McConnell's Growing Ties to Rand Paul: Trouble Brewing? [12/10/2013]

Open Secrets.org ^ | December 10, 2013 5:06 PM | Russ Choma

[SoConPubbie]

There's increasingly little daylight between Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his fellow Kentucky Republican, Sen. Rand Paul: Campaign expenditure reports show the top Republican has been paying another consultant closely linked to Paul.

According to reports filed by McConnell's campaign, Elizabeth Stafford has been paid a total of $30,000 so far this year for fundraising consulting. Stafford is the wife of Doug Stafford, the executive director of Reinventing A New Direction PAC (RAND PAC), Paul's leadership PAC. The only other payments made by a federal campaign or political committee to Elizabeth Stafford were two checks from RAND PAC totaling $5,500.

McConnell's campaign manager is Jesse Benton, who managed Paul's 2010 Senate campaign and is married to the granddaughter of former presidential candidate and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas). If Benton was hired in part to help fend off a primary challenge from the right, as many observers said, it didn't work; the senior senator is now fighting a tea party insurgent as well as a credible Democratic candidate. Earlier this month, we wrote that McConnell's campaign also paid a political operative named Dimitri Kesari, a top Ron Paul aide. 

But McConnell's proliferating ties to the Paul family also bring him closer to individuals who have been accused by a former colleague of violating Iowa campaign finance law and misleading the IRS -- as well as being involved in negotiations to pay an Iowa state senator for his support in Iowa straw polls in 2011. 

Both Kesari and Doug Stafford are former employees of the National Right to Work Committee; Stafford was the group's vice president until 2010. Late last month, another former National Right to Work employee provided OpenSecrets.org with a copy of a complaint he made to the anti-labor union organization, accusing Kesari of running an off-the-books mass mailing operation that coordinated closely, and illegally, with Iowa legislative candidates. The mail campaigns, and the use of paid employees of National Right to Work or its Iowa affiliate to assist candidates, happened under Kesari's direction, and with the knowledge of Stafford and other top officials of the organization, claims Dennis Fusaro, who made the complaint. Fusaro says the group misled the IRS by reporting it had not engaged in any political activity. 

Kesari also has been named in emails, along with Benton, that appear to show they were involved in negotiations to pay an Iowa state senator in 2011 to switch his support from Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) to Ron Paul in the presidential straw poll in Ames. Benton and Kesari were both working on Ron Paul's White House bid at the time.

While Sorenson has denied that he authorized anyone to negotiate with the Paul campaign for payment for his support, he resigned in October after a state special prosecutor reported there was "probable cause" to believe the lawmaker was paid by Bachmann's campaign and later received payment from someone connected to Paul's campaign around the time he switched his support to Paul. 

And there appears to be a federal investigation ongoing as well: Several weeks ago, the FBI executed a search warrant on Sorenson's home, taking computers and other materials connected to his involvement in presidential politics.

Benton did not respond to requests for comment, nor did McConnell's Senate office. Doug and Elizabeth Stafford declined to comment. 

[crz]

Dont know much about Thune..but he could take it.

Who ever takes it if Cronyn and McConell should lose, will be answering to McCain. That is how much power that SOB has got. I didnt vote for the bastard the last time, and wont vote for the bastard EVER. But, the retirees from the valley will vote for that creep at the drop of a hat.

[SeminoleCounty]

Rand Paul is not conservative...McConnell is anti-conservative and Randmesty is helping him

[SoConPubbie]

Just remember this boys and girls. Should McConnell lose to Bevin, and I also hope he does, that leaves who in line as the next senate leader? Yup, it is John McCain.

You have two choices:

1. Possibly win with a true conservative with Bevin.
2. Lose with Moderate, McConnell, because his polling numbers are so bad.

We can worry about the other possible problems/outcomes later.

First things first!

[VideoDoctor]

Think “DITCH MITCH!”

[okie01]

Who ever takes it if Cronyn and McConell should lose, will be answering to McCain. That is how much power that SOB has got.

On any contested issue, has McCain ever led more than 13 Republicans to "cross the aisle"?

I believe you're over-stating his influence within the GOP caucus.

[Republican Wildcat]

When Rand first came to DC, they could barely stand each other

Actually after he won the nomination they seemed to hit it off right away.

[Timber Rattler]

No, not really:

Rand Paul started out great, but then started cozying up to McConnell and the two reached some sort of quiet understanding. He's is currently being assimilated into the GOP-E.

[Timber Rattler]

Messed up my link:

Ditching unwritten rules for Senate freshmen, Paul does it his way

McConnell walked out on Rand's first speech because he attacked the "great compromiser" Henry Clay.