Jesse Benton resigns as Mitch McConnell's campaign manager

[CPUd]

What about Doug Stafford? Fusaro seemed to think he is all right.

 

[klamath]

Just reinforces my gladness that I didn't fall for the 2012 Ron Paul campaign from before it officially started. I always thought it was just piss poor excutive leadership on Ron's part but after he was elbow deep in trying to rip off ronpaul.com, my thoughts are changing. Remember staffers from Ron Paul 1988 went to jail as well. Something stinks about all of Rons business and campaign endevers. Yep I will be taking a closer look at Rand as well not because of his less than pure statements that rile the purists so much but how close he associates with his father and his fathers men. If he starts building a tract record of shady staffers I also might start looking elsewhere.

 

[fr33]

Just reinforces my gladness that I didn't fall for the 2012 Ron Paul campaign from before it officially started. I always thought it was just piss poor excutive leadership on Ron's part but after he was elbow deep in trying to rip off ronpaul.com, my thoughts are changing. Remember staffers from Ron Paul 1988 went to jail as well. Something stinks about all of Rons business and campaign endevers. Yep I will be taking a closer look at Rand as well not because of his less than pure statements that rile the purists so much but how close he associates with his father and his fathers men. If he starts building a tract record of shady staffers I also might start looking elsewhere.

The problem with that is you tend to support even shittier people than the Pauls.

 

[CPUd]

I think Rand is going to have a lot of former McCain, Romney staffers in the leadership positions. If he gets RP 2012 staffers, I bet they go to his Senate campaign.

 

[jjdoyle]

Just reinforces my gladness that I didn't fall for the 2012 Ron Paul campaign from before it officially started. I always thought it was just piss poor excutive leadership on Ron's part but after he was elbow deep in trying to rip off ronpaul.com, my thoughts are changing. Remember staffers from Ron Paul 1988 went to jail as well. Something stinks about all of Rons business and campaign endevers. Yep I will be taking a closer look at Rand as well not because of his less than pure statements that rile the purists so much but how close he associates with his father and his fathers men. If he starts building a tract record of shady staffers I also might start looking elsewhere.

Rand hired Jack Hunter. Jack Hunter tried to basically tell us all we were stupid for not liking or understanding Rand's horrid endorsement of Mitt Romney. Jack Hunter used RonPaul2012.com to defend an endorsement of Mitt Romney. That, is/was PATHETIC.

I didn't know about staffers from Ron's 1988 campaign going to jail. *goes to Google

Found it. Just one staffer apparently, but his campaign manager. Interesting conspiracy theory attached with it:
"

Finally, let me make a couple observations. The liberal media is ferociously attacking Ron this morning, on everything from the Newsletters to his various PACs. I’m amused at how off-base they all are. If they are looking for something that went un-explained after many years, it’s the Nadia Hayes incident from the end of the presidential campaign in 1988. I personally am still a little ticked off by this, and surprised that nobody has ever followed up on it. In brief, Nadia was Ron’s longtime business/campaign manager in the 1980s. On the very last day of the presidential campaign, attorneys, accountants, and even Nassau Bay police dept. investigation officials stormed into our campaign office, sealed everything off, rushed us campaign staffers into the storeroom (literally), and for hours on end ruffled through the entire campaign records, file cabinets, and other papers.

Lew Rockwell and Burton Blumert were there too. We were greatly surprised by this. Nadia was eventually convicted of embezzlement and went to jail for 6 months, plus had to pay $140,000 in restitution to Ron.
There were rumors at the time, and long thereafter, that Lew and Burt had pinned it all on Nadia, and that they had their own reasons for the “coup.” For years afterwards, Rockwell, and Blumert had complete control of Ron’s enterprises through Jean McIver and (former JBS/Jesse Helms fundraiser) David “James” Mertz of northern Virginia.


It was easy to pin it all on Nadia. She lived extravagantly, and her husband who owned a boat repair business in Clear Lake, had recently had some serious financial problems.


Nadia never resurfaced, and was never heard from again.


I will attest, that when campaign consultant Tony Payton died of heart failure, in 2002 I believe, I specifically asked Ron if I could look Nadia up, and contact her to let her know that her longtime friend had died, and he reacted sternly to me, expressing that he did not want me to do that, and if I did, there would be serious consequences. I was shocked. And this was one of the reasons I eventually left his staff.

"
http://www.rightwingnews.com/electi...on-paul-staffer-on-newsletters-anti-semitism/

 

[klamath]

The problem with that is you tend to support even shittier people than the Pauls.

I think that is your problem.

 

[fr33]

I think that is your problem.

Not really. You spend your time on a forum that supports the Pauls while not supporting them. Go to freerepublic.

 

[fr33]

Bryan, you and your moderators have banned people like cajuncocoa in the past for saying things similar to what klamath posted. You go right ahead and ban me. I don't care.

 

[orenbus]

So looking back in retrospect as I try to bridge what we know now vs. what we knew back then, I notice there was at least one person back in December of 2011 that was asking the right questions at the time, while the rest of us (myself included probably) were drinking the kool-aid and slinging negative remarks and neg rep at him, and that person being KyleJack a forum member from 2007. Morale of the story is, even though we support a side or a person with passion and comittment, sometimes it makes sense to stay objective and at least approach the hard questions in a mature way in the pursuit for truth.

Anyway here is a report following the Kent Sorenson defection that we were looking at in terms of a official response to Bachmann's allegations that Sorenson had been paid off and Benton's response, still looking for another source but this is what I see so far.

Benton responded that the Paul campaign is not paying Sorenson.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...fects-to-paul/2011/12/28/gIQALSDPNP_blog.html

Here are some of KyleJack's comments back in December 28/29th 2011:

I hope the campaign did not do this. There was no need for it when we had the lead. We mustn't look like typical politicians.

Because offering him a job is bad. And could hurt us. Hopefully it's all bogus.

Well, offering him a well-paying position with the campaign might look like a quid pro quo. I really hope it's all crap.

It's getting more complicated because now Sorenson's former campaign chair for his own campaign is saying she was told by Sorenson he was told by someone in the Paul campaign that they were offering him money to switch. Benton is not omniscient and we need to figure out where this information is coming from, and who started it.

Sure. So why's he telling it to his former campaign chair, who isn't the one he was quitting? It's alarming.

Possibilities:

• Vast conspiracy intended to hurt Paul
• Misguided idiot in the campaign promised things, didn't tell the campaign leadership
• something else?

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...aul-campaign&p=3915586&viewfull=1#post3915586

We have to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Is the campaign now employing him or not? That's what I want to know.

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...nt-Sorenson)&p=3914771&viewfull=1#post3914771


Some other comments at the time;

Why do I remember Kent's name and not in a favorable fashion? I'm thinking from 2007-2008 timeframe. Maybe I'm mistaken.

It was this year. He apparently wanted a job with the Paul campaign, wasn't given one and joined Bachmann. He trash talked Ron Paul all summer. At least he's come to his senses at the right time!

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...nt-Sorenson)&p=3914912&viewfull=1#post3914912

I won't even quote the kool-aid enraged comments at the time, you can read them on your own in those threads, but just a heads up, its not pretty.

 

[extortion17]

I posted this in another thread on Kent Sorenson pleading guilty yesterday, here it is again for those that don't know and have missed some of the information:
. . .
Which is why I think the campaign is sitting on so much cash still, to probably help fund the defense fund or certain staffers and/or pay any fees/fines. The campaign has been paying one law firm in the D.C. area several thousand dollars every single quarter, SINCE THE CAMPAIGN ENDED. Yet, it refused donation requests by some supporters, and said the amount on hand was over-stated (despite the FEC reports SHOWING us how much they claimed to have). They were lying, and have been lying, for years about a lot. Wasting people's time, and money. So they could get paychecks and nice cushy jobs?

NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY, that was in Ron Paul 2012 staff and has continued to defend what was/is a dishonest campaign, should be near Rand in 2016. If anybody wants to listen to an interview, on Ron Paul vs. Ron Paul Inc., here you go:


Not only does he discuss certain individuals by name, but you will also hear how Ron Paul Inc. is trying to filter the "riffraff" at conventions and seminars you may pay to attend. Which is very good to know, BEFORE YOU PAY MONEY, to attend one of them and fill out any paperwork or survey."

. . . that gave money and time to a campaign that was helping Mitt Romney win the nomination, . . . campaign end abruptly in early June, BEFORE THE CONVENTION. So Rand could endorse Mitt Romney on national TV and get a speaking slot at the RNC?

So that Jesse Benton could get a job with Mitch McConnell?

So another Ron Paul 2012 staffer could get a job at with the RNC/GOP?

I certainly hope for some that have been banned from RPF over the years . . .

At this point, I would actually suggest Bryan rename the forums, or redirect it to LibertyForest or another domain. We have no clue how deep this is going to go, but we do know the names of some being investigated by the FEC, as the first link above shows.

I know some people have absolutely HATED my posts critical about the campaign, but I have been warning about this for a while now.
"Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light."

If Ron had one blind spot it was the character of those he surrounded himself with.

RP was a loner too - I remember the jpg that was snapped of RP alone and
waiting for his bags at Reagan Airport to fly in for a congressional vote.

There was a lot of money - it came in faster than even RP might have thought especially initially in 2008 with "Meet Up" groups popping up everywhere.

renaming or consolidating the forums with redirects . . . I dunno

Rand is gonna want to be associated with people at the grassroots level in some ways still - and these forums work . . . I think.
Some will want to come back . . .

 

[liberalnurse]

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...-hardcore-Ron-Paul-supporter-quot#post5174647 http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...in-any-capacity-in-Rand-Paul-2016#post5475034

I just re-visited these threads and a few others, re:Benton. Those of us who dared to question Benton were "dividers", "enemies of the Liberty Movement," etc. We were the fringe. We didn't get it. The undesirables. All I can say now is what goes around comes around.

 

[cajuncocoa]

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...-hardcore-Ron-Paul-supporter-quot#post5174647 http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...in-any-capacity-in-Rand-Paul-2016#post5475034

I just re-visited these threads and a few others, re:Benton. Those of us who dared to question Benton were "dividers", "enemies of the Liberty Movement," etc. We were the fringe. We didn't get it. The undesirables. All I can say now is what goes around comes around.

Those folks sure are quiet now.

 

[satchelmcqueen]

Without trying to sound pretentious, I want to say I understand exactly how Ron gets himself into these positions, as I have found myself in them before as well.

Short version: It is VERY hard to be a "leader", to bark orders and make commands and demand that things happen just as you want, when your whole personality is opposed to authoritarianism.

very well said. i have been in a few of those myslf. its hard to order people around when that isnt how you are. i think ron and myself and you it sounds like, let trust go as far as it can. then, usually you get bit in the ass. you cannot control people, especially family.

 

[LibertyEagle]

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...-hardcore-Ron-Paul-supporter-quot#post5174647 http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showth...in-any-capacity-in-Rand-Paul-2016#post5475034

I just re-visited these threads and a few others, re:Benton. Those of us who dared to question Benton were "dividers", "enemies of the Liberty Movement," etc. We were the fringe. We didn't get it. The undesirables. All I can say now is what goes around comes around.

Those folks sure are quiet now.

Nope. Some of us wanted to wait for the truth to come out. Others want to hang them beforehand. Much like a lynch mob. Now, you can applaud yourself for being part of that, but I'm not sure what there is to be proud of.

 

[LibertyEagle]

That said, I don't understand why they even wanted Sorenson. He had already stabbed Ron in the back by going with Bachmann's campaign and it was so late in the game, what real benefit was there?

 

[LibertyEagle]

You left out the part that you are quoting ERIC DONDERO. He is well known around these parts.

Rand hired Jack Hunter. Jack Hunter tried to basically tell us all we were stupid for not liking or understanding Rand's horrid endorsement of Mitt Romney. Jack Hunter used RonPaul2012.com to defend an endorsement of Mitt Romney. That, is/was PATHETIC.

I didn't know about staffers from Ron's 1988 campaign going to jail. *goes to Google

Found it. Just one staffer apparently, but his campaign manager. Interesting conspiracy theory attached with it:
"Finally, let me make a couple observations. The liberal media is ferociously attacking Ron this morning, on everything from the Newsletters to his various PACs. I’m amused at how off-base they all are. If they are looking for something that went un-explained after many years, it’s the Nadia Hayes incident from the end of the presidential campaign in 1988. I personally am still a little ticked off by this, and surprised that nobody has ever followed up on it. In brief, Nadia was Ron’s longtime business/campaign manager in the 1980s. On the very last day of the presidential campaign, attorneys, accountants, and even Nassau Bay police dept. investigation officials stormed into our campaign office, sealed everything off, rushed us campaign staffers into the storeroom (literally), and for hours on end ruffled through the entire campaign records, file cabinets, and other papers.

Lew Rockwell and Burton Blumert were there too. We were greatly surprised by this. Nadia was eventually convicted of embezzlement and went to jail for 6 months, plus had to pay $140,000 in restitution to Ron.
There were rumors at the time, and long thereafter, that Lew and Burt had pinned it all on Nadia, and that they had their own reasons for the “coup.” For years afterwards, Rockwell, and Blumert had complete control of Ron’s enterprises through Jean McIver and (former JBS/Jesse Helms fundraiser) David “James” Mertz of northern Virginia.


It was easy to pin it all on Nadia. She lived extravagantly, and her husband who owned a boat repair business in Clear Lake, had recently had some serious financial problems.


Nadia never resurfaced, and was never heard from again.


I will attest, that when campaign consultant Tony Payton died of heart failure, in 2002 I believe, I specifically asked Ron if I could look Nadia up, and contact her to let her know that her longtime friend had died, and he reacted sternly to me, expressing that he did not want me to do that, and if I did, there would be serious consequences. I was shocked. And this was one of the reasons I eventually left his staff."
http://www.rightwingnews.com/electi...on-paul-staffer-on-newsletters-anti-semitism/

 

[LibertyEagle]

That was already done by Ron Paul 2012 in February 2012, March 2012, April 2012, and May 2012. And it's probably why Ron Paul 2012 has been, and probably still is, paying those firms I linked above:
"Here are firms that received payment from Ron Paul 2012 just last quarter:
http://www.leclairryan.com/ ($6,000)
http://www.bblawonline.com/ ($19,000)
http://www.arentfox.com/ ($4,900)
http://www.andrewskurth.com/ ($2,900)"

Do you have any proof that any of this money is going to Benton?

 

[jjdoyle]

You left out the part that you are quoting ERIC DONDERO. He is well known around these parts.

I didn't leave anything out, liar. I asked about the 1988 staffer going to jail, and the story on it. I even provided the link where I found it. Not my problem you repeatedly defend unrepentant liars and cheats. Stop typing digital diarrhea.

You should stop posting, because you are known for making repeated false claims.
Like Ron Paul 2012 ending with virtually no cash on hand.
Or Ron's daughter being an accountant.

Ron Paul 2012 was a lying, corrupt, dishonest, garbage of a campaign. And you can't accept it. Get over it.

 

[Bryan]

Bryan, you and your moderators have banned people like cajuncocoa in the past for saying things similar to what klamath posted. You go right ahead and ban me. I don't care.

No one's going to get banned, the +rep was a request to multiple people to keep focused on issues and not get into a flame war here. I am not familiar with all the details with cajuncocoa's case but that was before I took over. As for klamath's post, there are a lot of complicated issues in this, we're not here to dictate a narrative. Our guidelines are just that, guidelines- the situation at hand has to be considered.

 

[jjdoyle]

No one's going to get banned, the +rep was a request to multiple people to keep focused on issues and not get into a flame war here. I am not familiar with all the details with cajuncocoa's case but that was before I took over. As for klamath's post, there are a lot of complicated issues in this, we're not here to dictate a narrative. Our guidelines are just that, guidelines- the situation at hand has to be considered.

You still haven't solved the problem, of the moderators.

Do you have any proof that any of this money is going to Benton?

(Mod edit)Jesse Benton was getting paychecks in February 2012, March 2012, April 2012, and May 2012. And did you not notice and COMPREHEND the word "PROBABLY".

There are multiple staffers listed in the FEC investigation that was been linked prior to IN THIS THREAD, that you apparently SKIPPED over to make continued stupid, digital diarrhea posts. I would imagine the money is being spent to fix the lying, corrupt, dishonest, garbage of a campaign's issue. Not that you actually care. You hate the truth. As was apparent when you negative repped me for providing a link last year showing the campaign still had over a million cash-on-hand. After making your false claim it ended with virtually no cash-on-hand.