Foley scandal forced Hastert to ’shut down his campaign.’
Foley scandal forced Hastert to ’shut down his campaign.’
When former Speaker Dennis Hastert announced his intention to resign from the House in August, he failed to mention his “campaign’s legal debt from the Foley scandal, or the settlement his lawyers were brokering with the FEC.” The Washington Post reports:
According to FEC documents, Hastert last January initially failed to disclose that legal fees had wiped out the final bit of cash he had in his campaign account. The Illinois Republican and former high school wrestling coach filed an amended finance report in February showing that his ‘06 campaign had racked up $147,000 in legal expenses in connection with the Foley investigation. In order to avoid substantial fines (and further debt), Hastert quietly agreed last summer to shut down his campaign and pay a $1,000 penalty, the FEC documents show.
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Thank you Mark Foley. This was your one true service to the country. For getting rid of Denny, we’ll let you keep your pension.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:01 amWTF is CSPAN doing running Hasturd’s biography?
It paints him as some kind of American hero. NOT!
CSPAN is one of the few channels I watch. Biographies, etc., are supposed to air on CSPAN 2 or 3, but there was Hasturd’s fat ass all over the screen.
Denny, we hardly knew you and we sure don’t miss you.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:10 am#1 – “Thank you Mark Foley. This was your one true service to the country. For getting rid of Denny, we’ll let you keep your pension.” Comment by Menehune — January 3, 2008 @ 10:01 am
He just has to give-up on trying to pick up underage boys. ;-)
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:12 amWeak willed Hastart and Frist were the real reasons Reps lost in 2008, not Bush. Hastart had opportunities to move Bush’s agenda through congress, and he pussed out.
Thank God for the leaders that Reps now have in Congress – too bad they weren’t in charge sooner.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:13 amThere’s a part of me that grates on the idea that people gave their money to support a political campaign only for the money to go for legal fees stemming from the intentional misbehavior of the people involved.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:19 amRe 5:
It’s the republican way. On the other hand, if it happens enough, maybe people will stop giving money to republicans.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:21 amit just goes to show that you never know what ripples will take down a dictator.
just think of what a cheney impeachment would bring!
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:22 amjust think of what a cheney impeachment would bring!
Comment by rastaman — January 3, 2008 @ 10:22 am
-
im…….. we’d all need to change our pants
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:26 amHasturd went down with Foley.
-GSD
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:29 amWhile ‘Foley’ is derived from Irish meaning ‘rustlers,’ perhaps ‘Foley catheter’ is more appropriate. Neither leaves a positive impression. Hastert, on the other, I’d hasten to add, . . . .
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:30 amWow — he can do that? I’d like to see some regulations for campaign war chests — either that or a few disclosure rules for campaign contributions as to what the money you contribute may be used for.
“Please be advised that the money you are contributing to the campaign of Joe Smiley may be used for expenses related to his campaign for re-election to Congress — including advertising, travel, campaign staff, consultant fees, hookers, rivers of liquor, and other campaign expenses. It may also be used for legal fees should the candidate require them, redecoration of his office should he get elected, lavish vacations, and future campaigns if he decides to run for other offices. Any funds remaining after Joe Smiley has finished his political career may be used for any purpose he wishes — such as a babe magnet sports car for him to enjoy in retirement.”
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:34 amHasturd went down with Foley. -GSD
Who did they go down on may be the real question.
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:34 amI’m in Hastert’s district and I hope the door doesn’t hit him where the good Lord split him.
Meanwhile, check out http://www.john08.com. John Laesch is a veteran who gave Denny a surprising run in ‘06. He will be running against the very well financed Republican Jim Oberweis in the general election, so feel free to chip in!
-MF
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:55 amAnd that closed another chapter of ‘Family Values’…
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:55 amHastert’s not in jail, and for a Repug, that’s all that matters.
January 3rd, 2008 at 11:03 amgood that creepy pervert hastert deserves failure
January 3rd, 2008 at 11:03 amDefending Republican pedophiles can be very expensive.
January 3rd, 2008 at 11:13 amI’m still wondering why Hastert was sharing a one bedroom Southwest DC condo with his “Chief of Staff” and “Deputy Chief of Staff.”
Two staffs. One condo. Just like Three’s Company?
January 3rd, 2008 at 11:24 amHastert, who made millions of dollars off land deals while he was in Congress (including some that raised ethical questions)
I live in NE Illinois, so I am familiar with this scam.
Good ol’ Denny ripped off the taxpayers for millions. He bought some worthless property in the boondocks SW of Chicago, then pushed through an interstate extension which just happened to run right past his new property, complete with a nice exit for his tiny country road. Then he turned around and sold his land to developers for millions in profit.
Of course, Denny claims this windfall just happened by accident.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:47 pmOf course, Denny claims this windfall just happened by accident.
Comment by shoeless — January 3, 2008 @ 12:47 pm
I believe it. Sounds like another similarity he shares with the Clintons.
Comment by CaptainMantastic
Will you wingnuts ever stop lying about Whitewater? Jeez, after wasting $70 million of taxpayer money investigating a deal in which THECLINTONS LOST MONEY, you just can’t admit that you were wrong.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:54 pmYes Captain, it was a fitting punishment. Hastart enabled a guy who was grooming underage pages for sexual activity. I’m glad to read this story.
January 3rd, 2008 at 12:57 pmThe Illinois Republican and former high school wrestling coach…
Ahhh, that explains his fondness for close quarter contact with mostly naked young males…
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:02 pmYes Captain, it was a fitting punishment. Hastart enabled a guy who was grooming underage pages for sexual activity. I’m glad to read this story.
Comment by ForTruth
But, according to shameless GOP apologists, covering for Republican pedophiles is not “breaking the rules”.
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:04 pmMantastic,
While you’re at it, can you explain to this NE Illinois resident why Hastert’s legal bills prevented him from serving out the term to which he was elected?
This guy is the second luckiest SOB in politics in terms of being in the right place at the right time (the luckiest, of course, being the underqualified former Governor of Texas). He was in over his head as Speaker and once he had to grind it out with the rest of Congress, he quit. You can cry all you want about “Clinton did it too”, but at least they are not quitters.
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 pmThe republican way is to buy your way, in or out.
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:34 pm