Progress Kentucky activists behind McConnell tape, Democrat alleges

[cali]

Rat.

Progress Kentucky activists behind McConnell tape, Democrat alleges

Members of the Democratic group Progress Kentucky were behind a leaked recording of a private conversation among Sen. Mitch McConnell and his campaign staff about potential rivals, a local Democrat alleges.

The tape was not made by bugging the Republican senator’s office but by standing in the hallway while the conversation occurred, Jacob Conway, a member of the executive committee of the Louisville/Jefferson County Democratic Party, told news organizations.

Conway told Louisville NPR affiliate WFPL that Shawn Reilly, Progress Kentucky’s executive director, and Curtis Morrison, a former spokesman for the group, had boasted to him about making the tape.

According to Conway’s account, the recording was made in early February, when McConnell held an open house, with media included, to unveil his reelection campaign headquarters in Louisville. Reilly and Morrison were not at the open house, Conway said, but they arrived afterward and heard and taped the private conversation from the hall. The recording was published by Mother Jones, a liberal magazine.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/04/11/kentucky-progress-behind-mitch-mcconnell-leak-democrat-alleges/

[Tx4obama]

1. Mitch McConnell Hit With Ethics Complaint Over Leaked Ashley Judd Tape

Mitch McConnell Hit With Ethics Complaint Over Leaked Ashley Judd Tape
http://sync.democraticunderground.com/1251299000

[KansDem]

2. Using taxpayer money for opposition research?!!

[font size="1"] uh, uh, uh...

[Leslie Valley]

3. So are they saying

That McConnell and his campaign staff can't discuss strategy at his Louisville reelection campaign headquarters?

At least that's what the article says.

What am I missing?

[Tx4obama]

4. Some of them were his 'senate congressional staff', that is different than campaign aides.

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The bigger problem for McConnell is that CREW has filed an FBI complaint against him for misusing official staff for campaign purposes. “Using taxpayer-funded resources to pay staffers to dig up dirt on political opponents isn’t just an ethics violation, it’s a federal crime. Sen. McConnell requested, the FBI is investigating the recording. A thorough and fair investigation necessitates the bureau also inquire into whether Sen. McConnell himself violated the law,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan.

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http://www.politicususa.com/no-mitch-mcconnell-vindicated-progress-kentucky-secret-tape.html

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In the Mother Jones transcript, a campaign strategist at the McConnell meeting in February is quoted as thanking "LAs" or legislative assistants (legislative assistant being a title for a specific congressional staff position) for their work in developing opposition research on potential opponents, including actress Ashley Judd, who has since decided against a run for the Kentucky seat.

"So I'll just preface my comments that this reflects the work of a lot of folks: Josh, Jesse, Phil Maxson, a lot of LAs, thank them three times, so this is a compilation of work, all the way through," the unidentified strategist is quoted as saying in the liberal magazine's transcript.

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http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/04/11/was-it-three-times-or-free-time-on-mcconnell-tape/