Spence
08-13-2007, 11:54 AM
The Washington Post has an interesting story on a number of political action committees [PACs] run by right-wing media politico Linda Chavez. According to Ms. Chavez, she runs these PACs to combat the evils of liberalism in America. She says she uses the money given to her by conservative members of the public to enable the conservative takeover of America.That's not where the bulk of the money wound up being spent, however. Of the $24.5 million raised by the PACs from January 2003 to December 2006, $242,000 -- or 1 percent -- was passed on to politicians, according to a Washington Post analysis of federal election reports. The PACs spent even less -- $151,236 -- on independent political activity, such as mailing pamphlets.
Instead, most of the donations were channeled back into new fundraising efforts, and some were used to provide a modest but steady source of income for Chavez and four family members, who served as treasurers and consultants to the committees. Much of the remaining funds went to pay for expenses such as furniture, auto repairs and insurance, and rent for the Sterling office the groups share. Even Chavez's health insurance was paid for a time from political donations.
"I guess you could call it the family business," Chavez said in an interview.Source (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR2007081201371.html?hpid=topnews)
I give Ms Chavez credit. Like many before her, she's realized there are a lot of people out there with more money than sense and she's used her position as a "respectable" conservative to get that money.
By the way, none of this illegal. It is, however, very, very funny.
Instead, most of the donations were channeled back into new fundraising efforts, and some were used to provide a modest but steady source of income for Chavez and four family members, who served as treasurers and consultants to the committees. Much of the remaining funds went to pay for expenses such as furniture, auto repairs and insurance, and rent for the Sterling office the groups share. Even Chavez's health insurance was paid for a time from political donations.
"I guess you could call it the family business," Chavez said in an interview.Source (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR2007081201371.html?hpid=topnews)
I give Ms Chavez credit. Like many before her, she's realized there are a lot of people out there with more money than sense and she's used her position as a "respectable" conservative to get that money.
By the way, none of this illegal. It is, however, very, very funny.