$50,000 of the money "for living expenses -- rent or whatever,"

[LynneSin]

It's been 2 months since Zimmerman shot & killed Trayvon Martin.

We've found out after bail was set that Zimmerman has raised over $200k to help for his defense. Then I read this in the LA Times article:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-zimmerman-reveals-support-fund-2012-0427,0,1035645.story

O'Mara said that Zimmerman had already used roughly $50,000 of the money "for living expenses -- rent or whatever," and that the remaining $150,000 was now in a separate trust account under O'Mara's control.

Look I realize the guy doesn't have a job right now because of what is happening; however $50k for living expenses over a 2 month period? Really? I own a house and pay all my bills and yet I barely need a tenth of that to survive for 2 months.

I think someone needs to find out what Zimmeman did with $50k of that money if it was "for living expenses -- rent or whatever" because that seems like Zimmerman found a way to make money off this tragedy and used the money to have fun with it.

[livetohike]

1. The "whatever" is what needs to be looked at

What other lies has the Zimmerman family told? Don't the parents have a home to put up for collateral? It's bull.

[enough]

2. Interesting diary on dKos delving into all this:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/04/27/1086910/-Zimmerman-Bond-Could-Be-Raised-or-Revoked

[Ruby the Liberal]

38. Nice find!

So, pro-bono but now $1k an hour AND a shiny new website? http://www.gzlegalcase.com/

Can't hold back the cash cow. Just needed to scrub those nasty graffiti pics, I guess...

[tooeyeten]

59. Reading into it further

if Trayvon was the suspect, he wouldn't have an O'Mara or a website raising money.

[LASlibinSC]

3. 50.000?

Hope the Martin family had help with funeral costs. This is galling.

[barbtries]

4. totally agree

what's with this dude.

[WeekendWarrior]

5. White Bronco's Can Be Expensive, I guess. nt

[Horse with no Name]

6. Either there is a huge disconnect or I am stupid

quite possibly both...BUT IF the bond hearing was just April 20 (and it is only April 27)...then HOW can they make the argument that he didn't know the money was available to him when he has spent $50k?

[customerserviceguy]

61. I can only think of one thing

The website had way less than $200K in it when GZ turned himself in. It possibly had quite a bit less than $50K at that point, and if the amount was less than GZ made for an annual wage, he might have assumed it was small potatoes when he was talking to his lawyer. Face it, the man doesn't always have a good sense of judgment.

There was a very short interval between when he might have last checked his PayPal account and the moment that the news broke that he was in custody. I imagine that this news motivated a fair amount of donors who didn't think it would happen, and donating was their immediate reaction. Of course, GZ couldn't have checked the balance until his release, and might well have spent a good chunk of the stated $50K in the first few days following the release, mainly for security and travel expenses to get himself and his wife out of the state. It wouldn't surprise me that some of it went to his family for their needs in connection with this as well, I'm sure they have security concerns.

I'm not trying to justify any of the above scenario, just trying to answer your question with a way that says you're not stupid. On the other hand, we were all aware of this website here, and for O'Mara to spin it that he just discovered its existence is just plain stupid. Or playing stupid, and I like that possibility better.

[CommonSenseForChange]

63. Exactly! He blew threw $54K in about 3 weeks

His website was only around for about 3 weeks.

[Initech]

7. $50k for living expenses?? What does he need that for?

I'd gladly take $50k - I could pay all my bills and live debt free for a couple years.

[rox63]

8. That's more than I make in a year, before taxes, health insurance, 401K, etc n/t

[sadbear]

9. O'Mara is talking about HIS OWN living expenses

Not GZ's.

[robinlynne]

10. I doubt he promised in writing to his donors to make wise financial decisions ...... OF course he is

making money off of his notariety. I don't think the people giving him money care.
asking Zimmernan to "do the right thing?"

[Shampoobra]

11. $50,000 divided by 60 days is only $833 a day

It's easy to burn through $833 a day:

Electronics (LED flat screens, video game consoles, smart phones, tablet computers)
Downloadable content (movies, music, games, apps)
Handguns (a serious gun collector is not going to spend less than $700 for a handgun)
Jewelry (always a big hit with the ladies)
Internet porn (have you seen these prices?)
Rims and tires (don't get me started)

All I'm saying is, you give me $50,000 and I promise it will be gone in 60 days.

[bhikkhu]

43. "That's a whole lot of blow!"

...as a disreputable friend of mine years ago would have said.

[CommonSenseForChange]

64. It has been only about 3 weeks since the website

went up, not 60 days, so Zimmerman spent close to $2,571 daily.

[geardaddy]

12. "or whatever" must mean witness tampering.

[zeemike]

17. Well pictures of your bloody head don't come cheep.

and then there is the expense of getting it full play on the media...

[geardaddy]

18. Yep.

:nod:

[Shampoobra]

13. OK seriously, this attorney is more evil than I would have imagined...

From the Orlando Sentinel:

O'Mara also said that with the Internet gifts, he now expects to be paid. He bills $400 an hour, he said, and predicted this is a 1,000-hour case. He's already spent 130 hours on it, he said.

When asked about Crump's comments, criticizing his failure to earlier disclose the Internet gifts, O'Mara pointed out that the family also is accepting donations via a website.

"Everyone is seeking donations in this case, including the Trayvon Martin family," O'Mara said.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-04-27/news/os-george-zimmerman-media-hearing-20120427_1_special-prosecutor-angela-corey-media-attorneys-trial-lawyer

I don't even know where to begin.

"Everyone"? Even the dead victim's family?

Is this guy on drugs? It's as if he's saying, "If the victim, of all people can do it, why shouldn't the perpetrator be allowed to?"

Besides, the issue isn't Zimmerman's right to accept donations - it's that he lied to the court and claimed to be broke while blowing through $800 a day for two months.

However, I do love that this shark is already screwing Zimmerman for $130,000, and the case has barely begun.

[sadbear]

15. What do we expect?

A trial lawyer by nature.

[Shampoobra]

16. I expect him to be a little more savvy when it comes to his own public image

The teabagger types who contributed the $200,000 are not going to say, "Zimmerman only has $150,000 left, and his lawyer is already grabbing $130,000? We'd better hurry and contribute more! This trial could go on for months!"

Hopefully O'Mara just killed that cash cow by speaking too quickly and thinking too slowly.

(Or as my dad used to say, "He has diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of the brain.&quot

[calimary]

40. Well, let 'em. That'll be less they'll have to give to mitt romney.

Or other republi-CONS and teabaggers like alan west, that loudmouth jerk in Illinois who's best known for being a dead beat dad, scott walker, and more.

[CommonSenseForChange]

68. They'll probably run him for veep

Just like they tried to pull off with Sarah Palin.

[CommonSenseForChange]

66. The website was created the weekend before it's announcement April 10, 2012

4/9/12 article - Trayvon Martin: George Zimmerman creates website for supporters:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-neighborhood-watch-zimmerman-website,0,5252498.story

and

4/10/12 article - Attorney says website will be used to raise money for George Zimmerman in Fla. shooting case:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-neighborhood-watch-zimmerman-website,0,5252498.story

"A registry shows that the website was created last weekend."

Zimmerman blew threw $2,571 per day -- which is living lavishly, imo.

[hobbit709]

14. If I blew $50k in 2 months I'd at least have a deviated septum to show for it.

[EFerrari]

19. Or some good press clippings. nt

[jobycom]

20. Not to mention a few exotic diseases I couldn't mention in public.

[guitar man]

21. That's $10k more

Than I made last year working 3 jobs.....

[Fla Dem]

22. Just to be charitable, I'm thinking some of that went to the lawyers as a retainer. n/t

[LynneSin]

23. Then why not say that?

Rent or Whatever?

Lame

PLUS...

That would have meant that the Lawyers knew of the money before they went in front of the judge and said that Zimmerman was indignant

[tkmorris]

27. Indignant? ROFL

Sorry LynneSin, I know you meant indigent, but that seriously cracked me up.

[LynneSin]

29. it's friday - cut me a break

[Fla Dem]

33. I agree, they should have fessed up if they knew he had the funds. n/t

[DrewFlorida]

70. Lawyers haven't been paid a cent.

The lawyer for George Zimmerman made a statement that he has received no money for the criminal defense.

[cr8tvlde]

24. The technical legal term for this is "Eureka" !!!

I'm paid, I'm paid, thank god I'm paid.

/s/ legal counsels

[DallasNE]

25. Sounds Like A Drug Binge

And where does his wife fit into this picture? Does she work? Was some of that to pay off the earlier attorney's. Even a retainer for O'Mara. What has been said to date is inadequate.

[Kencorburn]

37. Nope his wife doesn't work. Says she is a student n/t

[obamanut2012]

56. I wonder is she gets need-based student grants or loans?

[jtuck004]

26. Buying cigarettes as gifts to keep people from killing you is expensive.

Or maybe he just wanted a seat at the bidding war.

[marshall gaines]

28. blood money

true example of the cursed spending blood money. have fun bud

[Yavin4]

30. The IRS Is Going To Want To Know

What he's doing with that cash. He'd better be paying taxes on it.

[DevonRex]

31. Liposuction, a trainer, a nutritionist & cook

all cost money. Couldn't have him weighing 100 pounds more than Trayvon at trial, right? Otherwise, he'd look like the hate-filled bullying murderer he is. Plus some dermabrasion to smooth his skin out to make him look all young and sweet.

Decrease the appearance of age and weight difference and voila! It's just 2 kids, both African American, in a scuffle and one just happened to get "lost" as Zimmerman put it.

[CommonSenseForChange]

69. or falsified medical reports

and fat reduction spas.

[DevonRex]

73. You've got it.

A hell of a lot went down in that month he was in "hiding" and "scared" of all those black folks. Every bit of it was calculated and every bit of it was coordinated with a group of attorneys who are really good at this sort of thing. Note all the stories that have come out in recent days about the "reason" he has a gun and his "ancestry" and so on and so forth.

All that takes time and money. No doubt there will be some very expensive falsified medical reports to go along with it and a very private spa helped him looked fit trim and all shiny at his bail hearing.

[quinnox]

32. 25k a month? The guy must have expensive taste

Sounds like he is living high on the hog.

[Kencorburn]

36. 2 months?

Wasn't that website just created weeks ago? If I am wrong please correct me.

[CommonSenseForChange]

71. Yes. You are correct.

Some time around the weekend of 4/7/12-4/8/12. That's only 3 weeks ago.

[penndragon69]

34. 50K for:

Booze, Broads and blow.

That about sums it up!

[peace frog]

35. Zimmy will blow through the entire 200K before you can say "Trayvon Martin"

Easy come, easy go. Oh, you want him to account for his expenditures? Good luck with that, when it's gone, it's gone.

[Ruby the Liberal]

39. How did they testify under oath that they didn't know

the details of the account if they already spent $50k of it.

[grok]

41. They didn't spend ANY until after the bail hearing

O'Mara was just on HLN.

Apparently Zimmerman was in jail almost the entire time the website was generating money. He couldn't look himself. He can easily claim he didn't know there was any money from it. Whether his family on the outside knew, who can say?

In any case within 48 hours of the bail hearing the family DID know because they used 5K of that money along with a 10k from a mortgage on the house to get him out. Why they didn't just take out 15k right away, I haven't the foggiest.

So they used 5k for the initial bail, 10k to cancel the mortgage/bond, another 10k for initial travel,security and moving expenses. Still leaves about 25k.

My guess is they used it on a year-long lease on a house or nice apartment and prepaid.

[LynneSin]

42. "for living expenses -- rent or whatever,"

Then why such a vague answer?

Zimmerman is under a microscope. Using words like 'whatever' says to the world - 'it's none of your business'.

Would it have been smarter to say 'We know this is going to be a long trial so we've used the money to secure the rent for the year and pay for legal fees'

"for living expenses -- rent or whatever,"

that's just a giant suspicious comment right there.

[Ruby the Liberal]

44. Exactly, and for $1k an hour

you would expect your mouthpiece to be rather succinct about stuff like this.

[grok]

46. I think he is being deliberately vague

To generate outrage on purpose.

He is appearing everywhere on the media. Yesterday I sorta understand but not today.

Today on HLN he was asked if Zimmerman deceived him. He simply that it would appear that way to some and not even defend Zimmerman as if it wasn't even important. Either he is the most honest lawyer in the world or he had a reason. I would normally expect a lawyer to say hell no to end the speculation.

The more outrage and publicity, the more money for the brand spanking new website O'Mara just put up for Zimmerman's expenses. And he alone controls.

[Ruby the Liberal]

48. So this account is just in O'Mera's control?

I would hope that they at least bothered to set up a trust.

[grok]

49. Was looking at other legal defense funds

In particular Delay's and some marine corporal's under federal indictment.

I found that they don't seem to be tax deductible to the donor(a gift), present no tax liability to the defendant, government can't seize, no exposure to civil suits(like Travon Martin's parents) and seem to be used only for legal and incidental expenses. If that means living expenses while awaiting trial, I don't know.

Know next to nothing about trusts.

[Ruby the Liberal]

45. So in testifying about the paypal accounts at the bail hearing,

testimony was that no one questioned knew any details about the money - but then suddenly discovered it just in time to pay the bond?

No one had a smartphone where they could just log into paypal and answer the question?

I am in the benefit of the doubt, let it go to trial camp, but I do NOT like liars and sneaky people. These are liars and sneaky people.

[jmowreader]

47. That's Kim Kardashian-living-expenses territory

But with Kardashian, you know she has to spend money on clothes, hair and makeup stuff, going out to clubs every night, new shoes, all that...Zimmerman was on the run from the authorities. No way he spent that much money.

[Ship of Fools]

50. Stupid is as stupid does, putting it mildly.

[joshcryer]

51. I live on less than that for a year!

[obamanut2012]

57. Me too!

[solarman350]

52. zimmerman to do a "tom delay" and be a "Dancing with the Stars" contestant?

or maybe "Celebrity Apprentice?" Seems like the whole World is his oyster now....

[chervilant]

53. $200,000 to Zimmerman?!?!?

I wish someone would put major buckages in MY paypal account! I have been un- or under-employed for almost four years. I have lost my home, and must live with a friend (who has panic attacks and scary, inordinate rages). I have two big holes in my teeth that need fillings or root canals. I have chronic back pain, and should have had an MRI, but who has health insurance these days?! I can't afford to put gas in my car. (Excuse me, while I climb down off my pity pot...)

Jeez, I cannot believe ANYONE would give money to this man...

[LynneSin]

55. Well I guess we have to shoot a defenseless child to hit the jackpot....

Didn't realize human hunting could be that profitable

[noiretextatique]

60. you have to wonder

what kind of person would give him a "donation?"

[TBF]

54. If money came in through Paypal that is all traceable -

either he has a debit card attached to the account (I have one of those for my ebay sales) or he transfers money between paypal and another bank account. That can sometimes have a lag time but it should all be traceable. Someone can print all that out very easily as Paypal keeps meticulous records.

[tooeyeten]

58. $50,000 a month?

Living like the 1%.

[LynneSin]

74. Maybe the 10%

$50K is probably just a day in the life for Ann Romney

[obxhead]

62. I would be really curious to see what a drug test would reveal.

Drugs or gambling would be about the only way to explain it unless he has a new car sitting in the driveway.

[cr8tvlde]

65. PayPal will be reporting to IRS on 2012 Returns

Not that this account is a secret any more. Look on the 1040 ... merchant card income. eBay, as well as other online sales outlets, fought it tooth and nail, but it's a done deal.

Take out OMara's cut of $130,000 he's already "owed", taxes, and the $50,000 that's been spent, this account is pretty much empty.

[customerserviceguy]

77. True

but if it's not income from running a business or whatever, it will have no consequences. IRS records are secret, if they weren't, you can bet we'd have copies of Mitt's returns from the days before he decided to clean them up for a presidential run.

Gifts are not taxable until they hit over five figures, and the tax is imposed on the donor in those cases, not the donee.

[DrewFlorida]

67. Zimmerman stashed away $50,000 as just in case money.

I think the obvious explanation to the question is, that Zimmerman stashed away $50,000 in order to leave the country in case he feels he will be convicted and sent to jail.

[CommonSenseForChange]

72. I hope the donor list is made public

Bet Hannity is one of the big donors along with NRA, ALEC, Koch brothers, etc.

[customerserviceguy]

76. Why would it be?

GZ, nor his lawyer are ever going to release it voluntarily. Can it be ordered released by a court? I doubt it, it's not a crime to support either verbally, in writing, or financially someone who is still innocent until proven guilty.

[Boabab]

75. Words can't express how much of a travesty this is.

GZ kills an innocent, unarmed child for no reason at all, and gets nearly a quarter of a million dollars in "donations"?

If this isn't a clear sign that this society is going down the rabbit hole, I don't know what is.

Then you have what appears to be blatant lies told in front of the judge presiding over bail, yet even after the revelation of all this money, the amount isn't adjusted or bail revoked?

What a mockery.