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Subscribe to RSSA major conservative advocacy group, funded by Koch family oil interests, says it is reviewing its "financial dealings" with a Wisconsin charity headed by Herman Cain's campaign manager, raising fresh questions about the source of tens of thousands of dollars in funds that were used to pay expenses for Cain's presidential campaign.
The Center for Public Integrity reported late Thursday that Americans for Prosperity, one of the largest and most prominent of conservative political groups, has confirmed unspecified financial transactions with two closely linked Wisconsin non-profits -- Prosperity USA and Wisconsin Prosperity Network -- that were founded by Mark Block, Cain's campaign manager.
One of those groups, Prosperity USA, paid for $37,000 in expenses, including iPads, charter flights and items, for Cain's presidential campaign, according to financial documents disclosed this week by the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.
Non-profits are barred by law from paying for campaign expenses, and when the allegations first surfaced this week -- at the same time as the sexual harassment charges against the presidential candidate -- Cain said he would order an investigation of whether there were improper campaign violations.
Cain's campaign lawyer, Steve Bienek, declined to answer questions from NBC about the transactions between the Wisconsin charities headed by Block and the campaign, saying only that the campaign has retained an outside law firm to review them.
"We take these allegations very seriously," he said.
But the Center for Public Integrity report by Peter Stone raises additional questions as to whether Americans for Prosperity (AFP) funds were used by Block to pay Cain campaign expenses. AFP had "financial dealings with Prosperity USA and/or the Wisconsin Prosperity Network," Levi Russell, the spokesman for AFT is quoted as saying.
(Russell confirmed the transactions to NBC News, but declined to elaborate, and added that the group had no reason to believe there was any wrongdoing on its part.)
Some of those transactions are hinted at in the documents released by the Journal-Sentinel: They show a $5,000 expense in February 2011 for Cain to attend a meeting of a group called RightNation "at request of AFP" and that Block made a trip to Washington to meet with AFP's president Tim Phillips and David Koch."
Koch and his oil industry brother Charles Koch were the founders of Americans for Prosperity, but the group -- like most non-profits -- declines to identify its donors. The group is having a major conference in Washington starting Friday at which Cain and other presidential candidates are scheduled to speak.
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Another fine example of the GOP lack of regard for the law and the American political process.
The Koch brothers are such a scurge on our country and the American middle class - They don't deserve what they have because they use it for no good and to harm the middle class.
1% trash!!
So assuming this is determined to be true and illegal...
What is the penalty?
50 lashes with a wet noodle, and pay back the money?
and of course they should be able to hire someone to take those lashes.
IF CAIN has to return KOCH BROS. $$$? Hey, No problem. More money to develop the Iranian BOMB!
I have never, in all my years of watching politics, seen a biger bunch of Bozo's than the Republicans are running for this election.
Gotta agree Chuck. Makes me wonder if their not tryin to throw this one and hope for 2016.
Koch Brothers want to own / enslave what is left of the Middle Class. You would think with $50 Billion between them that their greed would be filled up. These two Koch brothers are exactly what has destroyed America / the Middle Class. They buy their politicians. The politicans write the laws that loot this country for these people.
The Koch Brothes are exactly why we need publicly paid elections. The super rich own our politocans and loot our country on the behalf of the Koch Brothers. This is just literally criminal activity / treason. Perfect example of how South American policies lead to revolutions. My countruy gets destaoyed so the Koch Brothers can go from $50 billion in assest to $75 billion in assests. They have little tools like gov Walker in Wisconsin do their dirty work. They better hope ther is no God. This is just as bad as the Nazis. Destroying people because they can!!!! Greed at this level is just pure evil.
Koch brothers are not good people. I'd be suspect of anyone in bed with them, including two of the SC justices, Scalia and Thomas.
Soros or koch not much different. Vote ron Paul 2012.
The Cain campaign was a joke (a very bad joke) from the day it was announced!
Cain is simply a tool by which the Kochs and their rich-b!tch buddies are trying to take over the country.
The Kochs and their friends are extremists who want to turn the United States into a feudal country where the
rich own everything and everyone is beholden to them for every aspect of their existence.
Herman Cain is a perfect example of an individual who would sell his own mother into bondage - just so he can
sit just a bit higher on the food chain.
Nobody who believes in freedom and justice seriously believes Cain is a viable candidate. He's just a tool!
Well said. And for those who think all wealty people are the same, please consider that some wealthy work for their own good while others work for the good of others.
The corrupt TEAPUBLICAN election circus continues on. These morons actually think that these behaviors will "fly" during a NATIONWIDE ELECTION....this is an absolutely ABSURD idea.
All of this is going to result in A ROUT OF EPIC PROPORTION in 2012 for this party of psychotic fringe folks....
I'm mad as hell!
Go to getmoneyout.com to sign the pledge for a new amendment to keep big money out of all politics!
I'm with you!
I signed. Everyone should go to this site.
I signed already. Thanks for putting this out there.
oh, look, what'y'know, the Antichrist Brothers are back at it, trying to buy the whole US government.
This is certainly nothing new. If anyone paid half attention they would have figured out the Koch Brothers were behind the Tea Party and Grover and GOP and Payoffs. Were is the FBI when you need them the most.
Hello FBI there is a crime being committed and it needs your urgent attention. Hello FBI - Wall Street corruption - political system corruptions hello hello are you home or are you falling asleep at the switch. Hello FBI.
These Republicans are amazing. How can anyone even consider voting for this group of "candidates" Not one in the whole crowd is presidential material. Obama is safe!
Yeah Obama has proven to be Presidential material. He has bankrupted the country, divided the people, and made us look like a bunch or morons to the rest of the world. Yeah he is safe... safe bet that he is not only going to loose but he will be deported with the rest of his family.
The fact of the matter is that ANYONE would be a better than obama.
Yep, you're right sir. He started two wars, sent thousands of troops to die, and cost us over a trillion dollars. Oh wait, that was your beloved Republican candidate. The world thought we were morons long before Obama became President and they are right in their beliefs. All they need to do is read your posts that spew stupidity.
The Koch brothers were arguing about what a good job Winthorp Romney would do and one of them stated they could take a complete moron and make him president. They made a $1.00 bet and that's where Cain came into the picture.
Koch Bros = TEA PARTY = TEA = The End of America...
Wow, clever. How long did that take you to come up with? By the way Obama's out of control spending is driving America into bankruptcy without any jobs to show for it. The Tea Party wants government to only spend what they take in... which is how any business or household works... so how is that the end of America?
Blah Blah Blah-The tea baggers are on their way out! The 99%ers are moving in and taking over. We are sick and tired of the thugs, thieves, and corruption of the conservative 1%ers.
The Tea Party wants the wealthiest individuals and corporations to run the country on the backs of the poor, the sick and the old...They want social darwinism and "you're on your own society" that privitizes everything and anything with no oversight...
America was built on "we're all in this together"...our greatest accomplishments have been done collectively...
LMAO! Really? Looking for even the slightest tie to the Koch family.... who are conservatives. How about look at the ties between Obama and Soros?????????????????????????? Or about the ties between Obama and Bill Ayers.... the guy who bombed the Pentagon. Liberals are such hypocrites.
Think the issue is the legallity of the funding.
How about investigating the legality of funding to near bankrupt green companies that happen to be run by Obama supporters? Or what about investigating Holder for allowing assault weapons to be sold to cartels which in turn killed American citizens? Or how about Obama giving 2 billion to a Brazilian oil company that is largely owned by Soros???? I can go on all day but the liberal media has given a pass to Obama because Obama owns them.
At least Obama is knowledgeable and intelligent. He didn't think that China is in the process of obtaining nuclear power when they have had it since 1964. Also he knew the leaders of other countries. Is Cain really the guy you want to make decisions on foreign policy! He is a joke.
The article about solyndra is on a different thread, this one is about cain's campain funding.
Think the harassment thing has been the best thing to hit Cain's campaign yet. His fund raising is way up, his supporters wont believe he did anything wrong no matter what evidence comes out, he gets to blame the "lamestream media", and has gotten several big conservative radio and TV backers on board. Think he was on fox at least 4 times yesterday, ya cant buy this kind of publicity. looks like a win-win for Mr. Cain.
AK red: it would appear that his funds came from a single source.That being said,Cain really does'nt have a clue about the position he is trying to get.I don't believe he's electable.I hope the republicans can come up with a viable candidate and soon or this next election is a done deal.As an independent the republicans to this point have nothing to offer that would garner my vote.
Leona - put the crack pipe down.
The fact that Cain is connected to the Koch brothers should be a disqualifier for any office. Despite the Citizen's United ruling, it is massive infusions of cash from special interests that have distorted the American political process (both Democratic and Republican parties are guilty). Not that Cain has a chance to be the Republican nominee anyway, but those who support him need to take a long, hard look at the agenda behind his most important supporters. That agenda is anti-democratic, anti-government, and designed only to enhance the wealth of those in control of our economy. These people (the Kochs and similar people and individuals) are not the friend of the average American.
Why didnt anyone care for the rules when it obtained for obama.
You have got to be kidding me!! All the crap that was hidden for obama and then found and not covered by the media. Including support of a terrorist. But out of nowhere they try to be responsible, yeah right. Libs are crazy, lyin, cheating loud mouths. Cain seems like a GREAT candidate. And anyone is better than what we have.
not covered, like.....what.
The "Feisty" lemmings are outdoing themselves on this one. msnbc serves one up and you moronic liberal/progressive/socialists follow the feisty one down the path. Pitiful.
This is no surprise. The Koch brothers fund everyone who is against the current Administration. They're the largest financial backer for everything Tea Party and largely started the group and are responsible for events that recruit new members. If Tea Party members think that they represent the people they are foolish. They do what the billionaire Koch brothers want. All you need to do is follow the money. It's funny how the two brothers fund think tanks that somehow come to conclusions on policy and environment issues that seem to support their best interests. Other than a few weeks ago when a Koch backed group found Global Warming to be real...that must have been funny for them to find out.
The tea party is the invention of the Koch Brothers and the Fascist Right. Just because someone joined the movement later on doesnt mean its rightous. If the tea party wants to gain their central objective they need to recognize and agree that we need rules to govern business and money out of politics. Once they realize this, they are allies with OWS and should support the group.
ltcommander72 :
Thank you for saying what needed to be said. The Koch Brothers are part of the real problems with politics. A game with no rules is an orgy, and the Koch Brothers are hosting it.
Bella,
Here's what the "real problem" is.......
REAL problem = George Soros ( Socialist/Obama backer)
Interesting... msnbc goes after the Kochs and Cain with no mention of the huge Corzine scandal. Corzine set up a massive ponsi scheme and used the moneys to get elected senator and governor and do all kinds of silly left wing things, aided and abetted by Soros - another left-wing ponsi expert. Funny how that works.
woodsyhowl:
If you worked with someone who perpetrated a crime, does that make you a criminal? If someone helped you and later did something wrong, does that make you guilty of their mistake? The Neo Con Right bombards the public with ignorant and mistaken assumptions. It amazes me that you defend the very group that has taken your standard of living and your livlihood by fraudulent and amorally tampering with the economy.
Let each man answer to their own mistakes and not to the mistakes of others. Let their false accusors pull the log from their eye before trying to remove the fleck.