GOP's crooked finances scrutinized

[NoPasaran]

HOUSTON -- The Texas Republican Party may have violated state law when it spent $2.2 million in corporate cash it collected during the last major statewide elections, The Houston Chronicle reported Sunday.

Texas law prohibits political parties from spending corporate or labor union money on anything other than running a party primary, paying for a convention or covering administrative expenses. Parties are required to spend that money through a separate, restricted account.

The state Republican Party, however, transferred its corporate donations to a federal committee it runs and designated all general election expenses as administrative, the newspaper found in a review of more than 10,000 pages of state and federal campaign finance reports.

In one instance, the party defined $1.9 million in television advertisements as "adminis- tration" in campaign reports, the newspaper said. Another $453,815 in direct mail was reported as "admin."

-more- http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/auto/epaper/editions/monday/metro_state_04c83bfec5d441bf1012.html

[sonias]

1. Looks stinkier and stinkier

The Houston Paper link is here:
State GOP money trail muddy, possible violations of law
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/2528076
(snip)
Texas law prohibits political parties from spending corporate or labor union money on anything other than running a party primary, paying for a convention or administrative expenses. State law also requires those funds to be spent through a separate, restricted account, which can also include money from other sources.

But the state Republican Party transferred its corporate donations to a federal committee it runs and designated all general election expenses as administrative.
(/snip)

(snip)
The Texas Democratic Party handled its accounting of so-called soft money from corporations and labor unions differently. The Chronicle's review of its financial documents found no readily apparent violations of state laws.
(/snip)

Those frigging repuke cheaters have cheating in their DNA. It's just second nature to them, that's why they make such big crooks.

Sonia