Major GOP Donor Scammed Millions With Phony Veterans Group, Authorities Say

[groundloop]

Source: ABC News

Top law enforcement officials in Ohio are spending this Veterans Day hunting for the man they believe exploited the good name of America's warriors to abscond with more than $100 million.

The eccentric looking Florida man went by the name Bobby Thompson. As detailed in a report airing on World News with Diane Sawyer tonight, Thompson called his charity the U.S. Navy Veterans Association, and for eight years he raised money for the group, mostly through phone solicitations. He told donors the group was assisting needy veterans, and garnished this pitch with dollops of credibility by donating small amounts to legitimate veterans' groups.

Federal election records show he invested far more money -- more than $200,000 -- in campaign contributions to top Republican politicians, including President George W. Bush, U.S. Sen. John McCain, and the presumptive incoming Speaker of the House, John Boehner. In exchange, he received grip-and-grin snapshots with American political leaders -- the sort of photo that may be commonplace on office walls in Washington, DC, but looked to outsiders like evidence of an important man with heavy-duty connections.



Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/major-gop-donor-scammed-millions-phony-veterans-group/story?id=12112157

[Uben]

1. Another serial thief.....

....he should face the death penalty. I hate thieving scumbags as much as murderers and they should be treated the same.

[groundloop]

3. I'm against the death penalty, but this scumbag needs to spend a long time behind bars

[Uben]

4. I can understand stealing food in some cases....

....hunger is about the only thing I could see that might justify stealing. I wouldn't shoot a person for stealing food or even staples necessary to life, if there were no viable alternative. Man has to eat to survive. Just about everything else is stealing for pleasure, and in those cases, I don't give shit whether they get the death penalty or not. Goddamned thieves are among the worst human beings to inhabit this planet......almost as bad as neo-cons!

[saigon68]

6. A Thieving Criminal

[thunder rising]

2. Most civilian veterans "associations" and "charities" are scams. With AL, VFW and VA why would a

vet go elsewhere?

[Submariner]

5. During/after the Vietnam war, the AL and VFW members who

were mostly WWII and Korea vets, did not take to having Vietnam vets hanging around the club, because they blamed us for losing the Vietnam war.

As the aging Vietnam vets have taken over the role of leadership, with the passing on of the older vets, it has become a very partisan relationship. The republican/democratic thing that was not apparent with the WWII/Korea era vets, changed dramatically with the right wing f*uckheads blaming Liberal veterans in losing their VN war.

So f*ck them. I give my charity money to the Elephant Sanctuary in TN.

[Roy Rolling]

9. I was not aware

of the bigotry and ignorance that existed witin the AL and VFW. Apparently, the "greatest generation" had its share of ignorant morons as well as heroes. That would explain why both groups are dwindling despite the US penchant for foreign wars.

[LiberalFighter]

16. As a non vet I was very much aware of the Vietnam Vet issue.

Mainly from working with vets from that era in the factory.

[Lagomorph]

17. After the Vietnam war, Vietnam veterans weren't welcome anywhere...

for a long time. It's wasn't until the 1991 Iraq war that they were "rehabilitated" and welcomed home. Spending 15-20 years as social outcasts didn't help them reintegrate into a society that didn't really want to be reminded about that war.

[1monster]

12. What about AMVETS who collect things that people want to donate or just get

rid of? I've never received a call from them that requested monetary donations; just "any items, books, clothing, furniture, etc., that is no longer needed or being used.

They collect the items and then sell or donate what has been collected thus providing a service to the donors as well as the vets for whom they are collecting (I hope).

[SpiralHawk]

7. Republicon Family Values. As usual.

Right out of the Republicon cesspool of so-called 'values.'

[Roy Rolling]

8. Quoting Keith....

If this guy "Bobby thompson" had contributed to the Chamber of Commerce nobody would know. Hey wait a minute, he probably DID give to the C of C.

[greiner3]

10. A new Fox contributer.

[caseymoz]

11. And the charges:

1) Profiteering off defense without a license.
2) Profiteering off defense without proper Pentagon graft.
3) Not being KBR.

[nunyabidness]

13. Seems like a standard Republican. Nothing different here.

[PuppyBismark]

14. This has been in the news for months, but not covered until the elections are over.

Ohio state Attorney-general Cordray has been after him for quite a while, but conveniently, the national media did not want to give a Democrat any credit for something good. He lost by 2% and the new AG is a bum.

:grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

[Evasporque]

15. Tea Party to draft law allowing anyone to fundraise on behalf of Veterans...

with all non-profit regulations stripped.