Kent Sorenson pleads guilty to accepting payments to switch support

[jjdoyle]

http://www.kcci.com/news/doj-former-...757234#!bLjaEh

We need to find out who paid him so they aren't working for Rand in 2016.

We already know and have their names. I have shared a video with Bryan, and others here as well. I would give it its own thread, but it would be buried in Hot Topics faster than a "What is the government hiding about 9/11?" thread. I can share the video with you, if you would like it. It's an interview with the guy that helped break the story, and released the phone recording of Jesse Benton talking about working with Mitch McConnell now to help Rand in 2016.

[Galileo Galilei]

That's actually how it was structured. This is only illegal because most campaign finance laws are idiotic.

why pay under the table? Why not just announce Sorenson is a new Iowa consultant, get his endorsement, pay him, and keep the amount undisclosed until after the caucus?

[snorlax]

why pay under the table? Why not just announce Sorenson is a new Iowa consultant, get his endorsement, pay him, and keep the amount undisclosed until after the caucus?

That's pretty much exactly how they did it; it was illegal because the Paul campaign explicitly negotiated with Sorenson to get his endorsement as a quid-pro-quo for the payoff, instead of it being an implicit understanding (I happen to give you $25,000, subsequently, by complete coincidence and without my pre-knowledge, you happen to endorse me).

[randomname]

We already know and have their names. I have shared a video with Bryan, and others here as well. I would give it its own thread, but it would be buried in Hot Topics faster than a "What is the government hiding about 9/11?" thread. I can share the video with you, if you would like it. It's an interview with the guy that helped break the story, and released the phone recording of Jesse Benton talking about working with Mitch McConnell now to help Rand in 2016.

So the press is saving this story for later?

[jjdoyle]

So the press is saving this story for later?

It's already been reported on some when it originally happened/broke. This is just a continuation of the original story. The FEC is currently investigating the campaign, and there were multiple staffers listed in the complaint to the FEC:
http://theiowarepublican.com/2014/fe...renson-payoff/

Which is why I think the campaign is sitting on so much cash still, to probably help fund the defense fund or certain staffers and/or pay any fees/fines. The campaign has been paying one law firm in the D.C. area several thousand dollars every single quarter, SINCE THE CAMPAIGN ENDED. Yet, it refused donation requests by some supporters, and said the amount on hand was over-stated (despite the FEC reports SHOWING us how much they claimed to have). They were lying, and have been lying, for years about a lot. Wasting people's time, and money. So they could get paychecks and nice cushy jobs?

Here are firms that received payment from Ron Paul 2012 just last quarter:
http://www.leclairryan.com/ ($6,000)
http://www.bblawonline.com/ ($19,000)
http://www.arentfox.com/ ($4,900)
http://www.andrewskurth.com/ ($2,900)


NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY, that was in Ron Paul 2012 staff and has continued to defend what was/is a dishonest campaign, should be near Rand in 2016. If anybody wants to listen to an interview, on Ron Paul vs. Ron Paul Inc., here you go:


Not only does he discuss certain individuals by name, but you will also hear how Ron Paul Inc. is trying to filter the "riffraff" at conventions and seminars you may pay to attend. Which is very good to know, BEFORE YOU PAY MONEY, to attend one of them and fill out any paperwork or survey.

[Maltheus]

So the press is saving this story for later?

Well, it's not October yet, is it?

[daviddee]

...

[daviddee]

...

[Inkblots]

Benton's done.

Jesse Benton, the GOP political strategist spearheading Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s reelection bid, resigned from his post Friday amid a federal investigation involving a 2012 presidential campaign he ran.
[...]
Benton said that “with a heavy heart” he offered his resignation to McConnell (R-Ky.), who “reluctantly accepted.”

Well, the good news here is that Benton won't be allowed within a country mile of Rand 2016 after all of this. I think we all can be glad Rand has worked so hard to build his own campaign team rather than relying on the somewhat dubious "Paulworld" left over from Ron's campaigns.

The only trouble is that McConnell could be less likely to help Rand's presidential run out, now that Benton's nose-holding effort has tracked mud into his living room.

[jjdoyle]

Benton's done.



Well, the good news here is that Benton won't be allowed within a country mile of Rand 2016 after all of this. I think we all can be glad Rand has worked so hard to build his own campaign team rather than relying on the somewhat dubious "Paulworld" left over from Ron's campaigns.

The only trouble is that McConnell could be less likely to help Rand's presidential run out, now that Benton's nose-holding effort has tracked mud into his living room.

I wonder if John Tate will resign from C4L next? He's one of the listed staffers in the investigation as well.

[PaleoPaul]

Jesse Benton is the #2 trend on Twitter right now.

[Working Poor]

Benton resigning from McConnell's campaign kinda sounds like an admission of guilt.

[RickyJ]

Jesse Benton is the #2 trend on Twitter right now.

That is how I found out about it. Haven't posted here in a while and thought I could get more info here. I hope Ron Paul's granddaughter was not involved with this, but I can definitely see Benton doing something like this.

[RickyJ]

Benton resigning from McConnell's campaign kinda sounds like an admission of guilt.

It sounds like he had no choice to me, resign or get fired, resigning looks somewhat better so he chose it instead.

[Feeding the Abscess]

I wonder if John Tate will resign from C4L next? He's one of the listed staffers in the investigation as well.

Additionally, it'd be nice if people who actually believe in what Ron does control C4L and like organizations. RPI is one such outlet.

[TaftFan]

Additionally, it'd be nice if people who actually believe in what Ron does control C4L and like organizations. RPI is one such outlet.

That is really the Daniel McAdams/Adam Dick Institute. Ron Paul Curriculum is really Tom Woods/Gary North curriculum.

[fr33]

Well glad to see my donations, that for all intents and purposes I could not even afford, went to a good cause and not spent frivolously!

It might have been one of the more effective measures that money was spent on during the campaign. Not that it did all that much. A better idea would have been attacking Romney.

[Badger Paul]

We'll Jesse is going to be a little preoccupied because running a campaign (well, sort of running a campaign) and trying to stay out of jail is probably too much for one person to handle. Besides, they can find someone else to open the mail.

In all serious though, this thing broke a year ago. If I was Mitch I would have ditched Benton there and then. There's was no reason to keep him. Matt Bevin already announced his primary challenge so Benton's presence didn't deter that from happening. What was Rand going to do, cry about it? Rand needed Mitch more than vise-versa. Now this explodes again and Benton has to leave reinforcing the image of McConnell as a crooked ass politician.

The only trouble is that McConnell could be less likely to help Rand's presidential run out, now that Benton's nose-holding effort has tracked mud into his living room.

If McConnell loses then it really doesn't matter who he supports for President, does it?

[Feeding the Abscess]

That is really the Daniel McAdams/Adam Dick Institute. Ron Paul Curriculum is really Tom Woods/Gary North curriculum.

I'm aware. McAdams was Ron's long-time foreign policy advisor, and Woods has helped Ron write his books. Tate, Rothfeld, etc aren't on board with the ideology Ron espouses.

[Margo37]

Being reminded of that does not make me Feelgood. I've said it before and I will say it again. If Benton is on the team then the team will not get any support from me. Not even the gas money to go to the poll.

Second that!

[Galileo Galilei]

Just a little FYI here: there was no bribery and Sorenson was not charged with taking bribes. It is not illegal to give money to campaign people for services rendered. The Feds are cooperating with Sorenson for other technical charges but not for bribery.

[New York For Paul]

Some of us saw this coming a long time ago and said the campaign staff should be revamped. Much of the old Ron Paul staff is running the Rand Paul operation. Already, Rand got kicked out of the Washington Times for plagerism and now there are bribery charges and convictions. The average voters is not going to be happy and Rand's opponents will milk this for all it is worth.

The idiots appeared to puts lots of information in emails and there are tape recordings. Who knows how much worse this gets. Instead of talking about issues, the media will be talking about scandal.

[jjdoyle]

Just a little FYI here: there was no bribery and Sorenson was not charged with taking bribes. It is not illegal to give money to campaign people for services rendered. The Feds are cooperating with Sorenson for other technical charges but not for bribery.

The FEC is still investigating Ron Paul 2012 on charges of bribery apparently, as the article I linked above stated.
Kent Sorenson pleaded guilty to:
"A former Iowa state senator pleaded guilty Wednesday to concealing campaign expenditures and obstructing justice as part of an endorsement-for-pay scheme that roiled the Iowa Republican caucuses in 2012.

Kent Sorenson, of Milo, Iowa, admitted in federal district court that former Rep. Ron Paul’s presidential campaign secretly paid him $73,000 after he dramatically dropped his backing of Rep. Michele Bachmann in late 2011 and endorsed Paul’s White House bid, saying at the time that Bachmann was no longer a viable candidate.
A furious Bachmann charged then that Sorenson was being paid to flip his support to Paul -- an accusation that Sorenson, Paul and his campaign officials all denied.


But in court papers filed Wednesday, Sorenson acknowledged that he had been paid by both presidential campaigns."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...or-pay-scheme/

[Galileo Galilei]

The FEC is still investigating Ron Paul 2012 on charges of bribery apparently, as the article I linked above stated.
Kent Sorenson pleaded guilty to:
"A former Iowa state senator pleaded guilty Wednesday to concealing campaign expenditures and obstructing justice as part of an endorsement-for-pay scheme that roiled the Iowa Republican caucuses in 2012.

Kent Sorenson, of Milo, Iowa, admitted in federal district court that former Rep. Ron Paul’s presidential campaign secretly paid him $73,000 after he dramatically dropped his backing of Rep. Michele Bachmann in late 2011 and endorsed Paul’s White House bid, saying at the time that Bachmann was no longer a viable candidate.
A furious Bachmann charged then that Sorenson was being paid to flip his support to Paul -- an accusation that Sorenson, Paul and his campaign officials all denied.


But in court papers filed Wednesday, Sorenson acknowledged that he had been paid by both presidential campaigns."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...or-pay-scheme/

OK, and as I said, none of these charges or investigations are for bribery. Paying for an endorsement is not bribery. The crime is concealing the money flow. The feds are looking for some technical charges to draw in Benton or others. Kesari looks like he will be charged but it could end there.

[New York For Paul]

The fact that we are having these discussions will cost Rand Paul millions in lost donations and thousands of volunteers. The campaign staffers did a huge disservice to Ron Paul and Rand Paul.

[jjdoyle]

OK, and as I said, none of these charges or investigations are for bribery. Paying for an endorsement is not bribery. The crime is concealing the money flow. The feds are looking for some technical charges to draw in Benton or others. Kesari looks like he will be charged but it could end there.

Doesn't matter if you call it bribery or not, it was 100% illegal and the campaign knew it. If Sorenson faces $500,000 in fines for his charges, what do you think the campaign will face?
And as I stated before, this could cost Rand Iowa, since politics is VERY local.

[PaleoPaul]

I wonder if Ron Paul's granddaughter will be looking for a divorce attorney on Tuesday, in case the sh*t hits the fan...

[kylejack]

From the OpenSecrets article.


The Paul campaign’s 2012 expenditures reports show that $82,375 was paid to a Hyattsville, Md.-based video company called Interactive Communications, Inc. According to bank records discovered during the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee investigation, Sorenson received payments from a firm called “ICT, Inc”, based at the same Hyattsville address, that closely matched the payments the campaign made.
For example, the campaign reported to the Federal Election Commission that on Feb. 8, 2012, it paid $38,125 to Interactive Communications. On Feb. 9, ICT Inc. wired Sorenson $33,000. Then, on April 3, the campaign paid Interactive Communications $17,770, and on April 9, ICT wired Sorenson $16,000.
On May 4, the campaign paid Interactive Communications $8,850, and on the same day ICT wired Sorenson $8,000. The same thing happened twice more, with Sorenson pocketing a total of $73,000 from ICT Inc. between February and July of 2012. The Ron Paul presidential campaign paid Interactive Communications $83,375 over the same period.

As someone who donated to the Ron Paul 2012 campaign, I'm outraged.

[jjdoyle]

From the OpenSecrets article.


The Paul campaign’s 2012 expenditures reports show that $82,375 was paid to a Hyattsville, Md.-based video company called Interactive Communications, Inc. According to bank records discovered during the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee investigation, Sorenson received payments from a firm called “ICT, Inc”, based at the same Hyattsville address, that closely matched the payments the campaign made.
For example, the campaign reported to the Federal Election Commission that on Feb. 8, 2012, it paid $38,125 to Interactive Communications. On Feb. 9, ICT Inc. wired Sorenson $33,000. Then, on April 3, the campaign paid Interactive Communications $17,770, and on April 9, ICT wired Sorenson $16,000.
On May 4, the campaign paid Interactive Communications $8,850, and on the same day ICT wired Sorenson $8,000. The same thing happened twice more, with Sorenson pocketing a total of $73,000 from ICT Inc. between February and July of 2012. The Ron Paul presidential campaign paid Interactive Communications $83,375 over the same period.

As someone who donated to the Ron Paul 2012 campaign, I'm outraged.

And you have every right to be. We are/were not supposed to be the same as other campaigns, and politicians. Did you see the "open letter" article posted just today, now bringing up a possible payoff for a sexual harassment complaint?
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthr...er-to-Ron-Paul

[kylejack]

Thanks for the link. Here's the video of Ron saying nobody paid Sorenson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH3Dd4CfJLg#t=8m45s

So either someone is going to fall on a sword or we'll have to see how high knowledge of this bribe goes.