Firm gives $1 million to pro-Romney group, then dissolves

[IDemo]

Source: NBC News

A mystery company that pumped $1 million into a political committee backing Mitt Romney has been dissolved just months after it was formed, leaving few clues as to who was behind one of the biggest contributions yet of the 2012 presidential campaign.

The existence of the million-dollar donation — as gleaned from campaign and corporate records obtained by NBC News — provides a vivid example of how secret campaign cash is being funneled in ever more circuitous ways into the political system.

The company, W Spann LLC, was formed in March by a Boston lawyer who specializes in estate tax planning for “high net worth individuals,” according to corporate records and the lawyer’s bio on her firm’s website.

The corporate records provide no information about the owner of the firm, its address or its type of business.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44011308/

[Historic NY]

1. Sounds sorta illegal and shady..it could be money laundering..

What does the Federal election commission say?

[Henryman]

2. The FEC says it will match the contribution! (jk) n/t

:sarcasm:

[border_town]

12. When it comes to big money and politics

nothing is illegal. :banghead: :grr:

[FreakinDJ]

20. Foreign Governments

[Kevin Cloyd]

35. You know what they'd do to a Democrat with $1 million in funny money

I have a theory on how President Obama got bin Laden, they were able to trace the campaign contribution bin Laden made to the Romney campaign on April 28 through the front company W. Spann LLC.

Bin Laden was shot Navy Seals only 4 days after the anonymous contribution was received by Romney’s PAC.

W Spann LLC was created March 15th and dissolved July 12th. There are no records of any corporate activities other than this political donation.

There is no indication whatsoever that this money did not come from Osama bin Laden.

Clearly bin Laden saw that his only hope to achieve the success that he had seen during the administration of George W. Bush was to return another republican to the White House.

[msanthrope]

13. Could be money laundering?

I'm thinking it is money laundering....

[eShirl]

3. Subtle. lol (n/t)

[Tesha]

4. "W Spann", huh? Malkovich's fake company in "In the Line of Fire" was "MicroSpan" or "uSpan".

I wonder if there's a message there?

Tesha

[Blue_Tires]

9. Warren Spahn? Maybe some kind of baseball joke or reference?

[apnu]

19. Maybe its a Spahn Ranch reference. Could they be part of Charlie's "family?" (nt)

[Demeter]

21. BFEE?

"W" is just too obvious....

[Red Knight]

5. Welcome to our dying democracy

The only vote goes to the largest pile of cash.

Sad days in America.

This is what we've left our children.

[liberal N proud]

6. The Death of Democracy bought and paid for

[Thor_MN]

7. How can a corporation be formed, generate at least $1M and not owe any taxes?

Corporations have too much power. It is way past time to start holding them accountable and making them pay taxes. If corporations are "people" they need to pay taxes like people and be held to the same regulations as people.

[Tesha]

23. Only net revenues are taxes.

If we form a corporation today with $10 million dollars
in venture capital, burn through all of it and never earn
a dime of net profits, we'll never pay any corporate income
taxes.

Tesha

[SpiralHawk]

8. Republicon Occultism.

As usual.

[Blue_Tires]

10. Thank you, supreme court for opening the floodgates

this is only the start...

[primavera]

11. I was going to say, why would anyone bother?

Thanks to Citizens United, it's now perfectly legal for corporations to simply buy elections on ebay.

[Blue_Tires]

17. Some still need the secrecy

1. It takes some ammo out of the opponent's attack because you can't easily say "Romney has been bought off by XXXX corporation!!"

2. This is politics, so more than a little of the money was stolen/swindled/embezzeled to begin with -- CEOs and fund managers playing fast and loose with stockholder cash, megachurches, fake charities, etc.

[primavera]

32. Right, have to keep up appearances

Can't have anyone actually realizing that we live in a plutocracy rather than a democracy - that wouldn't do at all, would it?

My better half and I always wish that representatives would stop pretending that they represent states and begin identifying themselves by their true constituencies: "Mr. Speaker, the Honorable Senator from the great corporation of Exxon wishes to cede such of his time as may be needed to the Honorable Senator from Halliburton."

[TrogL]

14. kick

Found this on slashdot.

[Historic NY]

15. “I don’t see how you can do this,”.................

said Lawrence Noble, the former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission, when asked about the contribution from the now defunct company.

[Tesha]

25. They can (and *WILL*) do *ANYTHING* they can get away with.

Are there *STILL* people who haven't already figured
this out?

Laws mean nothing unless they're enforced.

Tesha

[paparush]

16. The tail continues to vigorously wag the dog.

[apnu]

18. Typical. Republicans are corrupt to the core. (nt)

[glinda]

22. Needs to be investigated.

[Tesha]

26. Who will investigate?

Surely not the Justice Department of President "Let bygones
be bygones" Obama?

Tesha

[MatthewStLouis]

24. I read this on Slate.com. The guy is an expert in "wealth transfer strategies".

These are the people who want YOU to pay more taxes so that THEY can pay even less. What a burden, taking care of all those buckets and buckets of money... God, republicans disgust me.

[Odin2005]

27. Koch shell company?

[Major Hogwash]

28. He'll have to give the money back.

Bachmann is spending $5000 a week on haircare products and makeup, and she needs some of this money.

LoL

[AndyTiedye]

29. "Citizens United" Has Changed Everything

We will never even know whether we were outspent 4 to 1, 10 to 1, or 10000 to 1 last year, or next year.

[harun]

30. Not sure why this is even news. This is the new politics in U.S.A.

Completely legal and completely corrupt.

[keepCAblue]

31. Wouldn't be surprised if the money trail leads right back to the Mormon Church. n/t

[Uncle Joe]

33. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, IDemo.

[TomCADem]

34. More Evidence That Romney Is Corporate America's Chosen One

He the designated "safe" candidate who is inoffensive enough to support radical right wing policies. Remember Compassionate Conservatism?