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Thread: Report: Rand Paul spent donor money on trips abroad, clothes shopping

  1. #1

    Report: Rand Paul spent donor money on trips abroad, clothes shopping

    https://www.courier-journal.com/stor...ing/806820002/

    July 20, 2018

    Sen. Rand Paul spent hundreds of donor dollars on shopping trips and thousands on meals, travel and other expenses abroad, according to a report from nonpartisan watchdog groups released this week.

    The spending was funneled through a political leadership committee, which are meant to enable lawmakers to donate to other political campaigns to secure leadership positions. But, according to the "All Expenses Paid" report, they're often used to fund "lavish lifestyles on their donors' dimes."

    Paul, Kentucky's junior senator, spent $11,043 at restaurants in Italy and Malta last year through his leadership PAC, Reinventing a New Direction, according to the report.

    In the same year, he spent $4,492 on limousine services in Rome and $1,904 on a hotel in Athens that boasts "breathtaking panoramic views."

    His PAC, known as RAND PAC, also spent $337 on apparel at a Nebraska Men's Wearhouse, $438 on apparel at a shoe store on Madison Avenue in New York City, $201 at TJ Maxx and $1,575 at a restaurant in the Trump Hotel.

    His expenses likely aren't against the law. They do, however, illustrate his use of political contributions for expenses that don't fall squarely in the realm of donations to other campaigns.

    Paul is also highlighted in the report for his lower-than-average contributions to other candidates or committees. The report says less than 7 percent of his expenses over the past three election cycles have gone to others, according to figures from the Center for Responsive Politics. On average, 45 percent of lawmakers' leadership PAC spending goes toward such donations.

    The Center for Responsive Politics shows that in the 2018 cycle, Paul's contributions to other candidates constitute 15.6 percent of spending from his leadership PAC.

    The "All Expenses Paid" report, from Issue One and the Campaign Legal Center, both nonpartisan nonprofits, calls for changes to the leadership PAC fund regulations, arguing that such dollars are being abused with personal expenses by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

    "Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have raised and spent millions from their leadership PACs. In doing so, they blur the lines between official and personal activity while schmoozing at venues far beyond the eyes, as well as the pocketbooks, of most of their constituents," the report said.

    Paul spokeswoman Kelsey Cooper said the PAC's expenses are for political or fundraising purposes, not personal. And she added that travel expenses are covered by the PAC "to save taxpayer funds."

    "We chose to finance travel this way to save taxpayer funds, rather than at taxpayer expense as nearly every other elected official does," she said.

    Every stop paid for through the PAC "included fundraising events with Americans overseas and expenses for the donor events," Cooper wrote in the statement. She added that Paul's been active on issues of interest to Americans living abroad.

    Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky's senior senator, was not named in the report, which focused on egregious expenditures or some of the leadership PACs that spend the least on contributions to other candidates.

    Other Kentucky lawmakers mentioned in the report:
    ....



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  3. #2

    All Expenses Paid – How Leadership PACs Became Politicians’ Preferred Ticket to Luxury Living

    https://www.issueone.org/all-expense...luxury-living/

    The report is an analysis of nearly 200,000 FEC expenditure records covering January 2013 through the first quarter of 2018, with a sample of examples aimed at clarifying the problem that include:

    • A South Dakota senator spent $403,000 at West Virginia’s Greenbrier Sporting Club;
    • An Ohio congressman spent $64,000 on Broadway tickets in New York City;
    • A Georgia congressman spent $34,000 for one event at the five-star Sea Island Resort;
    • A Texas congressman spent $21,000 on membership dues to a Maryland country club;
    • A Kentucky senator spent $4,000 for limousine service in Rome.

  4. #3
    As long as its not going to Jesse Benton, lmao.
    THE SQUAD of RPF
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    @Ehanced_Deficit's real agenda on RPF =troll:

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  5. #4
    That's not a good look...
    NeoReactionary. American High Tory.

    The counter-revolution will not be televised.

  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by ThePaleoLibertarian View Post
    That's not a good look...
    Agree. He spent so little, he looks like a piker.

  7. #6
    Yawn.

    He must be doing something right.
    Never attempt to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

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    Those who learn from the past are condemned to watch everybody else repeat it

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  8. #7
    I've never contributed to his PAC so I don't really care. The take away is that all of them do this. But, it's all about "wining and dining" when it comes to political dealings. Honestly, if you invite a corporate head, or several, to a dinner in which you wish to put forth your initiatives and get their backing, do you tell the server "This'll be separate bills?" That doesn't even work on my level if I want to convince major, or even minor, property owners that they need my handyman service. I also don't take them to McDonalds.
    Last edited by phill4paul; 07-21-2018 at 03:09 PM.

  9. #8
    People might be shocked to learn that often times 90% of their charitable contributions to a "non-profit" go towards raising more money than actually supporting their mission statement. Shocking, shocking, I tell you.



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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by phill4paul View Post
    People might be shocked to learn that often times 90% of their charitable contributions to a "non-profit" go towards raising more money than actually supporting their mission statement. Shocking, shocking, I tell you.
    Which is a way to say every nonprofit is taxpayer funded. Nonprofit charitable deductions and political contributions need to end. We have no say in how that money is spent. If people want to give to charity, give to charity without expecting to smooth it out on the tax return.
    #NashvilleStrong

    “I’m a doctor. That’s a baby.”~~~Dr. Manny Sethi

  12. #10
    Did some of this go to his staff people? Would this story impell KY voters to vote for his opponent?

  13. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by euphemia View Post
    Which is a way to say every nonprofit is taxpayer funded. Nonprofit charitable deductions and political contributions need to end. We have no say in how that money is spent. If people want to give to charity, give to charity without expecting to smooth it out on the tax return.
    Which is a way to say that charitable taxpayers should pay more in taxes.
    “The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them.” --George Orwell

    Quote Originally Posted by AuH20 View Post
    In terms of a full spectrum candidate, Rand is leaps and bounds above Trump. I'm not disputing that.
    Who else in public life has called for a pre-emptive strike on North Korea?--Donald Trump

  14. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by euphemia View Post
    Which is a way to say every nonprofit is taxpayer funded. Nonprofit charitable deductions and political contributions need to end. We have no say in how that money is spent. If people want to give to charity, give to charity without expecting to smooth it out on the tax return.
    So, you're in favor of more taxes?
    "The Patriarch"

  15. #13

    Rand Paul responds


  16. #14
    Missed opportunity. They attacked his taxi expenses from a business that also rents limos. He should have pointed out it was less than 1/10 of what WH spent on a pizza party.

  17. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Valli6 View Post
    Good post, I thought Rand's team would have a sharp response like that and they delivered, check mate.
    THE SQUAD of RPF
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    3. Firestarter - Tax Troll; anti-tax = "criminal behavior"
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    @Ehanced_Deficit's real agenda on RPF =troll:

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    7 yrs/25k posts later RPF'ers still respond to this troll

  18. #16
    What is this? Most state level campaigns spend a lot of money on meals for meetings with donors and activists. This is a great use of campaign funds.
    Quote Originally Posted by dannno View Post
    It's a balance between appeasing his supporters, appeasing the deep state and reaching his own goals.
    ~Resident Badgiraffe






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  20. #17
    His PAC, known as RAND PAC, also spent $337 on apparel at a Nebraska Men's Wearhouse, $438 on apparel at a shoe store on Madison Avenue in New York City, $201 at TJ Maxx and $1,575 at a restaurant in the Trump Hotel.

    His expenses likely aren't against the law. They do, however, illustrate his use of political contributions for expenses that don't fall squarely in the realm of donations to other campaigns.

    ...

    Paul spokeswoman Kelsey Cooper said the PAC's expenses are for political or fundraising purposes, not personal. And she added that travel expenses are covered by the PAC "to save taxpayer funds."

    "We chose to finance travel this way to save taxpayer funds, rather than at taxpayer expense as nearly every other elected official does," she said.
    Nebraska Men's Warehouse? TJ Maxx? I know I'm biased, but I'm having trouble finding the outrage here...
    Support Justin Amash for Congress
    Michigan Congressional District 3

  21. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by EBounding View Post
    Nebraska Men's Warehouse? TJ Maxx? I know I'm biased, but I'm having trouble finding the outrage here...
    $201 at TJ Maxx
    The absolute outrage! Nancy Pelosi and Maxine Waters would never be caught dead at a TJ Maxx!
    "Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
    "Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
    "Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
    "Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul

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    The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.

  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by timosman View Post
    Agree. He spent so little, he looks like a piker.
    That's what I was thinking. That's peanuts for expenses out of campaign committee funds and a PAC. We have state reps that blow more donor money than that on clothes and meals.

    Now, the visiting to Italy, Malta and others is interesting, however. But I'll leave that alone.
    "Let it not be said that we did nothing."-Ron Paul

    "We have set them on the hobby-horse of an idea about the absorption of individuality by the symbolic unit of COLLECTIVISM. They have never yet and they never will have the sense to reflect that this hobby-horse is a manifest violation of the most important law of nature, which has established from the very creation of the world one unit unlike another and precisely for the purpose of instituting individuality."- A Quote From Some Old Book

  23. #20
    I think there are bigger fish.

    Don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows

  24. #21
    Those numbers are not numbers that correspond to a "lavish lifestyle".

  25. #22
    Quote Originally Posted by thoughtomator View Post
    Those numbers are not numbers that correspond to a "lavish lifestyle".
    Maybe if you've just arrived from a $#@!hole country.

  26. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by timosman View Post
    .
    His PAC, known as RAND PAC, also spent $337 on apparel at a Nebraska Men's Wearhouse, $438 on apparel at a shoe store on Madison Avenue in New York City, $201 at TJ Maxx

  27. #24
    His PAC, known as RAND PAC, also spent $337 on apparel at a Nebraska Men's Wearhouse, $438 on apparel at a shoe store on Madison Avenue in New York City, $201 at TJ Maxx and $1,575 at a restaurant in the Trump Hotel.
    Nancy Pelosi spends more donor money than that on a single bottle of wine every meal.
    "Foreign aid is taking money from the poor people of a rich country, and giving it to the rich people of a poor country." - Ron Paul
    "Beware the Military-Industrial-Financial-Pharma-Corporate-Internet-Media-Government Complex." - B4L update of General Dwight D. Eisenhower
    "Debt is the drug, Wall St. Banksters are the dealers, and politicians are the addicts." - B4L
    "Totally free immigration? I've never taken that position. I believe in national sovereignty." - Ron Paul

    Proponent of real science.
    The views and opinions expressed here are solely my own, and do not represent this forum or any other entities or persons.



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  29. #25
    I like how they have to add TJ Maxx and Men's Warehouse to the list to make it longer.
    Support Justin Amash for Congress
    Michigan Congressional District 3



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