Regarding Kavanaugh's debt and "gambling problems"

[AndJusticeForSome]

While I have been following the Kavanaugh story, I had not paid much attention to the debt and/or alledged gambling aspect.

Unless I'm mistaken, there's nothing there, and perhaps we should maintain focus on the much more important and plentiful issues about him and his pending appointment? Is this all based on the July WaPo story and those 2 excerpts of emails from 2001?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/supreme-court-nominee-brett-kavanaugh-piled-up-credit-card-debt-by-purchasing-nationals-tickets-white-house-says/2018/07/11/8e3ad7d6-8460-11e8-9e80-403a221946a7_story.html

Given the details in that article, the baseball tickets story is somewhat plausible; and to answer some questions that I keep seeing:

1) how expensive can baseball tickets be?
2) the "between $60-200k" issue.

Kavanaugh incurred tens of thousands of dollars of credit card debt buying baseball tickets over the past decade.

In 2016, Kavanaugh reported having between $60,000 and $200,000 in debt accrued over three credit cards and a loan.

His past financial disclosure forms reveal that Kavanaugh has incurred significant credit card debt on and off for more than a decade. He previously reported between $60,000 to $200,000 in debt among three credit cards and a loan in 2006...

I *think* the correct interpretation is that, over the course of a decade, between 60-200k in credit card debt, which includes a loan that he took in 2006, were reported [in those years where the balance was greater than $60k].

So, he bought the baseball tickets over 10 years, and each season ticket ran about $9,000, and he bought some for friends. That adds up.

So, when was the debt paid (early 2017, when exactly?) and when did he become aware of his forthcoming nomination? Honestly, I can imagine if somebody knew that was coming, they would want to settle the books, nothing nefarious.

Further, if the whole thing about his "gambling" problem was derived from that one little comment about "blowing a game of dice", then we might want to step back.

That game of dice was on a private yacht that he and his buddies were on over the weekend. All this time I was thinking there was casino gambling or something involved.

Folks, there is SO much about Kavanaugh to complain about, why go there? To me it reeks of the kind of twisting the Faux crowd loves. Why go there?

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. People understand degenerate gamblers...

Marbury v. Madison not so much.

[bettyellen]

2. I want to see receipts from his friends. Who are they?

[AndJusticeForSome]

9. This is so easily verifiable

Do you think the Nationals don't have records of season ticket holders? I assure you, they do.

[rzemanfl]

3. I prefer judges who don't gamble on private yachts. Other people's view may differ. n/t

[AndJusticeForSome]

6. Honestly, we don't even really know if there was "gambling" do we?

Can't a guy play a game of dice with friends. I don't see the big deal. If that is where the whole "gambling" story originated, it is way overblown, imho.

While I said "private yacht" in my post, it occurs to me that maybe it was a gaming boat? I don't know, but someone does and will likely be along shortly to correct it.

[rzemanfl]

21. So the "private yacht" was speculation? Never mind. n/t

[AndJusticeForSome]

24. it was a short excerpt with only the name of the boat n/t

[AZ8theist]

37. whatever the fuck it was...

$200K of "DEBT" doesn't disappear overnight...

Not on his salary, anyway.

Follow the money. This guy is as queer as a $3 bill. And more corrupt.

[DoBotherMe]

4. He's compromised

And can be easily extorted

[AndJusticeForSome]

8. Compromised how?

The money is squared. I've bought blocks of tickets for baseball games and had everyone pay me back, although in the bleachers, not dugout season tickets. It is *not* in the least unusual.

[Qutzupalotl]

34. "The money is squared" -- by whom?

If Kavanaugh had the means to pay it back himself all at once, why would he carry the debt for years? Something stinks here. I’m not buying your spin.

[appalachiablue]

38. And people w/season passes, seated in the same section, know each other. Fact

Brett Kavanaugh watches from the stands before the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, on July 17, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Illustration by Anna Vignet/ProPublica, Patrick Semansky/AP)

Aug. 13, 2018. ProPublica, "Did You Go to a Washington Nationals Game With Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh?" Trump’s pick is a baseball fan who racked up considerable debt buying season tickets. Help us figure out who went with the nominated judge.

…"We think it’s import. to figure out as much as we can about a nominee’s background before confirmed. So we’re turning to you. Figuring out who Kavanaugh brought to games could be relevant to his confirmation. It would help:
•Understand more about his relationships and any potential questions they might raise for the Supreme Court justice.
•Get a better sense of what went into this unusual amount of debt for a judge in his position.
•Or maybe just affirm that the guy really does love baseball for the judicial inspiration.

We’re not sure what we’ll find. But we do know that people take a lot of pictures at baseball games. Did you see Judge Kavanaugh at a game? Did you attend a game with him? Do you have any photos, and if so, will you send them our way?
Here’s what we know already: •We know he bought season tickets at the end of 2016, likely for the 2017 season.
•We know he also bought tickets to some playoff games. He might not have been sitting in the same seats for those.
•He has reportedly gone to games in the past with U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg, an Obama nominee who is his ex-roommate from law school.
•At this year’s All-Star Game, he sat in the stands above first base. These probably weren’t in the same part of the stadium as his 2017 season tickets, but could perhaps offer a clue into where he likes to sit.
•He’s been photographed at least twice wearing blue striped polo shirts."...

We’d especially like to figure out where he sat, how many seats he bought and which friends attended games with him. If you’ve got information, please fill out the questions below or send us an email at [e-mail].
More, https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/brett-kavanaugh-nationals-baseball-supreme-court
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When he spoke at the hearing about his life & family, there was a lot of emphasis on coaching his daughters' basketball teams for the last 7 years, 'Coach K.' So there's certainly a genuine, strong sports interest. Maybe just me that noticed this, or a dad, guy thing.https://heavy.com/news/2018/07/brett-kavanaugh-children-kids-daughter-m/

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. In more ways than one.

[brush]

5. The dice game among buddys seems inconsequential but the credit card debt...

and the timing of its payoff is no small matter. Someone unable to manage financial affairs could be susceptible to blackmail/bribery.

[AndJusticeForSome]

7. Explain why you say that about the debt please n/t

[brush]

10. Isn't it obvious someone susceptible to running up debt would be...

susceptible to someone offering to pay it off for a favor?

[AndJusticeForSome]

11. Yes. But that doesn't appear to be the case here

Occam's Razor says the baseball tickets story is correct.

[brush]

12. Credit cards can buy more than baseball tickets. Tendency to run up debt is a concern imo.

Casinos even have ATMs in them.

[AncientGeezer]

17. POTUS and 1st Lady Clinton ran up $16mil in debt per POTUS

"I left the White House $16 million in debt,"
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/04/the-clintons-erased-16-million-in-debt-and-accumulated-45-million.html

[murielm99]

18. Of course.

He had legal fees because of all the repiggies trying to hound him out of office.

[AncientGeezer]

19. OR...possibly poor life choices? Certainly the reprobate R's took advantage of that.

The $800k Paula Jones settlement wasn't decided by R's

[marybourg]

29. It was legal expenses.

And I think you’re a troll.

[AncientGeezer]

39. What were the legal expenses a result of?

I had to wait until the appeal of my hidden post was approved so I could reply to you.

Me a troll...no..just stating a fact.

[marybourg]

42. Right wing legal challenges including,

but not limited to, impeachment. Your grasp of the facts carries more than a whiff of the right wing mefia

[AncientGeezer]

43. The $800k settelment was what? His choice or forced on him?

My grasp of facts are fine and bullet proof on this topic....but you coin a new phrase for those you call trolls...mefia...that's funny.

[john657]

22. So true,

this is in no way comparable to Kavanaugh's debts.

[AncientGeezer]

40. $800k was a settelment to the Jones woman.

[Upthevibe]

23. That was for legal fees because of all the ridiculous White Water

Bull****. I agree with you that we shouldn't accuse this guy of a gambling debt of $200,000. I had also heard it was for baseball tickets. However, my question is, it seem irresponsible to go into debt by that amount for this reason. If it were something like medical bills - of course.....but baseball tickets? Really?

[AncientGeezer]

41. There was the $800k Jones suit settelment...

[dsc]

13. But the only way this works is if he was buying

6 or so a year and getting them paid off each year. The chorus I am in does a similar thing with single movie tickets. One member buys the tickets for all of us so we can sit together and we reimburse him. But we usually either reimburse him the rehearsal before the movie showing or at the theater. We don't wait years to reimburse him. And we are talking 10 or so dollars not 9k.

[AndJusticeForSome]

14. Not always

There are people who *never* repaid me.

ETA: All it would really take is 1 is 2.

Assume for simplicity ea tix per person = 10k
10k x 10yrs = 100k

[dsc]

15. I have to say if someone never repaid me 9k

I would be seeing them in court. Even if your proprortioned it down to my salary I would still be suing. I make over a fourth of what he does and I would sue for 2250.

[AndJusticeForSome]

16. Maybe he finally did, so to speak

And that's why it cleared up in 2017.

"Guys, c'mon, you want to owe a SCJ money? I don't think so..."

[ok_cpu]

20. So, he knew at the end of 2016 that he'd be nominated?

Is that what you're saying? That's when Shah says he was paid back in the article.

[AndJusticeForSome]

25. Who knows when he knew?

If the balances were paid off *before* he had any inkling, and if in prior years he did not do so ever I would have questions, yes.

[Yupster]

28. My guess is

he knew he was on the list so he looked around to see what parts of his life he needed to clear up so he'd have the best chance of being nominated.

[brush]

26. Why are you defending that repug perjurer in post after post?

[AndJusticeForSome]

30. I am defending accuracy

I am not defending the man. I don't care who's name came with the story, my questions and interpretation would be the same.

I don't like when we do the Faux News methods over here.

I do the same for MSNBC hosts who get details wrong, it really bothers me.

[Mopar151]

31. I beleive that a revealing look at a case much like this, From a man who's quoted in divorce courts

"She got the goldmine, I got the shaft", by Judge Jerry Reed.
In this case "When you hot, you hot!" our jurist sets himself as the back-alley friend of the Judge:

[DeminPennswoods]

32. 60k, at a minimum, is a LOT of credit card debt

Kavanaugh didn't spend much time at a white shoe law firm to rack up earnings. Mostly he was on the federal gov't payroll. You're not getting rich even at the highest salary.

He didn't get married until he was almost 40. Did he not have any savings before then?

He really appears to be living above his means. So where's the extra money coming from?

[Achilleaze]

33. Where? Where? Where?

Tell the truth, Mr. republican family-values dude

[DeminPennswoods]

36. Will say this, if the financial forms are true

then Kavanaugh, his wife and kids are living on a knife's edge like many families. Yes, they're at a higher income level, but it would only take one catastrophe to wipe them out. I'm sure they wouldn't believe it could happen to them, but it sure could.

[AncientGeezer]

44. As a D.C Dist Ct judge? What could wipe them out?

[Vinca]

35. Re the debt. If he incurred it buying sports tickets, isn't that rather immature and foolish?

You go into debt for important things - houses, medical care (unfortunately), education - not baseball games. If this is the reason for the debt, it shows a severe lack of judgment and failure to see the big picture.