Posted on 03/29/2010 12:02:58 PM PDT by SmartInsight
The Democratic National Committee is having a field day Monday at the expense of its cross-town rivals at the RNC--or the "Risque National Committee," as the Dems put it in one of the blizzard of e-mailed releases they are sending out.
The Daily Caller says the FEC filings "suggest" that "Steele travels in style." From there it wasn't much of a leap for the DNC to send out emails stating that "Yes, it appears that Michael Steele spent RNC money" at the nightclub.
SNIP
It contains a payment to Erik Brown, at an address in Orange, California, who was reimbursed for the $1,946.25.
Brown is a Republican direct mail consultant (his business address is the one on the FEC report). He did not immediately respond to a telephone call from The Baltimore Sun.
Doug Heye, the RNC's chief spokesman, has issued the following statement:
“We are investigating the expenditure in question. The story willfully and erroneously suggests that the expenditure in question was one belonging to the Chairman. This was a reimbursement made to a non-committee staffer. The Chairman was never at the location in question, he had no knowledge of the expenditure, nor does he find the use of committee funds at such a location at all acceptable. Good reporting would make that distinction crystal clear. The committee has requested that the monies be returned to the committee and that the story be corrected so that it is accurate.â€
The RNC said the Daily Caller story was "riddled with misleading information and inaccuracies."
(Excerpt) Read more at weblogs.baltimoresun.com ...
RNC cultivating young donors during after-party at Voyeur West Hollywood
By Alex Pappas — The Daily Caller 03/29/10 at 5:23 PM
A $1,946.25 bar tab at a bondage-themed Hollywood nightclub financed by the RNC was part of a night of cultivating young Republican donors, The Daily Caller learned Monday after first reporting the expense that showed up on recent FEC filing.
The California blog Red County reported that the outing at Voyeur West Hollywood was an after-party for a number of young Republicans who attended a Young Eagles event that night at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Young Eagles is an RNC-sponsored program to cultivate 30- to 40-year olds seen as tomorrow’s big donors.
RNC chairman Michael Steele is not thought to have attended either event, according to Red County.
Erik Brown, who runs campaign firm DMI and has worked for prominent southern California Republicans, was reimbursed by the RNC for the Voyeur West Hollywood after party.
The night began at a Beverly Hills hotel, attended by about 50 people, which was the RNC official event. A fraction of those people went to the Voyeur West Hollywood afterward.
SNIP
Steele has not purchased a plane, he continues to charter them. According to federal disclosure records, the RNC spent $17,514 on private aircraft in the month of February alone (as well as $12,691 on limousines during the same period). There are no readily identifiable private plane expenses for Democratic National Committee chairman Tim Kaine in the DNC’s last three months of filings.
The RNC explains that Steele charters jets only when commercial service is unavailable,
Complaints, almost always expressed off the record, have been bitter. “This is not somebody who is out recruiting candidates,” said an aide who worked closely with Steele. “He is not meeting with donors. He’s not asking for money. The guy is writing his book or doing his speaking gigs, or whatever the hell else he fills his days with. Those are his priorities.”
A March 20 FEC filing shows the RNC has $9.5 million cash on hand. Steele began his tenure with $22.8 million, and has since raised $96.2 million. During the same period, however, the RNC has spent $109.6 million, for a deficit of $13.4 million. That spending included aid to the campaigns that elected Gov. Bob McDonnell in Virginia and Gov. Chris Christie in New Jersey.
“The story is less what’s left, and more what’s been spent,” said one longtime Republican operative.
**********Key: “.....the RNC had outraised the DNC in seven out of 12 months in 2009 and was raising gobs of money in the wake of President Obama signing health care reform legislation into law.
The club under controversy is hip to celebs/ Lady gaga, models etc and the 20-30’s. $200 bottle minimum can get you in and keep you out if not on “the list”. Erik Brown, donor, will probably pay it back..but how many business deals have been carried out in clubs, bars on company expense reports? What makes business/politics anyway different?? Republicans need to shake their image up now and then. It worked.
Me neither. The fact is we are not throwing money at their ugly gay whores, and that is the only reason they are mad: their pimping program loses money to tastier stuff which loves women and their children.
Dude, read my post again. You clearly didn’t catch it.
As you said:
"Key: "....the RNC had outraised the DNC in seven out of 12 months in 2009 and was raising gobs of money in the wake of President Obama signing health care reform legislation into law."
Whatever, Meghan McCain.
Update:
RNC Fires Employee Over Bar Expense
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303410404575152461551782520.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
...After the event, several Republicans went to the club on their own, Mr. McKay wrote.
...Mr. McKay also said the committee fired a staffer who was at the bar and had told Mr. Brown he could obtain reimbursement for the tab.
“This was not an RNC sanctioned event and was not associated in any way with any RNC official event,” Mr. McKay said in his memo, which was addressed to committee members.
Wrong!! I work in mud and sewage to provide for my family and expect better representation than this. Planes , Limo’s, $2000 nights out on the town. Don’t we desire better. Sick of both the “R’s” & “D’s” living it up on our dime, then telling us how and what we should believe or do in our lives. Totally backwards. Time for real change. Time to hit Ctrl, Alt, Delete with DC. RNC has left us.
Maybe now we can all agree that Steele is the wrong man for the job.
The GOP needs to purge anyone involved in this.
Plus there’s a real chance we can get rid of Pelosi as Speaker. This will not help. The RNC needs to clean up house now.
Sounds like a drive-by hit. . .the version of target practice the Party of rats are known for.
Sure, I got it...;-)
I was insinuating that they do not make buns for beenie weenies...
Just adding to the maelstrom of insults hurtling towards Barney there...
I was only riding on the coat-tails of a master protagonist...;-)
Oh, you out punned me! Good job.
I do not pay attention to Meghan McCain. She bores me.
Read the facts back in my other post of the accountability of where the money has gone...to VA and NJ to make a difference. More money being raised than the Dems can raise--which means make up a story or embellish on a story where the Dems know, the Old Pious Republican Party will act as they have to this embellished story. Yes heads will roll..someone's head called Allison. People here immediately assumed Steele was involved at some X_Rated celeb club--Big deal. I wish I could be as pious as some pretend to be here. Scandalous. No one cares about a strip club, many that age today have been to one like this and are clamoring to get into this one in particular. Then another club will be popular...life goes on. Was their a crime committed? I think it is usually those promote themselves as most pious that are suddenly in the news for sleeping with some aide male of female..hypocrites!
When it comes to expense reports, that matter would be handled just like any comapny business expense under scrutiny. Donors are needed. I do not donate to the Republican National Committee, I give directly to the candidate; so if someone has a problem with where the money goes then direct it a way that you would a charity.
Oh the Scandal!! ;)
You sound just like her, I figured you'd like her writings.
Exactly, and what conservatives should do is put out the list of offenders, most recently Massage Massa— through Hot Dog Barney to waitress sandwich Dodd, to dead Kennedy, and include a photo of Mary Jo Kopechne’s tombstone. Machine politics, like Daley’s boy Obama needs to be fought by machine tactics, tooth and nail. Give it back and make it stick as it is, after all, the truth.
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