E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS From NBC’s Ali Weinberg
The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday evening that an anti-tax organization founded by Kentucky Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul, which he has referred to as an active group as recently as this week, was legally dissolved in 2000 after failing to file basic annual reports with the state, and ceased most activity in 2002.
The campaign for Paul's Democratic opponent, Attorney General Jack Conway, said Paul was "simply misleading voters" for playing up his affiliation with the group, Kentucky Taxpayers United, long after it suspended most of its activities, besides occasional public appearances by Paul or an associate who also did work for the group.
Paul has also previously indicated that the group collected money from members, which conflicts with statements his campaign press secretary made to the Wall Street Journal that the group had "thousands of supporters, but never collected dues."
In an April 12, 2000 article from the Associated Press State and Local Wire, Paul is quoted as saying that the group has "about 1,000 dues-paying members."
During a conference call with reporters, a spokesman for Paul's Democratic opponent Jack Conway said that Paul has been "simply misleading voters" for characterizing the group as an active organization, and that Paul would have further questions to answer about what he did with the money if, in fact, the group had collected dues.
"For the last ten years it appears that Rand Paul has been misleading Kentucky voters about the very issue that is at the core of his political argument. That's troubling," Conway spokesman John Collins said.
Paul's campaign manager Jesse Benton sent a written statement in response to the report: "Kentucky Taxpayers United was a vibrant and effective grassroots organization since Dr. Paul founded it in 1994. KTU issued ratings of the Kentucky legislature for 5 election cycles through 2002 and continued afterward to work with candidates at all levels to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge as well as to provide a platform for Dr. Paul and others to speak about the issues of Taxpayers Rights. KTU is a testament to the power of grassroots citizens overcoming big money and special interests, something Rand has continued in his campaign for Senate."
From the Wall Street Journal:
Brett Gaspard, who helped Paul prepare some of the legislative scorecards, said Kentucky Taxpayers United never had a formal membership but circulated its reports in the media and to allies, encouraged candidates to sign a no-tax-increase pledge, and gave awards to officials who resisted new taxes. Gaspard said the work had a major impact on political campaigns and proposed laws but after 2002 the group’s only significant activity came in public appearances by Paul and occasionally himself.
“You kind of give yourself a group,” he said. “You can’t just say, ‘I’m Brett Gaspard.’ ”
Paul declined to be interviewed. In a series of emails with The Wall Street Journal, Jesse Benton, his campaign manager, said Paul founded Kentucky Taxpayers United in 1994 and that it was an all-volunteer effort with “thousands of supporters, but never collected dues.” He described the group as “currently inactive” but wouldn’t specify when it became dormant. “There is no story here,” Benton wrote. “KTU was a recognized force in KY politics.”
State records indicate Paul formally incorporated Kentucky Taxpayers United in 1999 as a tax-exempt group. The organization was dissolved by the Kentucky secretary of state a year later for failing to file yearly corporate-registration documents. It never obtained federal tax-exempt status. Paul’s campaign spokesman said the organization didn’t raise enough money to trigger that requirement.
Leave a Comment:
I am sorry, I just can't bring myself to trust any of the Republicans nor anything that they say. It makes me feel so sad that there are these types of people in this country that are trying to be the leaders of this country and it's voters. The worst part is they do and say things with such a straight face and have no shame when questions arise. Then they try and spin their way out of it only after being found out.
Dispicable!!!!
The Republicans are only able to say and do anything, no matter how crazy, because the MSM allows them to.
Instead of calling them out as frauds and liars, the media makes fun of them and we are supposed to laugh it off because they're loony.
It is not funny. I am not laughing. These people are dangerous and the media is culpable for enabling them.
I wish our media would spend as much time drilling down on Rangle, Boxer, Waters, Obama, Pelosi and poor man Reid, but they won't, not in their best interest even if it is in America's best interest!
I am not surprised that republicans are after the press. They want all networks to spew out fox-no-news propaganda. If you notice...you see this same argument all over the country in all newspapers and on the net. This shows just how united and dangerous they are.
Rand is a complete FRAUD.
Just like Rachel Ray of the Food Network.
That bitch ruined my souffle.
That's just crazy talk. Why would we think a guy who invented his own accrediting group for Opthamalogists in order to claim accreditation for himself could be a fraud?
Oh, wait...could it be?
Democrats, MSM enablers panic and grasp at more and more and more straws
What WILL they think of next?
And twerps like you keep repeating the same tired lines.
Perhaps democrats can think of a new way to follow a republican president who drove us into a depression. The repubs will finish us off if they get back in.
What puzzles me is why candidates think no one will check into the claims they make; they behave as if there are no records or no videos.
I'd call that a sign of being mentally unbalanced - psychotic, even.
They lie so many times, even they don't even know what the truth is anymore.
Bingo Ramboet - I do believe you get it!
What does that say about their followers who never check them out? When confronted with the truth, their followers either don't believe you or start criticizing the source. Look how they don't believe the document issued by Hawaii is real, even though it has been confirmed as real by the State of Hawaii and independent examiners.
One guy actually told me that factcheck.org was a liberal supporting website. Before any one of you on the right agree with him, of the current 6 stories on their home page, 3 go after both Reps and Dems, 2 go after Reps only and 1 goes after Dems and lately a majority of their stories have been going after the Dems. Check it out for yourself.
There are none so blind as those who choose not to see.
Oh, NO! Facts, the bane of the Right. Run Away!
Sounds a lot like his claim of being a "board certified" opthamologist when he made up a new board to certify himself.
This guy is a complete creep. I shudder to think of what this country would be like if he got his way.
A third world country.
A thirde world country with....gasp.... 2nd ammendment 'solutons'!
Shudder...shake....
It's Friday! Gotta fly. As far as the midterms coming up, I have one word for my fellow smart, intelligent Democrats:
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTNXxp3BvUU&feature=related
HELP!
HELP! I NEED SOMEBODY,
HELP! NOT JUST ANYBODY,
HELP! YOU KNOW I NEED SOMEONE, HELP.
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, SO MUCH YOUNGER THAN TODAY,
I NEVER NEEDED ANYBODY'S HELP IN ANY WAY.
BUT NOW THESE DAYS ARE GONE, I'M NOT SO SELF ASSURED,
NOW I FIND I'VE CHANGED MY MIND I'VE OPENED UP THE DOORS.
HELP ME IF YOU CAN, I'M FEELING DOWN
AND I DO APPRECIATE YOU BEING AROUND.
HELP ME GET MY FEET BACK ON THE GROUND,
WON'T YOU PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME.
Wow. The Beatles were closet Republicans? Who knew....
Somehow, I believe your premise is flawed- not to mention the fact that most of us need help right now, not just those on the left.
Who cares, He is white Republican who talks about small government and limited opportunities for others. Regardless what he does, they going to vote for him period. liar, cheat and fraud goes to senate.
This is a case where the nut definitely fell far from the tree. Rand proves every day that he doesn't have what it takes. I would never vote for his old man, but I have great respect for Ron Paul and his determination to stand true to his beliefs even in a hostile environment (the republican debates of the last presidential primary being a perfect example).
Ron Paul is quirky but authentic. Rand is quirky and inauthentic.
For most tea party candidates “Reality is Optional“
Rand Paul lies more than Mitch McConnell. And that's hard to believe!
Another Tea Bagger going down the tubes..They sure have picked a bunch of brain dead candidates....
Could be another win for the Dems!!!!
All of the laughing at these Tea Party=Republican candidates for CRAZY TALK has to stop and we have to take these issues serious as they are. We can not allow our democracy to be invaded and over taken by the so called crazy talkers=tea party=republicans, this is serious business and this is America and it is high time we address these so called CRAZY TALKERS=tea party=republicans in a serious manner. This is the United States of America, and running our government is no joking matter, this is serious business, this is our lives and our children lives that are at stake and we need to start dealing with this 2010 election as a serious matter, and never again allow any one under any group under any circumstances infiltrate our political field and make a comic book ridicule of it ever again.
Well said, ryiann. These folks are dangerous and we MUST take them seriously.
rand paul is just another jerk !!!
The repubs might win the house,probably not the senate . What ever happens , I just hope the dems get some backbone and call out the republicans when they try to abolish the minimum wage, the dept. of education, unemployment insurance , s.s. , medicare , the dept. of transportation, and all the other crazy things they want to do to Abolish the middle class . I was worried about these idiots trying to abolish the voting rights act, but that would be extremely difficult for them to do. It's going to be real funny when america see's what this country will be like if they accomplish half of their threats. It will ruin whats left of the middle class, while making the wealthy wealthier . I think that they are cutting their own throats, it will be the end of the republican party when they cause the Next Great Depression. And it will happen people .
Democrats are all mindless child molesters.
Sturm777 - your words tell us everything we need to know about your IQ. In case you don't get my meaning, YOU ARE A DUMB ASS
"Those who stoop to the level of attacking a man's religious beliefs to gain higher office, I believe that they should remember that it does not profit a man to gain the world if he loses his soul in the process," Paul said, referencing a scripture from the Gospel of Mark.
Rand paul and his loomy tea baggers are all hypocrites especially if they want us to swallow statements like one above when they have questioned our presidents place of birth and call him a muslim.rand paul and the republican tea baggers are not good christians or even good americans.But they are experts at saying no and spreading lies