Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Grimes Campaign Pounding on McConnell Connection to Ron Paul Inc. Bribery Scandal

From AlisonForKentucky.com:

NEW BOMBSHELL IN MCCONNELL CAMPAIGN CONNECTION TO BRIBERY SCANDAL


LOUISVILLE – New information raises new questions of why Mitch McConnell paid Jesse Benton’s former deputy Dimitri Kesari – a central figure in the federal criminal investigation – over $70,000 to the same P.O. Box that funneled bribe money in Benton’s past campaign.
Additionally, the McConnell campaign’s explanation of the work Kesari did matches the project description used to cover up potentially illegal activity in Iowa:
McConnell senior advisor Josh Holmes claims Kesari’s firm was “contracted to consult and work on a specific field project involving … voter history research.”
 And the Paul campaign stated bribery payment to the shared P.O. Box was for “voter file lists”:
McConnell campaign said payments to Kesari’s P.O. Box were for “voter history research.” 
Kentuckians deserve an explanation as to why Mitch McConnell is funneling money for what appears to be the same type of “project” through the same post office box used in the federal bribery scandal.
Despite the questions swirling about his own campaign manager’s potential involvement in the growing federal bribery scandal, Sen. McConnell refuses to
give Kentuckians straight answers.
BACKGROUND:
MCCONNELL CAMPAIGN PAID KESARI THROUGH SAME P.O. BOX KESARI FUNNELED BRIBERY PAYMENTS.
The Paul Campaign Bribed Sorenson, Paid With $25,000 Check From Kesari’s Wife’s Business, Designer Goldsmiths Inc. (DGI). In September, OpenSecrets reported, “In Sorenson’s plea agreement, he admitted having met with an operative from Ron Paul campaign on Dec. 26, 2011 at a restaurant in Altoona, Iowa, and said the operative gave him a check for $25,000, written in the name of a business owned by the operative’s wife. That matches with an audio recording of Sorenson saying that Kesari tried to give him a check for $25,000, written in the name of his wife’s jewelry story — Designer Goldsmiths Inc. — at a restaurant in late 2011.” [Center for Responsive Politics, 9/4/14]
The Paul Campaign Then Refunded Kesari, Sent Check To D.C. P.O. Box. In September, OpenSecrets reported, “While Sorenson may never have cashed that check, it appears that the campaign did in fact paid Kesari’s wife’s jewelry store $25,657, OpenSecrets Blog has found. The payment was made on Feb. 16, 2012, just eight days after the campaign’s first check to ICT — bound for Sorenson — was written. The recipient is listed as DGI — the same initials as the jewelry store — and the address is a post office box in Washington D.C. that Kesari used as his personal address in earlier election cycles.” [Center for Responsive Politics, 9/4/14]
McConnell’s Campaign Paid Kesari For Undisclosed Project, Sent Check To Same P.O. Box That Received Bribery Payment. In September, OpenSecrets reported, “While Sorenson may never have cashed that check, it appears that the campaign did in fact paid Kesari’s wife’s jewelry store $25,657, OpenSecrets Blog has found. The payment was made on Feb. 16, 2012, just eight days after the campaign’s first check to ICT — bound for Sorenson — was written. The recipient is listed as DGI — the same initials as the jewelry store — and the address is a post office box in Washington D.C. that Kesari used as his personal address in earlier election cycles. The P.O. box turns up once again in federal campaign records for the 2014 cycle. A company called Hyllus LLC, which was paid $73,000 by the Mitch McConnell campaign, is at that address. The McConnell campaign later confirmed that Hyllus was Kesari.” [Center for Responsive Politics, 9/4/14]
BOTH MCCONNELL AND PAUL CAMPAIGNS CLAIM PAYMENTS TO THE P.O. BOX THAT FUNNELED BRIBES WERE FOR FIELD PROJECTS.
 
McConnell Campaign Claims Payment To Hyllus At DC P.O. Box Were For “Field Project,” Including “Voter History Research.” The Lexington Herald-Leader reported, “In his guilty plea, Sorenson said the Paul campaign gave his wife a $25,000 check, which he did not cash, and then paid him $8,000 a month in payments concealed from the Federal Election Commission through a film production company owned by Kesari. The money totaled at least $73,000 throughout calendar year 2012. Kesari’s company, Hyllus Corp, was paid more than $72,000 by the McConnell campaign in 2013. Holmes said Hyllus was ‘contracted to consult and work on a specific field project involving initial field organization, regional mapping, voter history research, walk maps and voter canvass technology testing.’” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 9/4/14]
Paul Campaign Stated Bribery Payment To DC P.O. Box Was For “Voter File Lists.”
[FEC, 2/16/12]
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