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DeathMonkey
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The Fine Print: The following are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Friday November 18, 22

Conviction for funneling illegal Russian money to team Trump

06:43 PM
News

A former senior aide to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was convicted Thursday after being found guilty of helping to funnel illegal foreign campaign contributions from a Russian national into former President Trump's 2016 campaign.

GOP operative convicted in scheme to funnel Russian money into Trump campaign

Conviction for funneling illegal Russian money to team Trump | Log In/Create an Account | Top | 18 comments | Search Discussion
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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2022, @07:35PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2022, @07:35PM (#1280395)

    They will give Republicans a pass every time. They refused to turn on criminal trumpster fire until it turned out the MAGA stupidity was costing them elections. They are fine with criminals, but maybe every journal entry is a small chip away at the foundation of fascistown.

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2022, @08:36PM (14 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2022, @08:36PM (#1280404)

    From TFA:

    The Russian national wired $100,000 to Benton's political consulting firm to make an illegal foreign contribution, but Benton allegedly pocketed $75,000 and gave $25,000 to the campaign, falsely identifying himself as the donor.[emphasis added]

    Flashback: Benton was previously convicted of filing false statements as part of a scheme to funnel money from Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign to an influential Iowa politician who backed Paul in the state's presidential caucus.

            Trump pardoned [spectrumlocalnews.com] Benton shortly before leaving office.

    What a guy! No wonder Rand and Mitch wanted him around.

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2022, @10:02PM (13 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2022, @10:02PM (#1280409)

      Of course! Whadya think he would do? This is just like what Trump said: everyone thinks that someone who cheats on taxes (and gets away with it) is admirable! And anyone who betrays their country without getting at LEAST a 75% commission or finder's fee is a fool.

      • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2022, @11:53PM (12 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 18 2022, @11:53PM (#1280418)

        We dissolve the Republican Party when? Even if it is merely filthy, and pseudo-sex-positive, I still think the Hookers and Blow Party would make a decent second party.

        • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 19 2022, @12:11AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 19 2022, @12:11AM (#1280422)

          Seconded!

        • (Score: 2, Interesting) by khallow on Saturday November 19 2022, @06:49AM (10 children)

          by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday November 19 2022, @06:49AM (#1280467) Journal
          If you're trying to get the whole party, I suggest RICO as the starting point. You can even sue in civil court. Bribery, theft, embezzlement, and fraud will all trigger it. Wikipedia [wikipedia.org] had this to say:

          RICO also permits a private individual "damaged in his business or property" by a "racketeer" to file a civil suit. The plaintiff must prove the existence of an "enterprise." The defendant(s) are not the enterprise; in other words, the defendant(s) and the enterprise are not one and the same.[5] There must be one of four specified relationships between the defendant(s) and the enterprise: either the defendant(s) invested the proceeds of the pattern of racketeering activity into the enterprise (18 U.S.C. § 1962(a)); or the defendant(s) acquired or maintained an interest in, or control of, the enterprise through the pattern of racketeering activity (subsection (b)); or the defendant(s) conducted or participated in the affairs of the enterprise "through" the pattern of racketeering activity (subsection (c)); or the defendant(s) conspired to do one of the above (subsection (d)).[6] In essence, the enterprise is either the 'prize', 'instrument', 'victim', or 'perpetrator' of the racketeers.[7] A civil RICO action can be filed in state or federal court.[8]

          Both the criminal and the civil components allow the recovery of treble damages (triple the amount of actual/compensatory damages).

          All you need to show is that racketeering activity. Shouldn't be hard, right?

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 19 2022, @07:22PM (1 child)

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 19 2022, @07:22PM (#1280531)

            Is this you admitting that the GOP is a crimibal organization?

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 19 2022, @08:38PM (7 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 19 2022, @08:38PM (#1280541)

            I think DM just posted a journal [soylentnews.org] about something that would be a good place to start.

            • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday November 20 2022, @01:20AM (6 children)

              by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 20 2022, @01:20AM (#1280575) Journal
              I think the party is much larger than one greedy guy. Note that he pocketed most of the donation - reeks of a solo act. If this were part of some big operation, there would be some sort of accounting to prevent this very thing.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2022, @06:02AM (3 children)

                by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2022, @06:02AM (#1280613)

                If this were part of some big operation, there would be some sort of accounting to prevent this very thing.

                You're a funny guy, you know that?

                • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday November 20 2022, @02:49PM (2 children)

                  by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday November 20 2022, @02:49PM (#1280678) Journal

                  If this were part of some big operation, there would be some sort of accounting to prevent this very thing.

                  You're a funny guy, you know that?

                  It's true just the same. Organized crime is business. The big, successful ones have accountants just like any other business and very aggressively stamp down on this sort of thing. An operative pocketing three quarters of the take would result quickly in a body, possibly a lot of bodies, not some court case years later.

                  • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2022, @12:02AM (1 child)

                    by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 21 2022, @12:02AM (#1280733)

                    Like I tried to tell you people, your "news" is bullshit, but you don't listen. Besides, to a criminal organization, stealing from the public is not an actionable offense, as long as tribute is paid to the bosses

                    • (Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday December 08, @02:53PM

                      by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 08, @02:53PM (#1281721) Journal

                      as long as tribute is paid to the bosses

                      Exactly. It wasn't so paid. As to your boilerplate about bullshit news, show you have a relevant concern first.

              • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2022, @04:27PM (1 child)

                by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2022, @04:27PM (#1280686)

                I think the party is much larger than one greedy guy. Note that he pocketed most of the donation - reeks of a solo act. If this were part of some big operation, there would be some sort of accounting to prevent this very thing.

                Regardless, the Republican party just wreaks of sleaze right now.

                • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2022, @11:55PM

                  by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2022, @11:55PM (#1280732)

                  the Republican party just wreaks of sleaze right now.

                  Projecting again, Mr. Clinton?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2022, @02:23AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 20 2022, @02:23AM (#1280579)

    I didn't funnel any of that Russian money. I just took it, and spent it on hookers and coke.

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