AP Investigation: Rehberg Underreports Lobbyist Donations
On February 5, 2012, the Associated Press reported:
But an Associated Press analysis of campaign finance disclosure reports through October turned up nearly three dozen lobbyists, who donated a total of about $20,000 to Rehberg's campaign, with their employment left blank on disclosure forms.
Washington Post: On Campaign Trail, Romney Skips Questions In Taking Up Mantle Of Likely GOP Nominee
On February 5, 2012, the Washington Post reported:
Mitt Romney answered his last question from a voter three weeks ago, and just about every day since then, he has swept through towns across America like a whistling train conductor proclaiming, “All aboard.” [...] Although Romney’s avoidance of questions from voters helps prevent him from making unforced errors, it does pose a risk that voters may see him as too cautious, calculating and detached.
Springfield News-Leader: Brunner Has As Much As $108 Million In Assets
On February 3, 2012, the Springfield News-Leader reported:
But a significant portion of his holdings are in investments related to precious metals. American Bridge, a Democratic political action committee (PAC), noted that of the investments in his personal trust, about 90 percent are related to gold, silver or other metals. For example, Brunner has between $1 million and $5 million in the Tocqueville Gold Fund, which invests in companies that mine or process gold. And he has between $100,000 to $250,000 in the Hecla Mining Company, which is engaged in the silver, gold, lead and zinc markets.
POLITICO: Brown Pays Own Daughter To Sing
On February 3, 2012, POLITICO reported:
he Brown campaign made three payments to Ambient Entertainment, the company that represents Ayla Brown, since the end of 2010 — $5,000 on Dec. 3, 2010, $500 on Oct. 5, 2011 and $4,000 on Dec. 7, 2011, for a grand total of $9,500, according to 2010 and 2011 FEC filings.
Boston Globe: Scott Brown’s Daughter Was Paid $9,500 To Sing At Campaign Events
On February 3, 2012, the Boston Globe reported:
Family members often help out on campaigns, stuffing envelopes, making phone calls, and smiling on stage. Usually, it’s for free. Senator Scott Brown’s campaign has spent $9,500 since December 2010 to pay his daughter to sing at three campaign events, including a pair of Christmas parties.
POLITICO: Brunner's $12,500 For 'Media Coaching'
On February 2, 2012, POLITICO reported:
A review of his Federal Election Commission filing by the Democratic group American Bridge discovered just how much went into the making of candidate John Brunner.
Huffington Post: Denny Rehberg, GOP Congressman And Senate Hopeful, Blasts Child Labor Regulations
On February 2, 2012, the Huffington Post reported:
In a speech expounding on the rift between rural America and Washington D.C., Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) vowed Thursday to use his funding powers to stop the Obama administration from implementing new child-labor rules pertaining to agricultural work, accusing the "urban" Labor Department of meddling in a "rural" industry it doesn't understand.
BuzzFeed: Marco Rubio Spent Big To Research Himself
On February 2, 2012, BuzzFeed reported:
Marco Rubio isn't running for anything right now, but that didn't stop him from spending more than $20,000 on a top national research firm to check out his own vulnerabilities. [...] "...Now press are digging into things like his family history and his student loans, while liberal Super PACs like American Bridge are doing oppo dumps. So of course we have to do our homework so we can the record straight," said the aide. "The fact that you have sources combing through our FEC report within hours of it being posted says all you need to say about why we are doing our own research." And indeed: The spending was brought to BuzzFeed's attention by American Bridge, a Democratic opposition research group.
AP: Romney Stock Trades Clash With Divestment Pledge
On February 2, 2012, the Associated Press reported:
During his presidential campaign in 2007, Republican candidate Mitt Romney promised that a trust overseeing his financial portfolio would shed any investments that conflicted with GOP positions toward Iran, China, stem cell research and other issues. But Romney's family trusts kept some of those stocks and repeatedly bought new investments in similar holdings as recently as 2010, when they were sold in advance of his latest White House campaign, a detailed review of Romney's financial records by The Associated Press shows. Recently disclosed 2010 tax returns for three family trust funds for Romney, his wife, Ann, and their adult children show scores of trades in such investments, worth more than $3 million when the holdings were all sold in 2010.
TPM: Romney Team Silent On Key Offshore Tax Avoidance Question
On February 1, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:
Romney has disclosed a substantial individual retirement account (IRA) that, as the Wall Street Journal first noted, could have made offshore investments that circumvented an obscure U.S. tax called the Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT).