Showing posts with label Rick's Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rick's Friends. Show all posts

Friday, September 15, 2006

Another Friend of Rick's Sits in Jail

Rick Santorum wants people to judge Bob Casey by his supporters. He's recently run an advertisement featuring donors to Casey who are under investigation for various degrees of alleged wrongdoing -- all occurring after they donated to Casey. Santorum's slimy ad doesn't mention that all of the donations were years ago -- in prior Casey campaigns; that one of the men has been dead for two years; or that two of them also gave to Santorum.

So, we thought it appropriate to take a look at some of Rick's Friends, since, according to Santorum, we should judge him by their character.

Here's another one. John Rigas, as slimy and crooked as they come. He founded Aldephia Communications. He and his son (the apple falling not far from the road) were convicted in 2004 in a multiBILLION-dollar fraud which resulted in the destruction of Aledphia Cable. The Rigas Crime Family was found guilty on 18 counts of fraud and conspiracy.

They had been charged in 2002 with, among other things, conspiring to hide $2.3 billion in Adelphia debt, stealing $100 million, and lying to investors about the company's financial condition. The Rigases had effectively used Adelphia as their personal piggy bank to pay for luxury condos and a golf course, to cover personal investment losses, and to pump over $175,000.00 into their personal PAC -- the Adelphia Communications Corporation PAC.

The senior Rigas got 15 years in a federal pen; his spawn, 20.

Pretty unsavory clan, these Rigases.

But not too unsavory for Rick Santorum. He's gratefuuly shovelled about $15,000 of the Rigas PAC money into his pockets -- including $5,000.00 in this election cycle. Amazingly, the Adelphia PAC is still doling out the Rigas money (almost all of its funds came from the Rigases before they were indicted and the PAC has not received any new contributions for a few years).

And Rick Santorum, knowing that that money was stolen from Adelphia in a collapse which left it's investors -- large and small -- holding the bag, gleefully accepts the Rigas largess. Imagine that, Rick's takes money from convicted felons -- the very money they were convicted of stealing.

And that's not all, folks.

The Rigases also threw over $40,000 into the National Cable & Telecom PAC before the feds caught up with them -- and half of that money went to none other than Our Rick.

Yes, as Rick's hero says, 'Hypocrisy is good for society'. Well, for High Society at least.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Friends of Rick Santorum

Since Rick Santorum thinks you should be judged by the people who have suppported you in the past, we're going to start a series of posts about Rick's Friends. Here's one, and now another:

Former Santorum Aides Charged in FEC Ethics Complaint

(Ed. Note: This is a story we first ran on May 21. We're rerunning it now in honor of Santorum Inc's most recent descent into desperation.)

Two former aides to Rick Santorum have been charged with multiple violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act in connection with their PAC and contributions, including to Santorum's campaign. In a five-count complaint filed by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ("CREW"), Santorum's aides are alleged to have violated disclosure requirements, campaign contribution limits, PAC contribution limits, and solicitation regulations.

In February, 2001, John Dick and Joseph Kuklis, formed the lobbying company, GSP Consulting Corp. (GSP), to assist technology companies, non profit organizations and commercial real estate developers identify, chase and secure sources of government funding. Dick has deep ties to Santorum. Immediately before forming GSP, Dick was a Deputy Campaign manager for Santorum's 2000 re-election campaign. Kuklis was Deputy State Director for the same Santorum campaign.

GSP operates out of the same office building as Santorum's Pittsburgh operations and has managed to secure for its clients some $35 million in appropriations, according to an April 2006 report by the Philadelphia Inquirier.

CREW is a progressive not-for-profit with a history of filing ethics complaints against some of the more excessive or outrageous practices of (mostly-Republican) members of Congress. It was formed in 2001 by Melanie Sloan, a former aide to Democratic Representative John Conyers and Democratic Senator Charles Schumer.

(Ed. ps: Now, what does this story and the new Santorum advertisement remind me of? Oh, yeah, that's right:

"[H]ypocrisy can often be a social good.” -Rick Santorum, It Takes a Family, p. 280)

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Former Santorum Aides Charged in FEC Ethics Complaint

Two former aides to Rick Santorum have been charged with multiple violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act in connection with their PAC and contributions, including to Santorum's campaign. In a five-count complaint filed by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ("CREW"), Santorum's aides are alleged to have violated disclosure requirements, campaign contribution limits, PAC contribution limits, and solicitation regulations.

In February, 2001, John Dick and Joseph Kuklis, formed the lobbying company, GSP Consulting Corp. (GSP), to assist technology companies, non profit organizations and commercial real estate developers identify, chase and secure sources of government funding. Dick has deep ties to Santorum. Immediately before forming GSP, Dick was a Deputy Campaign manager for Santorum's 2000 re-election campaign. Kuklis was Deputy State Director for the same Santorum campaign.

GSP operates out of the same office building as Santorum's Pittsburgh operations and has managed to secure for its clients some $35 million in appropriations, according to an April 2006 report by the Philadelphia Inquirier.

CREW is a progressive not-for-profit with a history of filing ethics complaints against some of the more excessive or outrageous practices of (mostly-Republican) members of Congress. It was formed in 2001 by Melanie Sloan, a former aide to Democratic Representative John Conyers and Democratic Senator Charles Schumer.