ronpaulhawaii
01-02-2012, 01:04 AM
The estates at Shenstone Farm...
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The Santorums bought their oversized Shenstone “estate” even though his financial disclosure forms since 2001 have shown little family income beyond his Senate salary, now $162,100, and he admits that life hasn't been financially easy. The senator made a startling remark to The New York Times Magazine last spring: “We live paycheck to paycheck, absolutely.” But he explained that his parents help out. “They're by no means wealthy -- they're two retired VA [Veterans Administration] employees -- but they'll send a check every now and then,” he said. The Prospect decided to heed Santorum's advice by taking “an honest look at the family budget” -- his family budget...
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What was curious was the source of the increased mortgage. It was a new private bank catering to “affluent investors and institutions” -- whose officers have contributed $24,000 to Santorum's political action committees and re-election campaign -- called Philadelphia Trust Company.
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Rick and Karen Santorum do not appear to fit the profile of customers to whom the financial institution would normally issue a loan of any kind. According to information currently posted on Philadelphia Trust's Web site, banking services “are offered at no additional charge to our clients” and “are available only to investment advisory clients whose portfolios we manage,
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According to one expert, Santorum appears to reap personal benefits from America's Foundation, the so-called leadership PAC controlled by Santorum, which has raised some $5 million from wealthy donors and business PACs over the last five years.
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In fact, while America's Foundation has raked in millions from Washington lobbyists and big-business PACs, it has doled out just a fraction of that money on the stated purpose of Santorum's committee, which is supporting other candidates. From the start of 2001 until late 2005, according to its disclosure forms, America's Foundation raised a whopping $5,363,735, but spent just $967,632 on other candidates or political committees -- just 18.1 percent.
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The $463,378 spent by Santorum's PAC on credit-card payments from 2001 through 2005 constituted 8.6 percent of all cash taken in, while comparable numbers for Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, his partner in the GOP Senate leadership, were $29,524 and 1.6 percent. All this leads experts to say that those expenditures appear highly unusual.
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A recent study by the Center for Responsive Politics found that Santorum was No. 1 among all 535 members of Congress in raising money from lobbyists for his regular campaign fund.
...
The biggest source of income for America's Foundation is industry PACs -- particularly in the areas of banking, insurance, health care, and pharmaceuticals
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Oddly enough, given Santorum's position as the Senate's leading social conservative, America's Foundation has raked in big dollars from gaming, tobacco, and liquor interests.
...
...the political chameleon...
http://prospect.org/article/little-help-his-friends
...
The Santorums bought their oversized Shenstone “estate” even though his financial disclosure forms since 2001 have shown little family income beyond his Senate salary, now $162,100, and he admits that life hasn't been financially easy. The senator made a startling remark to The New York Times Magazine last spring: “We live paycheck to paycheck, absolutely.” But he explained that his parents help out. “They're by no means wealthy -- they're two retired VA [Veterans Administration] employees -- but they'll send a check every now and then,” he said. The Prospect decided to heed Santorum's advice by taking “an honest look at the family budget” -- his family budget...
...
What was curious was the source of the increased mortgage. It was a new private bank catering to “affluent investors and institutions” -- whose officers have contributed $24,000 to Santorum's political action committees and re-election campaign -- called Philadelphia Trust Company.
...
Rick and Karen Santorum do not appear to fit the profile of customers to whom the financial institution would normally issue a loan of any kind. According to information currently posted on Philadelphia Trust's Web site, banking services “are offered at no additional charge to our clients” and “are available only to investment advisory clients whose portfolios we manage,
...
According to one expert, Santorum appears to reap personal benefits from America's Foundation, the so-called leadership PAC controlled by Santorum, which has raised some $5 million from wealthy donors and business PACs over the last five years.
...
In fact, while America's Foundation has raked in millions from Washington lobbyists and big-business PACs, it has doled out just a fraction of that money on the stated purpose of Santorum's committee, which is supporting other candidates. From the start of 2001 until late 2005, according to its disclosure forms, America's Foundation raised a whopping $5,363,735, but spent just $967,632 on other candidates or political committees -- just 18.1 percent.
...
The $463,378 spent by Santorum's PAC on credit-card payments from 2001 through 2005 constituted 8.6 percent of all cash taken in, while comparable numbers for Kentucky's Mitch McConnell, his partner in the GOP Senate leadership, were $29,524 and 1.6 percent. All this leads experts to say that those expenditures appear highly unusual.
...
A recent study by the Center for Responsive Politics found that Santorum was No. 1 among all 535 members of Congress in raising money from lobbyists for his regular campaign fund.
...
The biggest source of income for America's Foundation is industry PACs -- particularly in the areas of banking, insurance, health care, and pharmaceuticals
...
Oddly enough, given Santorum's position as the Senate's leading social conservative, America's Foundation has raked in big dollars from gaming, tobacco, and liquor interests.
...
...the political chameleon...
http://prospect.org/article/little-help-his-friends