Candidate Accused of 'Donation Swapping' (RI Senate race)

[brooklynite]

PROVIDENCE, R.I. Mar 24, 2006 (AP)— Why would Democrats in Hawaii give money to a U.S. Senate candidate in Rhode Island?

That question is creating a furor around Rhode Island Secretary of State Matt Brown, who is running for the Senate. At issue is whether his campaign engaged in "donation swapping," a practice experts say is a common and legally dubious means of skirting the federal limits on political contributions.

Late last year, Brown received $25,000 from the state Democratic parties in Hawaii, Maine and Massachusetts. Shortly afterward, four of his top donors gave $30,000 to those parties. The donors had already given Brown the maximum allowed under federal law, $4,200.

Critics accuse Brown's campaign of laundering illegal donations, and on Wednesday, the Hawaii Republican Party signed a complaint asking the Federal Elections Commission to investigate.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1764885&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
- - -
I have to admit I'm fuzzy on how this is a violation. Donations to PACs and party agencies aren't constrained by amount, and as far as I know there's no restriction on whom a party or PAC can give its money to. As far as I can see, the donors could have just as easily given the money to DNC, DSCC or the RI State Party which could have made contributions to Brown's campaign.

[EST]

1. Sounds crooked to me.

[rpannier]

9. Agreed

It doesn't pass the smell test.

[hughee99]

2. As much as I would like to defend the Democrat here...

I fail to see how this is all that much different than what Delay did.

[BR_Parkway]

5. Sort of agree - in Delay's case, its violation of TX law to take corporate

money. Not sure what the Hawaii or RI laws are. Don't all these Washington types have PAC's and give money out to various candidates all the time? We need to get the money out of the process entirely, it's the only way we can get our democracy back.

But if these Dems broke the law with what they did? Lock em up.

Damn, we're going to need to build a Congressional Prison for all these crooks the way the trend is going. Maybe that's the answer to getting past all the incumbents getting elected over and over - if the voters won't throw them out, we'll lock em up!

[John Q. Citizen]

3. Look bad whether it's illegal or not. It's simular to what DeLay is

accused of.

[LiberalVoice]

4. Sounds similar to Delay. nt

[MrMonk]

6. OK, I've had it. I can't hold back anymore. o/t

WHAT'S UP with that little girl's mouth?

[LiberalVoice]

7. lol

I think its a pacifier. Although she does seem a bit too old for one.

[freefall]

8. The chair of the Maine Democratic party resigned over this issue

earlier this week. It was a shock to the party here in Maine and may make it more difficult to re-elect our Democratic governor in what is expected to be a hard fought race this year.

One of the problems is that Brown faces a primary challenge which some of the Dem. parties in other states claimed not to know when they made their donations.

Brown's challenger is DU's own Carl Sheeler of the "Impeach Bush" billboard outside Providence, RI. You can see a picture of the billboard and donate to Carl's campaign and to keep the billboard up at

http://www.carlsheeler.com/

Needless to say Carl is a progressive and is fighting an uphill battle. It costs $11,000/month to keep the billboard up. Many DUers have given generously already.

As far as the donations go -- even if they aren't illegal it looks awful. It also gives the Rethugs ammunition. Maine's Senator Susan Collins is already calling (on the radio yesterday) for investigations of these contributions and is making political hay out of the Democrats "ethical" lapses. These GD backroom politicians make me sick no matter what party they come from.

Peace,

freefall

Go Carl Sheeler!!!! :applause:
:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: