Griffith contribution give away exposes another lie
Party-switching Rep. Parker Griffith (R-Ala.) on Tuesday cut a $7,000 check to a local veterans’ memorial foundation in an effort to distance himself from a pair of campaign donations he received from scandal-tinged Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.)
The National Republican Congressional Committee has called on Democratic members to return Rangel’s past contributions to their campaigns amid the scandal that caused the New York lawmaker to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
But Griffith’s financial connection to Rangel wasn’t brought to light until the local press asked him about the two donations from Rangel — which came during the 2008 cycle — at a fundraiser that House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) held for the Griffith on Monday.
Griffith spokeswoman Heather Johnson said Tuesday evening that after the $2,000 donation from Rangel and $5,000 donation from Rangel’s political action committee were brought to Griffith’s attention, he decided to cut the check to the Madison County Veterans Memorial Foundation.
Kudos to CQ Politics for not ending the story there and blindly regurgitating the talking point Griffith wanted to distribute. They hammer him on the first thing that came to my mind when I read the headline:
The move by Griffith to donate the amount of the 2008 donations from Rangel appears to be an exception to a policy the congressman announced earlier this year, when he was being asked by Democratic donors to return contributions they had made to his 2008 campaign in the wake of his December party switch.
While Griffith has returned donations made to his 2010 campaign, he released a statement in mid-January saying that he would be unable to return donations made to his 2008 campaign.
“While I understand your feelings regarding my recent decision to join the Republican Conference, we are unable to refund any contributions from the previous campaign cycle. Our records indicate that your contribution was made toward my 2008 campaign debt and those funds were spent during that election contest,” Griffith said in the statement.
Johnson explained that the Rangel donations are being treated differently because they represent an ethical issue.
It seems to me that Griffith’s lie about not being able to refund 2008 contributions after promising to do so is the ethical issue here. How can Griffith say he is giving away these two 2008 contributions, but can’t refund other 2008 contributions? Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
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I’m only ethical when it benefits me. Great policy.
Griffith: “I’m only _______ when it benefits me.” Fill in the blank – ethical, honest, liberal, a Democrat …
GRIFFITH PAYBACK FOR $7,000 “DONATION” BY CHARLIE RANGEL DETAILED BELOW:
Griffith voted to protect Rep. Charlie Rangel (D – NY) from ethics charges. Charlie Rangel contributed $7,000 to Griffith’s campaign. Congress traditionally requests or requires that its members resign from important committee assignments and chairmanships pending completion of serious ethics investigations. According to House Resolution 805, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) failed to report $75,000 in rental income he earned on his Caribbean villa, failed to pay income taxes on said rental income, paid no interest on the villa’s mortgage for a decade (an illegal gift to a Congressman), preserved a lucrative tax loophole for Nabors Industries (which, in turn, pledged $1 million to the “Charles B. Rangel School of Public Service”), failed to disclose over $500,000 in assets on House ethics forms, failed to pay property taxes owed on two properties, and unlawfully claimed three “primary residences” in order to avoid taxes and obtain lower interest rates. H.R. 805 sought to remove Rep. Rangel from Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee pending completion of its ethics investigation of Rep. Rangel. In Roll Call votes 758 & 759, Griffith twice voted to protect Rangel and let him continue as Chairman of Ways & Means pending the investigation’s completion. On June 12, 2008, Parker Griffith received a $5000 contribution from the National Leadership PAC (Charlie Rangel’s Leadership PAC) and a $2000 contribution from Charlie Rangel, personally. (FEC Disclosure by Parker Griffith). Six months after Griffith voted to protect Charlie Rangel, Rangel was forced to resign from Ways & Means in disgrace.
Having been solicited by members of Madison County Veterans Memorial Foundation, I praise and thank Rep. Griffith for the donation.
Wonder why Griffith didnt stop “crazy Charles” from punching Lowell that day? That pic above shows him,Denton and I think Mitchem just standing there doing nothing.
Parker Griffiths vote support of liberal Democrat Charlie Rangel, and Rangel’s payback donation sounds like corrupt politics as usual. Parker Griffith also voted with Nancy Pelosi 85% of the time during year 2009. That does not match up with the Griffith ad that says he fought “every step of the way against those liberal Democrats”. During 2009 and his record prior in the Alabama Legislature, Griffith was with the liberal Democrats. He has a long way to go to gain our trust, maybe a truly born again experience would help. Meanwhile, I plan to vote for proven conservatives, most likely someone like Mo Brooks.