Investigation of Possible Payoffs By Ron Paul Inc.Operatives for Mitch McConnell Endorsements

Curtis Morrison, a journalist at Lousiville Courant, is investigating the possibility that payoffs were made to a local Louisville, Kentucky official in return for her endorsement of Mitch McConnell.

The period involved was from the period Ron Paul Inc. operative Jesse Benton (who is married to the granddaughter of Ron Paul) was McConnell's campaign manager. Benton has since resigned as a result of the developing Ron Paul Inc scandal surrounding under the table payoffs by Ron Paul Inc. to Kent Sorenson during the 2012 Ron Paul presidential camapign.

Sorenson has already pleaded guilty and the investigation continues. Benton has stated he had no knowledge of the payoffs. Sorenson claims that the payoffs were arranged specifically by Dmitri Kesari, who is named in the Morrison investigation.

Morrison writes:

According to the Louisville Metro Council, additional time will be needed to complete a search of Metro Council Marilyn Parker's email correspondence with key figures in a Mitch McConnell bribery scandal due to "due to the possible volume of hits in the search which may or may not be responsive to your request."

Picking up where former WFPL reporter Phillip M. Bailey left off, I requested the Louisville Metro Council provide the following records: "Any emails containing, received from, or sent to, the email addresses dkesari@aol.com or johnftate@gmail.com between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013." ...

Parker's support for McConnell was not only early and unexpected, it was outspoken. On February 4, 2013, only two days after I recorded McConnell kicking off what he called "the Whac-A-Mole stage" of his campaign, Parker was out of the gate with a gun metaphor: WFPL: Councilwoman Marilyn Parker to Tea Party: Don't Play 'Russian Roulette' With Mitch McConnell's Seat.

The email address dkesari@aol.com belongs to Dimitri Kesari, a former Mitch McConnell campaign consultant who was recently subpoenaed in a Ron Paul bribery scandal alongside Benton. The email address johnftate@gmail.com belongs to John F. Tate, Ron Paul's 2012 campaign manager, president of Campaign for Liberty, and according to Aaron Dorr, the only person privy to handling Kent Sorenson's endorsement of Ron Paul for cash besides Benton and Kesari.

Parker will have the opportunity to review the records to claim exemptions and/or make redactions before they are made available to me.

-RW