Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Santorum Charity For The Poor Spent Most of Its Money On Management, Political Friends
Washington Post ^ | January 11, 2012 | Carol D. Leonnig and Dan Eggen

Posted on 01/14/2012 10:26:03 AM PST by Steelfish

Santorum Charity For The Poor Spent Most of Its Money On Management, Political Friends

By Carol D. Leonnig and Dan Eggen, Published: January 13

As Republicans gathered for their national convention in Philadelphia a decade ago, Rick Santorum, who was then an up-and-coming senator from Pennsylvania, launched a charity he said would improve the lives of low-income residents in his home state.

Though Santorum's old-fashioned, shoe-leather approach to campaigning paid off in Iowa, the question for him now is how far he can go from here, given his lack of resources and the need to ramp up a national organization.

“Wouldn’t it be a great thing to leave something positive behind other than a bunch of parties and a bunch of garbage?” Santorum told a local reporter.

But homeless families and troubled children were not the biggest beneficiaries of “Operation Good Neighbor.” Instead, the foundation spent most of its money to run itself, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees for fundraising, administration and office rental paid to Santorum’s political allies.

The charity also had significant overlap with the senator’s campaigns and his work on Capitol Hill. Among the leading donors to the foundation were Pennsylvania development and finance firms that had donated to his election efforts and had interests that Santorum had supported in the Senate.

Santorum, whose last-minute surge in the Iowa caucuses has brought new attention to his presidential bid, portrays himself as a common man concerned about the gap between the nation’s rich and poor. But in the case of his charity, his efforts ended up mostly helping his cadre of political friends.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: charity; santorum; santorumcharity; santorumscandals

1 posted on 01/14/2012 10:26:09 AM PST by Steelfish
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

As a strong Santorum support, I think he needs to quickly rebut this as part of the rapid-fire response that the Clinton Team of “James Carville-Stephanapoulos” would do.


2 posted on 01/14/2012 10:28:33 AM PST by Steelfish (ui)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish
And how is this different from any charity started by a Democrat? The Washington Post ought to be a little careful trying to dig dirt by using this topic.

BTW, how is Clinton's Fund to help the poor in Haiti?

3 posted on 01/14/2012 10:36:56 AM PST by Cowboy Bob (Greed + Envy = Liberalism)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cowboy Bob

Arguing that a Republican didn’t do anything, any standard democrat wouldn’t do is not a strong argument.


4 posted on 01/14/2012 10:43:06 AM PST by BloodAngel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

Its an unfortunate fact of any organized charity. They have to spend a fair amount of money on themselves.

My grandmother was recently complaining about her church making certain volunteers into paid employees to cover liabilities.


5 posted on 01/14/2012 10:47:59 AM PST by cripplecreek (Stand with courage or shut up and do as you're told.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish

If it’s in the Washington Post, it must be true. /s


6 posted on 01/14/2012 10:53:50 AM PST by Fresh Wind ('People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook.' Richard M. Nixon)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish
Sounds like noots campaign, how much did he pay his wife for his mailing list, I have forgotten.
7 posted on 01/14/2012 11:04:47 AM PST by org.whodat (What is the difference in Newt's, Perry's and Willard's positions on Amnesty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish
Sounds like noots campaign, how much did he pay his wife for his mailing list, I have forgotten.
8 posted on 01/14/2012 11:05:10 AM PST by org.whodat (What is the difference in Newt's, Perry's and Willard's positions on Amnesty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish
This isn't surprising - there's an Eddie Haskel quality to Santorum.
9 posted on 01/14/2012 11:07:15 AM PST by stormer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish
The neocon establishment, wannabe theocrat, statist Santorum is a phony?

I'm shocked. /s

10 posted on 01/14/2012 11:40:53 AM PST by newzjunkey (Just say no to the big gov't, neocon, socon statist.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Steelfish
Unfortunately, you're not going to find a whole lot to love if you start digging into Santorum's resume.

And I don't really have a dog in this hunt. If Santorum would win, I'd work and donate and vote for him. <> It is what it is what it is. Like Rush says.

First off, he's a lawyer, and there's always going to be something wrong with a lawyer.

He managed to make millions while a Senator. Yeah, they all do that. But I don't have to love it, I just have to live with it.

If you really want to give to the poor, you raise money to an established charity like Salvation Army or your local version of Salvation Army. It is always suspicious, to me, to start your own "faux-lantrhopy."

People should start philanthropies if they have some unique vision that isn't already covered by other charities.

I know a few Fauxlanthropists, myself. They start charities, take the deduction, and spend the money on themselves. I know one who started an educational foundation only to send himself and his wife on safaris, trips to Antartica, adventure vacations.

So, you don't really have a great guy here. He may be better than others, but I just can't work up much passion to help defend him.

11 posted on 01/14/2012 12:00:48 PM PST by Mamzelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Mamzelle
If you really want to give to the poor, you raise money to an established charity like Salvation Army or your local version of Salvation Army.

There's also an institution called the Roman Catholic Church. I believe they've done some good work for the poor. Maybe RS never heard of them.
12 posted on 01/14/2012 12:06:38 PM PST by kenavi (1% of the 1% were born in the 1%.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

Looking For Donors


Click The Pic

Are You One?

13 posted on 01/14/2012 12:23:22 PM PST by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are here! What will you do?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson