Most people think that congressman can’t use campaign funds for personal use, but as illustrated by this 60 Minutes report, politicians created a loophole around the law through leadership PACs, and use the money to live lavish lifestyles.
Why is our president allowed to continually break the law, violate the Constitution and act like a dictator? Our congressman are bought and paid for. They are just as criminal.
It’s time to clean house America!
“It’s another example, unfortunately, where the rules that apply to the rest of us, don’t really apply to the members of Congress,” said Schweizer on 60 Minutes.
The report, which contained selected material from Schweizer’s forthcoming book Extortion: How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes, and Line Their Own Pockets, revealed embarrassing and outlandish instances of cronyism and self-enrichment by members of Congress. Despite the fact that funds from leadership PACs are supposed to go to help elect fellow members of one’s own political party, lax campaign laws allow lawmakers to turn their leadership PACs into private slush funds to fund just about anything.
Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), for example, tapped his wife, a lawyer and an associate law dean at Rutgers School of Law-Camden, to be a PAC compliance officer for his leadership PAC. She approved the use of donor dollars to fly her, Rep. Andrews, and their two daughters to Edinburgh, Scotland for a wedding at a posh resort. Andrews’s leadership PAC paid $16,575 in airfare. His campaign committee picked up the rest of the tab, which was slightly under $14,000. Schweizer says Andrews’s leadership PAC even paid for the wedding gift, which was china from Bloomingdale’s. Andrews and his wife even merged a campaign event with their daughter’s graduation party, allowing them to combine the costs of the two events, even though the PAC did not pick up the entire bill.
When Kroft confronted the Democratic New Jersey congressman, Andrews said, “I think we should take a look at having clearer rules at what they can and cannot be spent for. I’d be for that.” Andrews claimed he could not speak more on the matter because of a pending House Ethics investigation, even though Kroft said the committee told him they were fine with Andrews speaking about the matter.
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) attempted to use $6,230 in campaign funds to pay for a personal trainer. Meeks’s staff claimed using campaign money for a fitness instructor is a legitimate expense, because gym visits alleviate stress from Meeks’s “official duties.” The investigation also revealed that Meeks has used $35,000 from his leadership PAC on NFL games.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss’s (R-GA) leadership PAC dropped $107,752 at the Breakers resort in Palm Beach during the 2012 election cycle. That is over three times as much money as he gave the National Republican Senatorial Committee to get fellow Republicans elected. One year, Chambliss spent nearly one-third of his entire leadership PAC funds on golf, limos, and at least one private jet ride. His leadership PAC also picked up a $26,814 dinner tab at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and $10,344 at Pebble Beach.
The 60 Minutes special also revealed how members of Congress exploit a self-loan loophole that allows politicians to loan their own campaigns money at high interest rates and then let the loans linger to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in passive streams of profit for themselves.
Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) has bagged at least $294,245 since 1998 by loaning her congressional campaign money at interest rates up to 18%—a scheme that effectively funneled campaign contributor donations into her personal bank account. After numerous attempts to interview Napolitano, Kroft finally confronted her outside a Hispanic Caucus meeting.
“She told us that as a woman and a minority, banks wouldn’t lend her money, so she had to withdraw $150,000 from an investment account to lend it to her campaign,” said Kroft.
Kroft then questioned why she would charge 18% interest. “That’s what the Mafia gets,” he exclaimed.
“It isn’t like I’ve really profited,” said Napolitano. “I still live in the same house. I drive a small car. I am not a billionaire, or a millionaire, for that matter.”
The 60 Minutes report also revealed that members of Congress are permitted to use leadership PAC money to hire their own family members. As Kroft and Schweizer point out, most corporations have nepotism laws that prevent the hiring of family members. And while congressional rules bar family members from serving on a congressman’s official staff, lawmakers are free to hire family to serve on their campaigns.
Former Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) put his daughter, grandson, daughter’s mother-in-law, grandson-in-law, granddaughter, and another relative—six family members in total—on his campaign payroll. The Paul progeny received a combined $304,599.
Kroft also confronted retiring Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA) about actions Schweizer reports on in Extortion. Alexander paid his two daughters over $130,000 in combined expenses for working on his campaign, which he won with an overwhelming 78% of the vote. Kroft asked Alexander what his daughters did.
“They do everything that others do for other campaigns,” said Alexander. “Somebody has to do that work. I kept it with someone I can trust. If one can’t trust their daughter, then who can they trust?”
Who’s gonna do anything? .nobody.
Long time overdue !!.
crooks every last one of them is it a surprise no but they make laws for us that they do not follow can u spell rape
They make to much money, they don’t want to ruin that!!
Every politician in Washington should be fired. And most should be jailed.
They’re all a bunch of corrupt douche bags!!!
What is it going to take to get the Congress (Baboons) to understand that Oliar is moving ever closer to destroying this Nation? Not a shot has been fired yet, but Oliar will tell you that He and the Muslim Nations are at war with this Country. He has strategically appointed Muslims in key Cabinet Positions, He forewarned the Congress (Baboons) that he fully intends to bypass the Congress and move ahead with his objectives. Every day in Face Book, there are reports from all over our country of Muslims committing a myriad of Capital Crimes and in some case getting away with these crimes. There are still 30 plus Muslim Terrorists Training Camps up and operating within the United States. This is insane. Government For The People no longer exists. It is time to quit asking the Congress (Baboons) to do things they are incapable of doing. Lets let them stew in their own juices so to speak. I firmly believe we need to concentrate on each and every state taking the necessary actions to purge each state of any and all Muslims, groups and organizations. Empower each Governor to write State Level Executive Orders like Oliar does. The only place where talk is pre-eminent, is in a debate. The time for talk is over. Lets forward this to the office of every Governor as food for thought and lets see how it is received. May God Help The USA….Semper Fi
Time to vote them all out and change the laws.
Obama and this administrations are nothing more tha bunch of political crooks trying to take over the united States at all cost, They are about to distroy your way of living,We need to start pushing for term limits and require all politicians 65 years of age to retire
Get rid of all of them Let state Representatives represent each state in DC and use our elaborate Communications to do it, would need no one in DC, that would eliminate all Senators and Congressman in DC, Wow what a Savings ,their pay and that lucrative Retirement System, They are only there today because it was implemented in the Horse and Buggy days, not required today !!