Posted on 12/23/2011 8:18:00 AM PST by TBBT
Three days after Bob Vander Plaats endorsed Rick Santorum for president, the evangelical leader has become mired in charges that he illegally solicited money from Santorum's campaign to "promote the endorsement."
Santorum told CNN that before Vander Plaats -- the president of The Family Leader, an influential Christian conservative group in Iowa -- announced his endorsement on Tuesday, he called Santorum and said that he "needed money to promote the endorsement, and that [it] would be important to do that."
Santorum emphasized that Vander Plaats did not request money specifically from Santorum's campaign -- "There was never a direct ask for me to go out and raise money for it," he said -- but that has not stopped a flood of questions about whether Vander Plaats violated campaign finance laws, which prohibit any coordination between a campaign and an outside group.
"The simple fact that they've had conversations does not establish any violation of laws dealing with coordination," Paul Ryan, a lawyer at the Campaign Legal Center, told The Des Moines Register. "But coordinating expenditures on advertising could violate federal law."
(Excerpt) Read more at ibtimes.com ...
Possibly. If so, this is hugh and series
Buy popcorn.
I had not heard of Vander Plaats before. Based on the description “evangelical leader” I was expecting his Wikipedia profile to say that he was pastor of a megachurch or something similar. But it appears that he is more political than religious.
I had not heard of Maggie Astor before.
Based on her Alinsky screed, it appears she is a Mitten.
Let me guess - recent polling shows Santorum gaining momentum... so its his turn to be roasted and attacked. Can’t be having anyone threaten the Great Anointed Mitt....
[Im gonna go puke now]
This story is a joke. If Vander Plaats was interested in money, there are plenty of candidates with a lot more of it. Romney, for instance, has shown himself perfectly willing to buy endorsements.
Hey, is this the Politico? :-)
That is my guess too.
Santorum for President!
I like Santorum and I am sorry he is caught up in this. It is entirely possible he was caught off guard because up until it was announced Santorum was the recipient of this "coveted" endorsement, no one knew.
Santorum was stuck at that point BUT I am telling you Santorum knew about the request for money. Believe me, I KNOW.
Santorum is a very nice guy but this endorsement is ensnaring him and now he failed to qualify for the Republican primary in VA. Santorum is done and I am sorry. He deserved better.
This story is a joke. If Vander Plaats was interested in money, there are plenty of candidates with a lot more of it. Romney, for instance, has shown himself perfectly willing to buy endorsements.If you had read through the linked stories you would have noted that Vander Plaats had in the past also hit up the Romney campaign for money.
You are correct.
Thanks for posting this important story. It is all true.
Sorry, you are wrong.
Somebody’s mighty worried about Santorum.
“If voters start shifting gears and deciding they want ideological consistency, then they’re going to start paying attention to say, Rick Santorum.” Sarah Palin
And he’s only asking for as little as $10:
Oh crap. We’re going to end up with NOT ONE CANDIDATE that has not been tainted in this Primary Process.
Cool!
Time for another TRUE CONSERVATIVE in the White House!
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