for the ping. I have no problem with who they supported and perhaps are continuing to support, except for their support of Gilcrist over Bilbray, and at least they're trying to oust some democrats we despise."
It was John Campbell, not Bilbray.
I'm working to elect conservatives. Sorry if I can't be here to answer your attacks every minute.
Thanks.
Are you a donor, IT?
Do you know where we can get a copy of this report?
Sorry, I'm not going to play that game.
This a major article on the front page of one of the top conservative newspapers in the country. It strongly suggests that a web of interrelated nonprofits is leeching virtually all of the money out of a donation pipeline intended to do something about the illegal alien problem.
As luck would have it, I'm acquainted with a number of the players. Also, when the gravy train becomes the end instead of the means, it makes those of us in the conservative movement who aren't part of the problem look bad.
Therefore, your impressive collection of red herrings won't prevent me from commenting on the matter.
Looks like Blue Collar signed up just in time for the report.
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