Posted on 02/17/2009 1:07:46 PM PST by jessduntno
RAHM'S 'RENT' IS JUST THE TIP OF ETHICS ICEBERG
News broke last week that Rahm Emanuel, now White House chief of staff, lived rent- free for years in the home of Rep. Rosa De Lauro (D-Conn.) - and failed to disclose the gift, as congressional ethics rules mandate. But this is only the tip of Emanuel's previously undisclosed ethics problems.
One issue is the work Emanuel tossed the way of De Lauro's husband. But the bigger one goes back to Emanuel's days on the board of now-bankrupt mortgage giant Freddie Mac.
Emanuel is a multimillionaire, but lived for the last five years for free in the tony Capitol Hill townhouse owned by De Lauro and her husband, Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg.
During that time, he also served as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee - which gave Greenberg huge polling contracts. It paid Greenberg's firm $239,996 in 2006 and $317,775 in 2008. (Emanuel's own campaign committee has also paid Greenberg more than $50,000 since 2004.
Emanuel never declared the substantial gift of free rent on any of his financial-disclosure forms. He and De Lauro claim that it was just allowable "hospitality" between colleagues. Hospitality - for five years?
Some experts suggest that it was also taxable income: Over five years, the free rent could easily add up to more than $100,000.
Meanwhile, Emanuel was paid more than $260,000 for his Freddie "service." Plus, after he resigned from the board to run for Congress in 2002, the troubled agency's PAC gave his campaign $25,000 - its largest single gift to a House candidate.
The president's chief of staff isn't subject to Senate confirmation, but his ethics still matter. Is this the change that we can depend on?
(Excerpt) Read more at vote.com ...
Rats don't pay taxes, so Rahm is in the clear. However, I'm surprised De Lauro's partner is male.
Hey, Dick Morris—nice reportage. Hope this makes it to Fox.
Absolutely. Note that two of the last 4 of Rahm's predecessors in Illinois' 5th Congressional District were indicted. Dan Rostenkowski was convicted, served his time, and is now occasionally seen during election day coverage (hey, he served his time ...) on TV. Then there was someone who wasn't caught for a term, and then there was one Rodney Blagojevich, whose next job was Governor of Illinois - you may have heard news of how that worked out. He's been indicted, but no trial date has been set.
“Rats don’t pay taxes, so Rahm is in the clear. However, I’m surprised De Lauro’s partner is male.”
I’m surprised he’s not blind.
Good Afternoon Mr. Emanuel. This is Agent XXXX from the IRS, I would like for you to make an appointment with us. We need to review you tax returns. We need to do this as soon as possible. What day this week can you come to MY office? ???.....................??? That is how they got Capone and Rahm isn’t that much different!
I knew she was married, but I always thought the guy was blind...between her and Helen Thomas, they must of ate the same ugly cookies
The IRS won’t have any auditors to spare after the Obama Admin gets done sicking them on their political opponents. I’m sure they noticed how effective this was when the Clintons did it.
“Hey, Dick Morris—nice reportage. Hope this makes it to Fox.’
Probably Ellen...this has GOT to make the news somewhere - I haven’t seen it...Bill and Hillary, I think, made some sort of reference to it without being specific...back a few months...something about a scandal...
Sorry, I meant EILEEN...
I’m shocked, shocked. Okay, well not that shocked.
“lived rent- free for years in the home of Rep. Rosa De Lauro (D-Conn.)”
She was taking it out in trade?
You made me go look, wow, there’s not enough beer in the world to get that picked up at 2 AM.
If she has kids they’re father was probably a turkey baster.
I made a mistake and did an image search of Rosa. I was not prepared for the results. My dinner is ruined.
The self Representative should be removed from office and the pollster scum bag should be banned from any government interaction.
Stick them in the same cell with former governor Blago.
These corrupt people are cancer on America. They are the enemy within our public halls. They don't serve America but themselves and their interests.
Lol. . .if all this were even remotely humorous.
Yes. . .and we can absolutely depend on it.
If you are a Dem, you have been hiding the theft of others(failure to pay taxes is also a theft on all Americans). It’s really only when(or if) you get caught that it comes out you have been stealing.
The current list is pretty long right now:
Dodd, Rangel, Geithner, Solis, Emmanuel,....*
And these are the people Obama surrounds himself with or takes advice from. And are only the ones caught so far.
How many more Dems are hiding their theft from Americans?
This is symptomatic of the Dems - narcissism - those who believe they are doing something right even though it is actually wrong. How about Algore and Obama both heating their own large houses while preaching to all of us peons to turn back the thermostat?
*I guess we need to omit Blago as he was caught without actually taking any money, so he is a different kind of thief, one who was failed in his attempt to become one.
If Fitzgerald can “flip” Blogo and Rezko, the entire house of cards will be coming down!
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.
