Very Serious Allegations Made Against 2012 Ron Paul Campaign Manager Jesse Benton

[mosquitobite]

Who is Dennis Fusaro? Reading that conversation really made me feel kinda bad for Sorenson!

 

[mosquitobite]

Dennis Fusaro – Former Executive Director, Iowans for Right to Work Committee; Former Executive Director, National Right to Work Committee; National Field Director, Ron Paul for President 2008. Through his involvement with Right to Work, Fusaro had a close relationship with Sorenson, radio host Steve Deace, and the Dorrs. Role: Fusaro is the sole source of the information that was provided to TheIowaRepublican.com for this article.

 

[mosquitobite]

I will admit I have no love for Benton so maybe I should side with Fusaro here (I do love his comment to him about the grassroots) ... But what does he gain by revealing this now? Or who does this hurt?

Is he wanting to hurt McConnell? Does McConnell want to fire Benton and needs a reason?

Are they wanting to somehow attach this to Rand?

I guess I'm a cynic and am just trying to figure out the motivation.

 

[pcosmar]

Hypothetically speaking, if Sorenson never deposited the check, would he still be in trouble with the law?

Hypothetically speaking,, would that matter?

or in other words.. do principles and integrity matter?

 

[fr33]

Hypothetically speaking,, would that matter?

or in other words.. do principles and integrity matter?

In politics they don't seem to matter which is why I limit my participation. My question was just out of curiosity.

 

[LibertyEagle]

Maddow gave this coverage? Seriously? (eta: yep, it's on her website)

Benton sucks no doubt but it's absurd to think this isn't an example of politics as usual, love it or hate it and not even close to worthy of national coverage with all the other stuff going on.

For shame Rachel. You're better than that. Anything to attack Rand?

Yeah, and she probably heard about it from this website. I swear, we are our own worst enemies.

 

[LibertyEagle]

Imagine if Tom Woods had replaced Turncoat Benton...

You mean the guy who was trashing Ron Paul's campaign publicly while it was at its height? That guy? You mean the guy who openly advocates anarchy?

Yeah, what a fabulous idea.

 

[LibertyEagle]

I will admit I have no love for Benton so maybe I should side with Fusaro here (I do love his comment to him about the grassroots) ... But what does he gain by revealing this now? Or who does this hurt?

Is he wanting to hurt McConnell? Does McConnell want to fire Benton and needs a reason?

Are they wanting to somehow attach this to Rand?

I guess I'm a cynic and am just trying to figure out the motivation.

Ron Paul Republicans worked hard and pretty much have control of the Iowa Republican Party. This fact will help Rand IMMENSELY when he runs for President. Back after it happened, the establishment Republicans in Iowa talked openly about possibly starting a new party, they were so pissed off. So, what do YOU think the motivation is?

 

[angelatc]

That's pretty damning. Most of us knew Benton was a liar, but it's still pretty sad to see him calling the truth-teller crazy. That's the type of crap we're supposed to be working against.

There will be loyalists that will defend him no matter what, though. Once an ideologue, always an ideologue. Nixon had those people too.

 

[angelatc]

Ron Paul Republicans worked hard and pretty much have control of the Iowa Republican Party. This fact will help Rand IMMENSELY when he runs for President. Back after it happened, the establishment Republicans in Iowa talked openly about possibly starting a new party, they were so pissed off. So, what do YOU think the motivation is?

To prove we aren't the holier-than-thou saints some of us believe us to be?

If this is true, then it is the campaign's fault (again) for setting this up for them.

 

[mosquitobite]

Ron Paul Republicans worked hard and pretty much have control of the Iowa Republican Party. This fact will help Rand IMMENSELY when he runs for President. Back after it happened, the establishment Republicans in Iowa talked openly about possibly starting a new party, they were so pissed off. So, what do YOU think the motivation is?

Well then, I THANK them... because of this - hopefully Benton will be no where NEAR a Rand Paul 2016 Presidential run!

 

[cajuncocoa]

Yeah, and she probably heard about it from this website. I swear, we are our own worst enemies.

Right, because she's incapable of going to EPJ or the Iowa Republican on her own.

 

[angelatc]

Well then, I THANK them... because of this - hopefully Benton will be no where NEAR a Rand Paul 2016 Presidential run!

That's only true if Rand is smarter than Ron about who he hires. And while I won't mention any names, I'm not convinced he is.

 

[angelatc]

Right, because she's incapable of going to EPJ or the Iowa Republican on her own.

No way would one of her interns have a Google News search set up for "Ron Paul." It's not Benton's fault. It's our fault, for reading.

 

[fr33]

I don't understand the jewelry store making the payment part. It makes me suspect that other shady things happened.

 

[angelatc]

I don't understand the jewelry store making the payment part. It makes me suspect that other shady things happened.

It means they likely funneled campaign money through that guy's wife's jewelry store. The payment from the campaign is probably to him, and says something like "expense reimbursement" or something. Money laundering. Gosh, even the Democrats are smart enough to insist on cash.

The other big problem here is that Sorenson has repeatedly denied any payment was made, or even discussed. Now we know he was lying, too.

 

[mosquitobite]

That's only true if Rand is smarter than Ron about who he hires. And while I won't mention any names, I'm not convinced he is.

Rand Paul et all, if you are reading this - I will not donate to ANY campaign that hires Jesse Benton.
Period.


And you can ask my husband since it is a point of contention... I *like* to donate and just sent money to Lee Bright today. Don't test me on this. I promise you will not get a penny and it will break my heart.

 

[BlackTerrel]

Just to get this straight:

The allegation is that Benton broke the law in order to secure an endorsement from some dude named Kent Sorenson?

Maybe I'm naive but this strikes me as stupid and illogical. Why would he possibly do such a thing?

No one possibly thinks Kent Sorenson's endorsement is going to have any impact on an election right. So why risk breaking the law (and spend $30K) for something so utterly worthless.

I'm not really buying it.

 

[Matt Collins]

Just to get this straight:

The allegation is that Benton broke the law in order to secure an endorsement from some dude named Kent Sorenson?

No one possibly thinks Kent Sorenson's endorsement is going to have any impact on an election right. So why risk breaking the law (and spend $30K) for something so utterly worthless.

1- Was it breaking the law? Kent was getting paid by the Bachmann Campaign, right? Was that illegal too? What is the legal distinction between getting paid by the Bachmann Campaign and the RP Campaign?

2- Yes, Kent Sorenson's name carries a ton of weight among Iowa grassroots because of all of the direct-mail ops they have been running with him for a few years now. If you go back and read the e-mails in the OP link you'll see this- they said something like 'he has been our letter signer on many issues'.

 

[Matt Collins]

Looks like Maddow picked it up:

hxxp://videodelivery.msnbc.msn.com/now/stitched/mp4/3aaae01e-e0f4-439d-aa7a-8d5e3e774105/00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000/8c913e59-c00a-4d37-925b-27b6ed698fcc/d0e21f66-da6f-4de2-8b23-208bf4249fdc/0/0/252/-1874016563/n_maddow_6iowa_130806.mp4


The Des Moines Register, WHO TV, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Christian Post have picked up the story too.