"Majority Of Tea Party Group's Spending Went To GOP Firm That Created It"

[Clio the Leo]

I cant decide if this is funny or scary or both...

Majority Of Tea Party Group's Spending Went To GOP Firm That Created It
Zachary Roth | December 28, 2009, 6:15PM

The political action committee behind the Tea Party Express (TPE) -- which already has been slammed as inauthentic and corporate-controlled by rival factions in the Tea Party movement -- directed around two thirds of its spending during a recent reporting period back to the Republican consulting firm that created the PAC in the first place.

Our Country Deserves Better (OCDB) spent around $1.33 million from July through November, according to FEC filings examined by TPMmuckraker. Of that sum, a total of $870,489 went to Sacramento-based GOP political consulting firm Russo, Marsh, and Associates, or people associated with it.

OCDB, which built the Tea Party Express, is essentially a Russo, Marsh creation, as we've detailed. The PAC's site was registered in July 2008 by Sal Russo, the firm's founder. That site also lists Russo as the PAC's "chief strategist." Tea Party Express fundraising emails, sent by OCDB and obtained by TPMmuckraker, come from another Russo, Marsh employee, Joe Wierzbicki.

Just for good measure, legendary GOP bamboozler Howard Kaloogian is also on OCDB's board, and has close ties to Russo, Marsh.

From July through November 2009, the firm received $832,403 from OCDB, according to the FEC records. An additional $8,500 went to Russo himself.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/majority_of_tea_party_groups_spending_went_to_gop.php?ref=fpa

And in case anyone's curious, these numbers pale in comparison to the $$ that Organizing for America throws around which are in the tens of millions. That's a GOOD thing. In many ways, politics is a money game and the teabaggers, regardless of which rag tag band they are, still have some catching up to do.

[vi5]

1. I'm confused by this a little...

What benefit would they get from paying themselves their own money? Or is it money they raised through the PAC from donations and then paid back to themselves through their firm. Or was it just a tax deduction scheme or something?

[Clio the Leo]

2. Yep, the second thing you said.....

.... the "tea party" organization .... or one of them, (I realize "organization" is a naughty word among teabagger types) is raising money from Tea Party supporters .... many of whom are in the Tea Party because they are upset with the GOP .... and that money is ending up BACK in the coffers of GOP operatives.

So either the teabaggers are getting screwed by the GOP (pardong the pun) who is just using them as a false front to raise money for the Republicans .... or some of the GOP powers that be are masquerading themselves as a third party .... or both.

[yellowcanine]

4. PAC contributions are not tax deductible, though. At least they aren't supposed to be.

But wages are. So if wages are paid to someone to do political work in addition to their "regular" duties for a company...... THAT could be a nice little tax dodge for a company if you can get away with it.

[windbreeze]

8. from what I'm reading....you got it...

the tea party business was set up in 2008 by some old hard line GOP people....so any teabaggers who thought they were their own men...LOL...find out...they are just an arm of...or an extension of...exactly what they are trying to get away from....to me that sounds exactly like a screwing...AND a false front....AND that some are simply masquerading gop, trying to look like a third party....wb

[starroute]

7. This is a very, very old scam on the right

You create a front group, send out scary fundraising letters, and then collect the donations without ever bothering to do whatever the group promises. This goes back at least to the 70's and originally involved many of the founding figures of movement conservatism.

The only difference now is that the front group is at least putting on some rallies and has a visible public presence. But most of whatever money comes in is going to Russo, Marsh for administrative fees and services and not into active teabaggery.

[yellowcanine]

3. So they were USING tea bagger contributions to line their own pockets? I am SHOCKED!

OTOH, nice gig if you can get it.

[JoeyT]

5. This is almost dog bites man.

Corrupt group takes advantage of stupid people.
Stupid people refuse to accept the evidence.
Group continues to profit hugely.

[starroute]

6. Russo, Marsh has a long history of astroturfing

Here are a couple of DU threads from 2004 and 2005 that I dug out last night:

http://www.democraticunderground.org/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1787524

Jun-14-04

Russo Marsh & Rogers is the PR film going after theaters shwing 9/11

From ATRIOS:

Turnabout is fair play. Russo, Marsh, & Rogers is the PR firm to which this website, calling for people to prevent theaters from running Michael Moore's new movie, was registered until they modified the entry.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4452856

Aug-25-05

"The Russo Marsh & Rogers Pro-War Caravan" Is on it's way to Camp Casey. It's proceeding with great fanfare and lots of suck-up media attention.

They will be reported as if they themselves are a "liberating army".. Triumphant and bright, bursting onto the scene all red white and blue carrying the banner of the bogus truth justice and the American way.. They may even hire some bands. And the corpomedia will cum all over itself shouting that their heroes have finally arrived!!

Hannity and Limpballs will shepard their advance team..
http://www.arribamexicangrill.com /

We know EXACTLY where they will be (http://www.moveamericaforward.org/index.php/DailyFile/t ... /) and we should bring BIG signs with the name of the Republican PR firm that's orchestrating this big load of crap.