Powerful congressman accused of campaign finance violations

[pickel]

Powerful congressman accused of campaign finance violations - CNN.com

Powerful congressman accused of campaign finance violations – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs

Republican Rep. Vern Buchanan, a self-made Florida millionaire, is only in his third term in Congress, but he already is in charge of fundraising for the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, and he sits on the powerful House Ways and Means committee.

But all that could be jeopardized. Federal investigations underway could result in Buchanan serving his next term behind bars.

CNN has confirmed there are no fewer than four congressional and federal investigations into Buchanan's business practices, his campaign finances and his alleged attempt to try to stop a witness from talking.


Now that witness is stepping forward in an exclusive interview with CNN. Buchanan's former business partner says the congressman schemed to launder money from his car dealerships into his campaign coffers, and then tried to get others to cover it up.

Such a BAD Boy.

Sucks when you get caught..

Maybe he could bunk up w/ Sandusky. Oh My........................

[Whir]

Could be a false accusation too. Innocent until proven guilty, remember.

[surreal]

Could be a false accusation too. Innocent until proven guilty, remember.

What? That's just crazy talk Whir!

[tony_j15]

Hmm. Ya know, if we outlawed private contributions and forced all candidates to use a tax financed slush fund, this would not have happened.

[sharder8]

What? That's just crazy talk Whir!

I agree with Auntie!

If it walks like a politician, sounds like a politician, and breaks laws like a politician . . . it is a politician breaking campaign finance laws!

Innocent until proven guilty . . .



This is a politician we're talking about whir . . . he's guilty!


Harder

[sharder8]

Hmm. Ya know, if we outlawed private contributions and forced all candidates to use a tax financed slush fund, this would not have happened.

Great thinking . . . now, try to get the politicians to agree, and make it a law.

Hell has a better chance of freezing over!


Harder

[Whir]

I never said he didn't do it. I simply outlined an alternative explanation and how we are supposed to do things in the US. If we don't want politicians to be above the law, then we have to treat them equally where the judicial process is concerned.


It's hard to be a fair-minded American in this day and age.

[sharder8]

I never said he didn't do it. I simply outlined an alternative explanation and how we are supposed to do things in the US. If we don't want politicians to be above the law, then we have to treat them equally where the judicial process is concerned.


It's hard to be a fair-minded American in this day and age.

That's part of the problem though whir, many of the politicians believe they are above the law. Maybe, just maybe, we should treat them that way. Guilty until proven guilty.




Harder

[pickel]

.


It's hard to be a fair-minded American in this day and age.

When I SEE a Fair Minded Politician, then , I might be inclined to "Give them a Break"

Guilty until proven Innocent...in MY book!!!!!!!!!

[Theophylact]

Well, compared to this it's a mere bagatelle:

One-hundred-thirty members of Congress or their families have traded stocks collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars in companies lobbying on bills that came before their committees, a practice that is permitted under current ethics rules, a Washington Post analysis has found.

The lawmakers bought and sold a total of between $85 million and $218 million in 323 companies registered to lobby on legislation that appeared before them, according to an examination of all 45,000 individual congressional stock transactions contained in computerized financial disclosure data from 2007 to 2010.

Almost one in every eight trades — 5,531 — intersected with legislation. The 130 lawmakers traded stocks or bonds in companies as bills passed through their committees or while Congress was still considering the legislation. The party affiliation of the lawmakers was almost evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, 68 to 62.

Read the whole thing. Worst of all, it's not even illegal — or unethical, by Congress's incredibly slack standards.

[tony_j15]

You'd think they would have to place their money in an independently operated trust fund. That would prohibit them from trading and avoid even the appearence of collusion. But I suppose that makes too much sense?

[Whir]

The present US congress sure does look a lot like the Roman congress directly before they self-destructed.

[tony_j15]

All hail Caesar!

I wonder what our Rubicon moment will be, then?

[Whir]

I wonder what our Rubicon moment will be, then?

Romney being elected? TOHOHOHOHOHO!


I kid. A little.

[pickel]

The present US congress sure does look a lot like the Roman congress directly before they self-destructed.

All hail Caesar!

I wonder what our Rubicon moment will be, then?

Romney being elected? TOHOHOHOHOHO!


I kid. A little.

The Ides of Twenty Twelve have come.....

But NOT yet passed....