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

[alucard13mm]

I dont know if he is guilty or not, but I wont donate money. Id still support.

 

[compromise]

When I first started getting active on this forum and encountered Collins-razzing, I thought it was just a running forum joke and all in good fun, but over the years it has become apparent there really is some bad blood. Matt, you really are strongly disliked by many, unfortunately, and it is all of your own doing.

I don't know what to recommend to you, but whatever you're doing now, it isn't working.

Collins is a patriot. A lot of vocal members on here have done far less than Collins to support the Paul family campaigns. I honestly don't know why he's still on here arguing with some of you guys.

 

[angelatc]

The most important victory of them all, getting Rand Paul into the Senate in a landslide.

It wasn't Benton that won the primary.

 

[AuH2O]

The FEC, much like the IRS, doesn't require any receipts unless you get audited.


Not only have I worked on campaigns, I've taken the FEC classes and even filled out plenty of those FEC reports myself. Even aside from that, because I do accounting for a living, I've taken classes in fraud and embezzlement techniques too. Make no mistake here - I know exactly how it could be hidden, and we wouldn't ever be able to see it without a complete audit.

You don't seem to understand - we know that Sorenson got the check. That's not even the issue.

Yes, a check from a jewelry store apparently. But if the jewelry store were to have been reimbursed with campaign funds, that would be clear as day in the financials. The campaign disbursements would have showed $30k to said jewelry store.

(And Sorenson said Benton knew.)

He said "I'm sure Benton knew." That was clearly speculation -- speculation that is probably right, mind you -- but one that doesn't actually PROVE any wrongdoing directly linked to Jesse.

 

[angelatc]

Sooooo... Yet another campaign that Benton doesn't really care if he wins? SMH

And this isn't even newsworthy. I don't even like Benton, but this is him telling a libertarian why he is working for the GOP. Any of us who have wandered into the Republican meetings has to do the same thing. You have to forge relationships with people you honestly don't like.

 

[angelatc]

Yes, a check from a jewelry store apparently. But if the jewelry store were to have been reimbursed with campaign funds, that would be clear as day in the financials. The campaign disbursements would have showed $30k to said jewelry store.

Not necessarily. You're assuming lots of things. You're assuming that the campaign check was made out to the jewelry store, and that the FEC report shows that name in the Payee field.

In fact, you're assuming there was only one check. For all we know, they could have written 6 checks to fictitious employees, cashed them via a third party and given cash to the guy whose wife owns the jewelry store.

I can think of a dozen ways to hide this on paper. Only an audit would show it.

He said "I'm sure Benton knew." That was clearly speculation -- speculation that is probably right, mind you -- but one that doesn't actually PROVE any wrongdoing directly linked to Jesse.

Why do you think it was speculation? He didn't say, "I think Benton has to know about it." He said, "I know Benton knows about it."

 

[angelatc]

Collins is a patriot. A lot of vocal members on here have done far less than Collins to support the Paul family campaigns. I honestly don't know why he's still on here arguing with some of you guys.

Is this a Matt sock?

 

[AuH2O]

Not necessarily. You're assuming lots of things. You're assuming that the campaign check was made out to the jewelry store, and that the FEC report shows that name in the Payee field.

In fact, you're assuming there was only one check. For all we know, they could have written 6 checks to fictitious employees, cashed them via a third party and given cash to the guy whose wife owns the jewelry store.

I can think of a dozen ways to hide this on paper. Only an audit would show it.

Okay, but now you're the one making a ton of assumptions. Forged I9s and W2s, tax fraud on the part of the jewelry store and husband, on and on.

Why do you think it was speculation? He didn't say, "I think Benton has to know about it." He said, "I know Benton knows about it."

Actually, that's not what he said. Did you listen to the recording? It's clearly conjecture. He didn't say "Jesse knows" or "I know Jesse knows," he said "Oh, I'm sure Jesse knows." It's pretty obvious based on the context what that means. But in any case, my point is not whether or not Jesse knew -- it sounds like, in all likelihood, he did. It's whether this in any way PROVES it, legally -- and it certainly does not, IMO.

 

[helmuth_hubener]

I honestly don't know why he's still on here arguing

That was my point.

 

[pcosmar]

And this isn't even newsworthy. I don't even like Benton, but this is him telling a libertarian why he is working for the GOP. Any of us who have wandered into the Republican meetings has to do the same thing. You have to forge relationships with people you honestly don't like.

And this is why I remain Independent. I went to some Republican Meetings. I went to the Mackinac Conference.

I don't like 95% of the Republican party. I supported Ron Paul despite the Party. not because of it.

 

[LibertyEagle]

No it wasn't. He just said they were "reimbursements". Here we have evidence of how these "reimbursements" work. $30k of our donations were funneled through a jewelry store straight to someone's pocket.

Oh bullshit. As I recall, Angelatc went through a lot of the detail on Benton's expenses. See what she has to say about it.

 

[orenbus]

ABC News has picked up the story:

I’m ‘Holding My Nose,’ Says McConnell Campaign Manager

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/08/im-holding-my-nose-says-mcconnell-campaign-manager/

 

[green73]

ABC News has picked up the story:

I’m ‘Holding My Nose,’ Says McConnell Campaign Manager

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/08/im-holding-my-nose-says-mcconnell-campaign-manager/

It's everywhere. Google benton nose

 

[cajuncocoa]

It's everywhere. Google benton nose

and it's all because I started this topic

 

[LibertyEagle]

It's everywhere. Google benton nose

Yeah, raise it in the rankings some more.

and it's all because I started this topic

I don't recall, did the ABC article link to Wenzel's crap, or was that just you who posted that link? Because round 2 today seems to be coming from dirt that was dug up on that same site.

 

[orenbus]

Matt Bevin's campaign has chimed in from article in the Wall Street Journal:

“Even Mitch McConnell’s campaign manager, Jesse Benton, thinks something stinks with the Mitch McConnell campaign,” said the campaign of Matt Bevin, the senator’s Republican challenger, in a statement. “Even McConnell’s top guy realizes that his boss is not a true conservative.”

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/08/08/mcconnell-campaign-aides-comments-draw-fire/

 

[pcosmar]

ABC News has picked up the story:

All of them.. was the front page of Google news a while ago.

Local take here,
'Nosegate' Puts McConnell Campaign Manager Jesse Benton Under Fire
http://wfpl.org/post/nosegate-puts-mcconnell-campaign-manager-jesse-benton-under-fire

 

[green73]

Yeah, raise it in the rankings some more.



I don't recall, did the ABC article link to Wenzel's crap, or was that just you who posted that link? Because round 2 today seems to be coming from dirt that was dug up on that same site.

 

[orenbus]

Huffington Post article from a little while ago "Mitch McConnell Is Going To Suck It Up And Press Ahead With His 'Nose Holding' Campaign Manager "

what's to be done now? Ditch Benton for his discontent and risk the wrath of Paul fans in Kentucky, or suck up the slight and carry on? Well, as Dave Weigel reported, it seems that McConnell's going to suck. It up, that is:

McConnell campaign source tells me the senator backs Jesse Benton, told him "Don't let the bastards get you down."
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) August 8, 2013

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/08/mitch-mcconnell-benton-recording_n_3727549.html

 

[orenbus]

All of them.. was the front page of Google news a while ago.

Local take here,
'Nosegate' Puts McConnell Campaign Manager Jesse Benton Under Fire
http://wfpl.org/post/nosegate-puts-mcconnell-campaign-manager-jesse-benton-under-fire

What is a while ago? This is still breaking isn't it? The article in the link looks like it was posted just an hour ago.