Thursday's WSJ featured an article on candidates who have had their treasurers embezzle their campaign chests. Two names which caught my attention were Joe Biden and John Boehner.
The story opens with the tale of the Florida candidate who ultimately lost her race for a House seat, because, in part, opponents played-up her appallingly lax choice of a treasurer with a history of mental illness. He absconded with her entire campaign account on the eve of the election registration date, and, ultimately, became an issue in her campaign for the US House seat formerly held by Catherine Harris.
The article mentions that some candidates never publicize the occurrences of this sort of crime, and don't even bring charges. They rightly feel it reflects on their judgment in choice of personnel, etc.
You bet it does! You want Biden running the government, knowing his campaign treasurer took him for $400,000 in 2004? Boehner's treasurer gambled away $600,000 that same year. It turns out that the treasurers in these two cases went to prison. Still, this was the first I'd ever heard to the campaign fund thefts.
It's an incredible tale, regarding Biden's snafu. I hope this comes up more prominently in his race for the White House.
On a related note, I was in error when I mentioned recently (February 1st post) that Chris Dodd is risking financial ruin by running for President. This week, I learned that Dodd is apparently running second only to Hillary, among Democrats, in fundraising.
Imagine that! It must be the Connecticut hedge-fund connection. All those financial billionaires want to be sure to be treated kindly, just in case doddering Dodd makes it through the primaries. Or retains the chairmanship of the Senate Finance Committee.
Will wonders never cease?
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