Florida Congressman Buchanan's companies investigated by FEC over campaign contributions.

[madfloridian]

It took this long to get the attention of the FEC, since 2006 and 2008.

It's amazing to me how Florida Republicans never have to answer for anything at all, or belatedly if they do. Not our governor, Rick Scott, not a new South Florida congressman, Allen West. Scott's former company was charged with the largest Medicare fraud ever.

West is going to bring liberals to their knees. He also had an unsettling military background.

And Vern Buchanan had about 8 lawsuits filed against him at once in the 2008 primary when he was running opposite Democrat Christine Jennings. He still managed to beat her.

Now after all this time the Federal Elections Commission is going to investigate him for his campaign activities involving his business. Yet he could go on Morning Joe this week and not even be asked about it.

Buchanan, on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, not questioned about FEC lawsuit


A screenshot of Rep. Vern Buchanan's appearance on Morning Joe (Pic via msnbc.msn.com)

Only hours after releasing a statement to The Florida Independent regarding his former company’s alleged campaign improprieties, Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota appeared on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Video after the jump.

Though he did mention his experience as a business owner, Buchanan was not questioned regarding the lawsuit. Instead, Buchanan spoke as Florida’s only member of the House Ways and Means Committee, saying that President Obama is “finishing the year on a strong note” but that he was bothered by “the whole lame-duck process.”

On small-business owners, Buchanan drew on personal experiences. “I’ve created hundreds of businesses in my life,” he said. “Once you make the money … you go out and build more businesses.” Indeed, Buchanan has created several businesses, some of which are now surrounded in controversy due to questionable campaign practices during the congressman’s 2006 and 2008 campaigns.

Pretty low standards for the Ways and Means Committee.

Here is more about the FEC investigation which is getting very little attention.

Federal Election Commission files suit over Buchanan campaign contributions


Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota (Pic via Facebook)

In a case filed Friday in Florida’s Middle District, the Federal Election Commission alleges a pattern of questionable contributions made to the 2006 and 2008 campaigns of Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota. Though Buchanan himself isn’t named as a defendant in the lawsuit, a company he owned and a business partner are being accused of offering reimbursements for money donated to his campaign, and of violating excessive contribution laws.

This isn’t the first time Buchanan has been in hot water over campaign contributions.

In June 2008, two former executives at Buchanan-owned car dealerships came forward to allege that they had been pressured to donate to the campaign, and were offered reimbursements in return. According to a 2009 piece in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Buchanan’s employees “helped generate $110,000 in campaign contributions in a 7-day span.”

.."According to the complaint, Kazran and Hyundai of North Jacksonville reimbursed $16,800 in contributions to Vern Buchanan for Congress in 2005. In 2006, Kazran arranged for the reimbursement of $32,700 in contributions to Buchanan’s campaign, and in 2007, the dealership reimbursed $18,400. According to the suit, “in total, defendants used (Hyundai of North Jacksonville) funds to reimburse at least $67,900 in purported individual contributions to during Buchanan’s 2006 and 2008 congressional campaigns.”

Here is more from 2008 about the 8 lawsuits that were filed.

Charges mounting against FL Republican congressman...Vern Buchanan

SARASOTA | A lawsuit filed in Sarasota County on Friday levies new allegations against U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and his Florida car dealerships, including sexual harassment, death threats and federal income tax evasion.

It is the eighth in a series of cases that former employees and one consumer have brought against the freshman Sarasota congressman since May. The new charges come from the highest-level former Buchanan employee yet to file suit - a former controller at Sarasota 500 LLC, the company registered with the state to operate Sarasota Ford.

..."The ex-employee, Melissa Hacker, says she was fired in November 2006, after about a year on the job, for refusing to ignore an IRS tax levy on a 20-year employee for whom Sarasota 500 LLC had never withheld federal income tax. Her lawsuit alleges that the employee, Moe Gingerich, was a personal friend of Buchanan's who made more than $100,000 a year.

Interestingly enough, Buchanan's former campaign manager is running to be the head of the Florida Republican Party.

On Monday, The Florida Independent reported on a lawsuit filed by the Federal Election Commission, alleging campaign fraud during Rep. Vern Buchanan‘s 2006 and 2008 congressional campaigns. Although Buchanan was not named as a defendant in the suit, could the case tarnish the campaign to become the head of the Republican Party of Florida currently being waged by Buchanan’s former campaign manager?

Currently the Sarasota County Republican Party chairman, Gruters acted as Buchanan’s campaign manager in 2008 and in 2010 became his campaign treasurer. (According to political transparency site Legistorm, Buchanan also employs Gruters’ wife as his director of operations.)

In November, Gruters officially announced his candidacy for chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

And now Vern Buchanan has been appointed to to a post on the powerful Committee on Ways and Means, “the oldest committee of the United States Congress” and “the chief tax-writing committee in the House of Representatives.”

That says just about all there is to say about accountability if you are a Republican from Florida.

[madfloridian]

1. More from Open Secrets about FEC efforts on Buchanan campaign contributions.

"FEC BRINGS SUIT AGAINST BUCHANAN DONOR: The Bureau of National Affairs, a business news publisher, reported Tuesday that the Federal Election Commission is suing Rep. Vern Buchanan's former car dealership (R-Fla.) for what it contends as illegal funneling of money to his campaign through during the 2006 and 2008 elections. In this rare lawsuit, the FEC charges that employees of Hyundai of North Jacksonville contributed to Buchanan's campaign with the understanding they would be reimbursed for their contributions.

Contributions through an intermediary are known as "conduit" contributions and are illegal under FEC rules. Corporations are also forbidden from contributing directly to campaigns. According to BNA, the FEC normally enforces its rules through settlements or are dismissed before the lawsuit is filed. In this instance, the maximum possible civil fine is $135,800 for the current owner of the car dealership."

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/12/ceo-12-22-2010.html

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. What power does the FEC have?

I thought they had none. Though it's good to hear that they're actually responding to someone's complaint.

[lpbk2713]

3. Seems like nothing ever changes.

Although I suspect things will get much worse when the criminal Scott takes over.


KnR

[madfloridian]

4. Much worse, I fear.

Some people are figuring out now who they voted for and now worry about it. :shrug:

It's a tragedy, really.

[lpbk2713]

5. Kick

:kick:



(You put too much into this one to let it fade away so quickly)