NRCC's treasurer, Christopher Ward, "had been faking the audits since 2003"

[L. Coyote]

Today's Must Read
By Paul Kiel - March 6, 2008 - http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/todays_must_read_290.php


On February 1st of this year, National Republican Campaign Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) abruptly released a statement about recently discovered "irregularities in our financial audit process." That was it: no details about whether money might have been stolen, just word that they'd seen fit to bring in the federal authorities.

The details, as they've come, have been embarrassing for the committee, which works to get Republicans elected to the House (which was already hurting in comparison to its Democratic counterpart before all this began).

According to The New York Times this morning, it all began to unravel when Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), a CPA, asked to meet with the audit firm that was supposedly checking the NRCC's books, an idea that apparently no one had had for several years. Christopher Ward, then the NRCC's treasurer, finally relented, but then chickened out 30 minutes before and fessed up that there actually hadn't been any audits.

It was ultimately discovered that Ward had been faking the audits since 2003 .....

[Warpy]

1. Gee, what a surprise

They might have started out as a political party, but they've devolved into an interstate racketeering organization. That the audits of one of their electioneers have been faked for years comes as absolutely no surprise. How else are they going to cover up the fact that they've been laundering DOD contracts through dummy corporations with fake projects into contributions and bribes?

[midnight]

2. Is this a nice way of indicating embezzlement?

It was ultimately discovered that Ward had been faking the audits since 2003 .....

[L. Coyote]

4. OR, like the e-mail, something had to be covered up, what with hindsight

and the DoJ in charge of the Abramoff investigation and other corruption cases with lots of illegal contributions, etc., I'm sure they have an inside track on hindsight and knowing what needs to go into the "missing e-mail" file.

[originalpckelly]

10. You need money to be crooked.

It always costs more to keep someone quiet than to get them to talk.

[Richard Steele]

3. I asked this in another thread: was this money truly "stolen", or just spent "under the table"?

C'mon, y'all know how barefaced CRIMINAL these folks are!

Do you really think this low-level functionary was STEALING
from these scary, murderous, mobbed-up crooks? And SO MANY of them?

Or do ya think (just maybe) that the "missing" money went
to hookers, drugs, bribes and hush money, and this guy
is just the PATSY left holding the bag when an audit
shows that the Repub numbers don't add up?

Occam's razor ain't new, but it's still useful, knowhutImean?

[L. Coyote]

5. Siegelman/Riley was illegally financed. HELLO! Hiding where money comes from???

Abramoff and Kark Rove Linked to Prosecution of Ex-Alabama Governor and Campaign Finances
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1023111

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

16. Ahhh! That could lead to some serious charges, there!

Excuse me while I giggle a bit. :7

[tom_paine]

7. Ding ! Ding! Ding! I believe we have a winner!

In either case, the Bushie DOJ simply cannot be trusted to investigate Bushies, like the Nazis cannot be trusted to investigate Nazis.

I am sure the Bushies at DOJ have been called in to help with the coverup, and that any honest DOJ Officials (if there are any left above the rank of janitor) are kept out of the loop and at arm's length.

Standard Bushie Operating Procedure.

[Richard Steele]

8. Nicely coined phrase there: "SBOP".

Standard Bush Operating Procedure.


I think Poppy learned early that every good plan requires an Oswald.
Sure, it's formulaic, but it bloody well works!

[Laelth]

6. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of folks!

It's joyfully ironic when thieves discover that their colleagues have stolen from them. Their outrage is priceless.

-Laelth

[L. Coyote]

11. Maybe this is more like the books (evidence) disappearing, just like the e-mail.

For unknown reasons, of course. They are not saying much yet, except the FBI is involved.

[Laelth]

13. Could be.

Thieves, by definition, believe in taking from others. They get really mad when others take from them.

-Laelth

[originalpckelly]

9. You don't accidentally fake audits, there is a big reason they're doing this.

Me thinks they're hiding something.

[L. Coyote]

12. Something is wrong, that seems obvious. But what in addition to faking audits?

Why does one fake an audit?

[malaise]

14. And how will this affect the McCain mutiny

or is that mutation to the WH :popcorn:

[L. Coyote]

15. Presidential campaigns are distinct entities, getting support from the same places,

but distinct committees, people, bank accounts, books, etc. (if they are still following the rules!).