You tell me:
FACT ONE: According to politico dot com last week:
Top House Republicans were told in recent days that a former employee of their campaign committee may have forged an official audit during the contentious 2006 election cycle and that they should brace for the possibility that an unfolding investigation could uncover financial improprieties stretching back several years, according to GOP sources briefed on the members-only discussions.
. . .
The precise details of the suspected accounting irregularities and their possible fallout are not entirely clear. NRCC officials and top GOP leaders are being tight-lipped in large part because the FBI is investigating the matter. An outside lawyer advising members and staff has warned everyone at the committee to keep quiet.
FACT TWO: From 2004 to 2006, Patrick McHenry was one of seven Republican Congressman that worked so hard to raise money for the RNCC that he was named as vice chair of NRCC fundraising in January 2007, after only one term in Congress.
FACT THREE: McHenry's 2008 campaign has retained, high-powered DC law firm, Wiley Rein, LLC for 3,000 month. (I can find no other campaign that has hired a lawyer. I'm pretty sure most people don't expect their campaign donations to pay for legal fees for legal problems that don't exist . . .)
FACTS FOUR, FIVE & SIX: Wiley Rein's Elections Law and Government Ethics Division is led by Jan Witold Baran, who has been named by the Washingtonian as one of the top 50 campaign and elections lawyers in the country. Another Wiley Rein partner, Caleb P. Burns, teaches an annual class with the more experienced Baran titled "Complying with Campaign Finance, Lobbying & Ethics Laws." Mr. Burns' bio mentions undergraduate work in North Carolina as well as
Member, Lawyers for Bush-Cheney (2000). Participated in the 2000 election recount efforts.
RUMOR and SPECULATION: A third Wiley Rein partner and elections specialist, Carol Lanham writes about flying on private planes with Senate campaigns, something McHenry has rumored to have done with a friend from Bank of America during a Dole campaign swing through Charlotte a few years ago.
Of course, Patrick McHenry also worked the 2000 Bush Florida recount where he could have met Burns.
So, maybe he's just throwing some bidness in the way of old friends? Yeah, that's the ticket.
Comments
I know how to spell trouble
M-C-H-O-R-N-Y
Isn't his district truly embarrassed to death by now?
Sad part
is that district would vote for a trained seal if it ran as a Republican.
Well, CD, McHorny against Johnson polled only 39
in December and Daniel Johnson is fundraising well so let's keep our fingers crossed and keep working to make inroads. You never know. Johnson seems to have bipartisan appeal.
If one of McHenry's many scandals takes him down, we want to be in position to take advantage.
Support Daniel Johnson here.
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
Oh, I'd love more than anything to see McHenry go down
The 10th's been misrepresented for going on 45 years now, and Johnson seems to be a solid candidate. I just hope he doesn't get drowned out by the inevitable "God, gays and guns" rhetoric.
I look at that district's demographics, and it really has no business voting for a Republican.
Yeah, they elect people who screw them over time and time
again and so many of them seem to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they're being represented by the best. It's weird.
I've never been to any 10th District school, but are they the problem?
I know the churches play a roll in the massive (and passive) ignorance. When I lived near Avery County my Newland radiologist and dentist told me (in no uncertain terms) not to tell anyone (even their staff who seemed to like me) that I was a Democrat because they would think I'm "of the devil."
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
Does the clergy have no conscience?
Or do they really believe the tripe they spew? How can they steer people over a cliff in lemming droves and think Jesus smiles on them?
I have thought about going to small churches
in the 10th on a Sunday and asking. But I'm not a morning person and I don't think it would help.
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
He's lawyered up?
Whoo boy! Was this recent?
In all my FEC digging I have found a few lawyers that appear to be on retainer, but nothing that struck me as odd. (Small amounts and short time periods sending payments.)
I know Robin Hayes had to hire a lawyer after I caught him using my copyrighted photograph without my permission on his campaign materials. I've never checked to see what he paid that lawyer. Maybe I need to do some digging.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Yeah, Betsy, I noticed it last week
when I looked over his end of year financial report.
I went ahead and posted Daniel Johnson's great fundraising results compared to Patty's overspending and underperforming . . . but at the time I didn't know if campaigns regularly hired lawyers OR that the NRCC was being investigated.
Many sources have been telling me the McHorny one was involved in shady fundraising schemes for other Congressional candidates but no one ever knew much more than that and I hear a lot of crap that doesn't pan out.
This one is getting interesting, for sure.
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
Hell yes it is!
Doing a general FEC piece tomorrow on all Dems and Johnson's numbers are excellent!
Patrick McHenry was censured by NC Young Republicans/College Republicans (can't remember which) for shady fundraising. I wouldn't put it past him to have carried that tradition forward into his congressional career.
Keep beating that drum DQ. The word is getting out.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
I get them confused too
Pat's got quite a nasty history with CR/YRs.
There's a huge national CRNC fund-raising scandal (millions bilked from seniors who thought they were giving to Bush.) McHenry was involved peripherally. Scott Stewart, with whom McHenry later co-owned a house with in DC was the president at the time and took the bulk of the blame along with the man who signed the letters, Paul Gourley.
McHenry then bullied NC CRs into voting for Paul Gourley when they originally endorsed another man for national chair. Washington Monthly wrote a great piece about McHenry and delineated that YR election, particularly noting how weird it was that a sitting Congressman would still be so involved in the YRs. I think he solidifying a network of future allies who will owe him big time.
Anyway, it was after that election that NC CR's walked out on McHenry's speech at their state convention. I have the photo of empty seats somewhere but can't find it tonight.
If there's more, I'd love to hear it!
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
Oh, and as to Daniel's numbers
He's ahead of Patsy Keever at this point (with less help than she had at the time) and she raised $1.2 mil.
Wooo hoooo!
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
It seems to have started in April 07, Betsy
No idea when the FBI got involved but this is about the 06 election . . . How do these payments compare to what you've seen?
Here's the second quarter:
Wiley Rein LLC
1776 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
04/06/2007
LEGAL RETAINER 3000.00
Wiley Rein LLC
1776 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
05/10/2007
LEGAL RETAINER 3121.45
Wiley Rein LLC
1776 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
06/06/2007
LEGAL RETAINER 3000.52
Third quarter:
Wiley Rein LLC
1776 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
07/02/2007
LEGAL RETAINER 3000.52
Wiley Rein LLC
1776 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
07/24/2007
LEGAL RETAINER 3000.00
Wiley Rein LLC
1776 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
08/27/2007
LEGAL RETAINER 3000.00
This is for the year-end quarter:
Wiley Rein, LLC
1776 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
10/12/2007
Legal Retainer 3165.16
Wiley Rein, LLC
1776 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
11/08/2007
Legal Retainer 3000.80
Wiley Rein, LLC
1776 K St NW
Washington, DC 20006
12/10/2007
Legal Retainer 3000.80
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
DQ - I think that's a higher amount
billed and more regular billings than I've noticed. I'll check Robin Hayes' and the others I know I've researched to see. That's a lot of money to us, but not if you consider the hourly rate that DC attorneys bill - which is probably very high. It depends, but it looks like someone is working hard to help Patty Mac stay out of trouble. OF course, that could be a standard retainer for a high-risk client like Patrick McHenry.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
"high-risk client"
I like that.
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
wow, this guy is a joke...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcdai100SOM&feature=related
a sad one, but a joke nonetheless.
Yes he IS a pathetic hypocritical joke
However, he's now listed among DC insiders. Rove/Cheney et al know that he will deliver whatever they need. The press turns to him for ridiculing comments (even as they make fun of him). It's getting to be less of a joke and more of a future problem for every progressive idea that has a chance in Congress.
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
good point
It's like how many folks thought J Helms was a slanderous, race-baiting joke when he first got elected. No one knew (even his allies) that he would become one of the most powerful legislators in the county and shape heavily America's foreign policy, the effects of which have stayed with us to this day (i.e. International Criminal Court, Cuba embargo, etc)
we shouldn't underestimate jokes like McHenry; I hear you 100%. thanks for bringing that up.
A 21st century Helms
Conservatives (who don't consider him one) have told me that he initially aspired to be a Jesse Helms.
Now that he's been so successful so easily, he has supposedly set his goals higher, perhaps veep. No way to confirm but it's pretty scarey, no?
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
Roll Call covered this today
Here's the first three graphs and a link for subscribers
Wonder what the NRCC has been hiding . . .
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
Or maybe it's just Christopher Ward
He supposedly was in charge of all sorts of PAC money as well. I don't know the entire story, but it doesn't sound good.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Well, Betsy, I'd been waiting for some NRCC news
after being told by an extremely reliable source that the NRCC had "dropped McHenry."
Since he was giving money TO them and not getting money from them ($15K in the last quarter), I had no idea what "dropping" McHenry could mean. Now, I get the idea.
Of course, I could be adding two and two and getting five.
Let's all just keep our eyes open for more information from this investigation.
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
I'm not sure they give to candidates in safe districts anyway
Been delving into Myrick's - mostly her disbursements and she has some hefty ones too NRCC. I don't recall seeing anything from them. They give nothing to Robin Hayes, but I'm not sure he gives the NRCC much either. I need to refresh my memory. Regardless of any of that - it's a Republican organization....chances are it isn't on the up and up.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
That makes perfect sense but when I heard they'd dropped him
I couldn't think of anything else.
Then, of course, this story came out. And all along I'd known he was the deputy finance director which means I I knew he was fund raising for them. And even with sources saying he was doing dirty things with money for other candidates, my mind still didn't even come up with the concept that the NRCC would dump someone raising money for them no matter how!
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
Patrick McHenry dishonest?
No way!? You mean........he might have done something shady with money raised for the NRCC? I can't believe it! Not Patrick McHenry. I mean.....I'm just all aghast.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Hey DQ
So far I'm not seeing big legal fees going out for Sue Myrick's campaign. I've culled through four campaign cycles and nothing has jumped out. Now I'm looking for something else specifically and that might have kept me from seeing legal fees, but if it were common you'd think I would have noticed something. I really don't recall a lot going out for Robin Hayes either.
I'm beginning to think that McHenry has more than skeletons and college boys hiding in his closet......
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
OK OK....so I had begun to think that a long time ago
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Skeletons of college boys?
That wouldn't be surprising either.
Hehe.....
I guess I wouldn't be so surprised either.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Not just college boys, what about Chippendales?
Let's not limit his options. Now that he's over 30 I like to think of him as diversifying.
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
college boys, Chippendales...
...pages, drifters....
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi