Former GOP Aide Pawns Inauguration Tickets on Craigslist for $3,500

[babylonsister]

Former GOP House Aide Nabbed Trying to Sell Inaugural Tickets


Selling inauguration tickets isn't illegal, not yet anyway. But it was still embarrassing for one former congressional aide who now works at a powerful lobbying firm when she was caught this week trying to sell tickets to Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony for big bucks.

The former aide is Gina Santucci, who now works as associate general counsel at BGR Holding, the lobbying, public relations and financial advisory firm formerly known as Barbour Griffith & Rogers, founded by current Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and veteran GOP political strategist Ed Rogers.

Until recently, Santucci worked as legislative counsel to Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas), whose office received its share of inaugural tickets on Tuesday. Santucci was on the congressman's distribution list, Poe's office acknowledged when contacted by the Sleuth.

But Santucci apparently had no intention of going to the inauguration herself. Her entrepreneurial spirit took over, and she headed straight for Craigslist, where she listed four of the highly coveted tickets to Obama's inaugural ceremony and fetched a speedy offer from someone willing to pay $875 a piece.

The email exchange between Santucci, who used her real name and personal email address, and the prospective buyer, who used the name "Jackie Kentucky" from a gmail address, was forwarded to the Sleuth.

"Jackie - Just to confirm, you'll pay $3500 for 4 tickets? Are you able to pay in cash?" Santucci wrote. "I am picking up the tickets on Wednesday afternoon and will be able to meet you after that."

more...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/01/selling_inauguration_tickets_i.html

[Skink]

1. Scalping inauguration tickets.

He should be proud.

[sharp_stick]

2. Anybody willing to pay

this kind of money for any event is out of their mind. If I had tickets and someone was willing to give me $3500 I'd probably sell them too. This reminds me of the idiots willing to spend $500 to $600 to get their brats into Hannah Montana, idiots all.

I have no love for scalpers or their loving handlers at Ticketmaster but the people that pay these kinds of outrageous sums are total morons and deserve to be taxed at a much higher rate.

[liberal1973]

3. Interesting

Gina Santucci is another republican that should be getting the heck out of DC all together.

She's worst than the wasillawhore..

[yardwork]

4. R - Naturally

[aquart]

5. "Pawns"?