tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9069955.post1789221428784401269..comments2023-10-26T08:02:44.948-04:00Comments on Connecticut Commentary: Red Notes from a Blue State: The Rowland WrinkleDon Pescihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11167988001948356357noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9069955.post-7548689566228603352015-02-27T08:15:08.605-05:002015-02-27T08:15:08.605-05:00It's easy to forget that Presidente Obama'...It's easy to forget that Presidente Obama's IRS attack operation was about campaign finance. <br />In general, BOLO for historic tyrannical Commander in Chiefs.<br />-----------<br /> a little bit odd—if not downright bizarre—that Ms. Lois Lerner received $129K in bonuses? That’s right, the former IRS official received $129,300 in bonuses between 2010 and 2013. That is what records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act reveal. As head of the tax-exempt division at the heart of the IRS targeting scandal, she received a 25 percent retention bonus each year—averaging $43,000 a year—on top of her regular salary.<br />It seems a little odd that she was collecting them while she presided over alleged discrimination against conservative nonprofits. The IRS scandal broke in May 2013, but goes back to January 2010, when the Supreme Court in Citizens United found it unconstitutional to ban free speech by corporations, unions and other organizations. Shortly thereafter, in August 2010, the IRS distributed a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) list for Tea Party organizations applying for tax exempt status. Extra scrutiny, please.peter brushnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9069955.post-28638246846097919332015-02-26T12:49:13.436-05:002015-02-26T12:49:13.436-05:00By: MARK PAZNIOKAS | October 14, 2014
In unusually...By: MARK PAZNIOKAS | October 14, 2014<br />In unusually blunt language, the State Elections Enforcement Commission is asking the Federal Election Commission to prevent the state Democratic Party from using funds from a federal campaign finance account to pay for a mailing supporting the re-election of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.<br /><br />"The state party’s efforts to circumvent strong state laws are at odds with both the public good and the clear intent of the citizens of Connecticut. They are justified by neither the letter nor the spirit of the federal law. The SEEC is disappointed to see a state party committee utilizing such a tactic and respectfully requests that this Commission reject the effort in its entirety," the commission said in a letter to the FEC.<br /><br />The letter was signed by all five of the SEEC's Democratic and Republican commissioners and its top professional staff: Michael J. Brandi, the executive director and general counsel; and Shannon Clark Kief, the legal program director.<br /><br />The commission was responding to a request by the Connecticut Democratic Party for an advisory opinion on the propriety of using the federal account for a mailing promoting Malloy and congressional candidates.<br /><br />"This is fundamentally a challenge of conflicting guidance -- federal law says one thing, state law says another. That's why we're seeking clarification. The FEC requires -- requires -- dollars for these mailers to be used out of our federal account, while SEEC has stated a contrary position," said Devon Puglia, a spokesman for the Democratic Party. "We follow all rules, laws, and regulations, so any suggestion or insinuation to the contrary is entirely without merit."peter brushnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9069955.post-71868856272117663352015-02-26T12:43:17.896-05:002015-02-26T12:43:17.896-05:00 the jury convicted the 57-year-old, three-term go... the jury convicted the 57-year-old, three-term governor of conspiracy, two counts of falsifying records in order to obstruct an investigation, two counts of causing false reports to be filed with the Federal Election Commission and two counts of exceeding campaign contribution limits<br />-----------------<br />The Clinton Foundation accepted millions of dollars from seven foreign governments during Hillary Rodham Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, including one donation that violated its ethics agreement with the Obama administration, foundation officials disclosed Wednesday.<br /><br />Most of the contributions were possible because of exceptions written into the foundation’s 2008 agreement, which included limits on foreign-government donations.<br />peter brushnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9069955.post-90465913881292262702015-02-26T08:04:28.019-05:002015-02-26T08:04:28.019-05:00This was less a political corruption case than one...This was less a political corruption case than one where the local potentates wanted to get Rowland off WTIC. The same political donations organization from Justice who unfairly rode Alaska Senator Ted Stevens out of DC (and should be the ones in Jail) were recruited to go after a small time failed candidate. So the stated case was non-disclosure of a consultant deal but the unstated case was that Rowland was saying favorable things about Foley on WTIC creating some kind of undisclosed donation. The same thing obviously didn't apply to any of the Courant's staff!dmoellinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13128088863830769762noreply@blogger.com