Two Republicans indicted

[Qutzupalotl]

Last edited Fri Oct 22, 2021, 01:12 AM - Edit history (2)

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

BIG DEVELOPMENT

Two Republicans indicted, federal crimes, Russian bribes in 2016 Presidential cycle

Jesse Benton, Kentucky
Douglas Wead, Florida

AND a FOREIGNER (could be Deripaska)

This MAY be among crimes that Greenberg singing to Feds

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/political-operatives-indicted-alleged-scheme-involving-illegal-campaign-contribution-2016

The bribe, $100,000 came from the Russian, went to a 2016 cycle Presidential candidate. This is not automatically Trump

It could be - Kentucky - Rand Paul (or even Mitch McConnell)

Or it could be Marco Rubio - Florida. Or some OTHER 2016 GOP candidate

[AZSkiffyGeek]

1. Doug Wead?

Is he the same Republican who tried to carpetbag his way into Congress in Arizona about 25 years ago?

[ProudMNDemocrat]

10. Doug Wead was part of the AMWAY family.

As a Ruby Direct. I even had several of his Network 21 tapes as we were building our organization of AMWAY Independent Distributors. That was 30 years ago.

My how Doug has fallen and I stopped being associated with AMWAY by the mid 90's.

[Qutzupalotl]

2. DOJ press release text:

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, September 20, 2021
Political Operatives Indicted for Alleged Scheme Involving Illegal Campaign Contribution to 2016 Presidential Campaign

An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Columbia charging a Kentucky man and a Florida man both with conspiracy to solicit and cause an illegal campaign contribution by a foreign national, effect a conduit contribution and cause false records to be filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and related substantive offenses.

According to court documents, Jesse R. Benton, 43, of Louisville, Kentucky, who previously worked as a campaign manager for two campaigns for U.S. Senate and one campaign for president, and Roy Douglas “Doug” Wead, 75, of Bonita Springs, Florida, who previously served as an advisor to multiple presidential campaigns, conspired together to solicit a political contribution from a Russian foreign national (Foreign National 1). As described in the indictment, Wead conveyed to Foreign National 1 that he could meet Political Candidate 1, a candidate for president during the 2016 election cycle, in exchange for a payment. Shortly after Foreign National 1 committed to transfer the funds, Benton reached out to individuals at Political Committee B, the national party committee for Political Candidate 1’s political party. He then arranged for Foreign National 1 to attend a political fundraising event and get a photograph with Political Candidate 1, in exchange for a political contribution to Political Committee C, a joint fundraising committee comprised of the campaign committee for Political Candidate 1, Political Committee B, and related state committees. Foreign National 1 ultimately wired $100,000 to Company A, a political consulting firm owned by Benton. To disguise the true purpose of the transfer of funds, Wead and Benton created a fake invoice for “consulting services” and invented a cover story.

Wead and Foreign National 1 attended the political fundraising event for Political Candidate 1 on Sept. 22, 2016. Foreign National 2, who worked as a Russian/English translator for Wead, also attended. All three individuals had photographs taken at the event with Political Candidate 1. Following the event, Benton repeatedly represented to a consultant working for Political Committee B and Political Committee C that he had already sent the promised contribution for the event, but in actuality he delayed sending the contribution. Benton ultimately filled out a contributor form, indicated that he was the contributor, and used a personal credit card to make a $25,000 contribution. Benton retained the remaining $75,000 of Foreign National 1’s money. Because Benton falsely claimed to have given the contribution himself, three different political committees unwittingly filed reports with the FEC that inaccurately reported Benton, rather than Foreign National 1, as the source of the funds.

Benton and Wead are both charged with one count of conspiracy to solicit and cause an illegal campaign contribution by a foreign national, effect a conduit contribution, and cause false records to be filed with the FEC, one count of contribution by a foreign national, one count of contribution in the name of another and three counts of making false entries in an official record. The defendants made their initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. If convicted, Benton and Wead face a range of maximum penalties from five to 20 years in prison, per count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI’s San Diego Field Office is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Rebecca G. Ross and Michelle K. Parikh of the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Wasserman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

[Justice matters.]

25. "Foreign National 1"

Oleg Deripaska?

[Qutzupalotl]

27. That is the rumor

and likely suspect.

If true, I guess they got what they needed in the raid and acted swiftly.

[Justice matters.]

46. If true, I'd wish they acted as swifty on "Individual 1" in the Cohen case.

There are tapes in the open since years, and nothing happened to the cheating orange terrorist yet.

[malaise]

3. Oh Yes!

K & R

[Wounded Bear]

4. K & R...nt

[Mr.Bill]

7. Possibly the Mueller report could be

what is guiding these investigations, and if publiched without redactions it could tip people off.

[KS Toronado]

6. Hope this road leads to Moscow Mitch!

I need an early Christmas!

[Qutzupalotl]

8. Trump's schedule shows a fundraiser on 9/22/16:

Fundraiser at the Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh, PA.
http://www.p2016.org/trump/trumpcal0916.html

[jpak]

9. Russians, repubs and illegal campaign contributions

Who knew?

[SheltieLover]

11. Hoping for Blackburn

I've read she is a big fan of Deripaska, but I'm no expert on this.

[spanone]

17. ooh, wouldn't that be sweet

[SheltieLover]

19. That was my 1st thought

When I saw post about FBI raids.

🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

[onecaliberal]

20. Oh yes, that would be good too.

[SheltieLover]

21. These traitors need to be in cages

[onecaliberal]

22. They certainly do. They cannot ever leave prison.

[paleotn]

26. Oh, please, please please!!!

[SheltieLover]

32. I know, right?

🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

[SheltieLover]

42. Fingers crossed!

🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

[Farmer-Rick]

12. But, but, but

Didn't the Roberts Court decide foreign money in our elections was A OK, especially when the GOP takes money from Russians?

Who could have guessed it was illegal?

[James48]

13. Everyone knows - it's gotta be Trump

That it is Trump. Nobody else got anywhere near the money Trump got from Russians.

[bucolic_frolic]

15. Ted and Marco sure learned how to kowtow during that time though

And they've been faithful ever since

[Bernardo de La Paz]

14. Benton intimate with Paul family. Convicted felon, pardoned by tRump

Jesse Reeves Benton (born October 4, 1977) is an American conservative political operative, writer, entrepreneur, and convicted felon.[1] Benton is closely associated with the Paul family. He served as a campaign manager for both Ron Paul and Rand Paul. He is married to Valori Pyeatt, Ron Paul's granddaughter.[2]

-- Wikipedia

[stillcool]

16. oh wow...that's like a bedtime story

including sweet dreams.

[ancianita]

18. Could also be Leonid Blavatnik, not just Deripaska.

These have been reported as taking money from Leonard Blavatnik:

Mitch McConnell $2.5 M
Marco Rubio $1.5 M
Scott Walker $1.1 M

Lindsey Graham $800,000
John Kasich $250,000
Donald Trump ???


If it ends up being Rubio, I can now see why Val Demings hasn't yet developed a big campaign presence against him here in Florida; she might have been in on this kind of information.

[cadoman]

23. Benton and Wead both have pretty extensive connections to the Paul family

Benton is married to one of Ron Paul's granddaughters.

https://www.salon.com/2021/09/21/ex-rand-paul-aide-pardoned-by-now-charged-with-funneling-russian-cash-to-trumps-campaign/

Wead advised both Ron and Rand's campaigns, and was a Bush lackey before that:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doug_Wead

[gratuitous]

31. I'm guessing neither of them is hurting for money

So they're betraying the country and compromising its free and fair elections just for shits and giggles.

[leftieNanner]

24. Did Rachel talk about this?

I missed her show and will pick it up at the repeat.

Oh maaaaan but I want some serious heads to roll on this one.

[Qutzupalotl]

38. No.

Bet she will tomorrow.

[Joinfortmill]

28. Wowza

[demtenjeep]

29. O pleaseTeddy cruise Please please please

got that would be fantastic

[lindysalsagal]

30. No matter who, it was approved by the rnc. Get those leaders, too.

And broadcast this story on all media outlets. The gqp are traitors.

[Liberty Belle]

33. Press release says San Diego FBI is investigating. Anyone know the SD connection?

Also while this is likely Rand Paul, Trump or another corrupt Republican, I don't see the word Republican in the indictment, so slim chance it could be someone in the Democratic primary, though i doubt it.

[lindysalsagal]

35. "Wead and Foreign National 1 attended the political fundraising event for Political Candidate 1 on S

"Wead and Foreign National 1 attended the political fundraising event for Political Candidate 1 on Sept. 22, 2016".

OK: Who's got the interweb skills to nail down all the fundraisers in florida and kentucky on sept 22nd? This is from the justice dept, so, it's real.

And if the GQP are the ones trying to stop the bannon testiimony, then you know it's one of theirs.

[Wednesdays]

43. Reply #8 above

says that tRump had a fundraiser on September 22. But that it was in Pennsylvania.

[Liberty Belle]

36. Open Secrets has more interesting details on this:

https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2021/09/gop-operatives-funneling-russian-money-trump-latest-foreign-straw-donor-scheme/

[lindysalsagal]

37. The money lines: It's tfg:

Although the indictment, made public Tuesday, does not name the foreign national, Forensic News reported that evidence suggests the description of “Foreign National 1” — the Russian who allegedly funded the straw donations — matches Roman Vasilenko. The indictment’s description of “Foreign National 2” shares similarities to Olga Kovalova, a Ukrainian-born translator who has appeared at events with both Wead and Vasilenko.

As evidence, Forensic News pointed to Vasilenko’s ties to Wead and unearthed a picture of Vasilenko posing with Trump at the 2016 fundraiser mentioned in the indictment. A 2016 video also appears to show Vasilenko and Wead at a 2016 fundraiser with Trump.

Tickets to the Philadelphia fundraiser mentioned in the indictment cost at least $25,000, payable as a contribution to the Trump campaign’s joint fundraising committee. As a foreign national, Vasilenko would have been barred by federal law from making contributions to political groups or campaigns to influence U.S. elections. Straw donations, where the source of funding is obscured, are also illegal.

Wead’s longstanding relationship with Vasilenko and Kovalova is evident from their digital footprints.

A.K.A: The Beginning Of The End.

[Hortensis]

45. Interesting, all right. Thanks, Belle.

[burrowowl]

39. Very interesting!

[brewens]

40. I remember one of my MAGA friends going off on Russians about 20 years ago.

He was fishing some lake on northern Washington state and came back with stories about the Russians that had moved in up there. All kinds of weird stuff going on and guys out on the lake at night doing who knows what.

Back then, like myself, he probably would have agreed that any Russian above the rank of dishwasher should have an FBI agent up their butt 24/7! Those guys never trusted the Russians for shit until the republicans were in cahoots with them.

[Native]

41. According to ABC News, it was a Trump fundraiser - link

[link:https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/politico-pardoned-trump-accused-illegal-campaign-scam-80136369|

ABC covered this story in September. This link has more info.

[Grins]

44. This is from Sept. And Doug Wead's attorney: Jay Sekulow

I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.

s/

[Rabrrrrrr]

47. And of course, it's shit like this that is the reason the GQP have never showed "evidence" of fraud

because they know whatever fraud there was all points back to them.

Better to just lie and lie and lie about it but keep saying "We have piles of evidence!!!!" and then blame the judges of bias when they throw cases out...

fucking weasel stains.

[caraher]

48. Help me out here

Do we have any reason to expect this to go above Wead and Benton? Sure, it's possible (even likely) that investigation will reveal further dirty dealing, but I don't see any "big fish" getting into trouble. What am I missing?

The tweet makes no sense to me - the fundraiser in question was in September 2016, so well after the primaries. It's obviously a donation to Trump's campaign and not Rubio or Paul.