Rev. Wright Ads-Who funded the Republican National Trust PAC to the tune of $6.6 million?
"The Republican National Trust Pac" was registered on 9/28/08 but the sneaky bastards waited until this last week to start spending really big money. I've been following the 24-hour contribution notices filed with the FEC and, as of 11/3/08, the RNT PAC has reported spending $6.6 million to date.
By setting up shop this way, the RNT PAC has only had to report contributions of $463k as of 10/31/08. I'm sure the RNT PAC isn't spending $6 million without knowing for certain it can pay for them.
The RNT PAC is registered to Peter Leitner, Scott Wheeler and Joshua M. Ambush who surely are not spending their own money. Wheeler and Leitner's bios are posted on the RNT PAC website. Wheeler produces documentaries and Leitner had some unspecified position with the DoD and then founded the National Center for Bioterrorism at George Mason University. The Koch family, I know, provides a lot of funding for George Mason. On his website, Ambush, a lawyer, specializes in representing victims of terror, whatever that means.
An amendment to the NRT PAC Statement of Organization added U.S. Bank in Sussex Wisconsin as a depositary but I don't know if that is any help linking contributors to the PAC. Contributions are actually made through YourPatriot.com which appears to be owned by Maelstrom Technologies.
Something here smells fishy and I'm going to keep my eye on the RNT PAC FEC filings even after the election.
I got to PA last night and have seen dozens of Wright ads. They were even playing them on the radio during the Steelers-Redskins game. And more this morning. There have, though, been some longer, more positive, Obama ads as well.
Yuk, we only get CBS here and they've got Coulter as a pundit on the morning show.
November 4, 2008 8:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yikes! I made a mistake - it is the National Republican Trust PAC, not the Republican National Trust PAC.
Contributions to PACs are limited to $5k annually. As I noted above, contributions to the NRT PAC to date are $463k, all of which was raised between 10/1/08 and 10/15/08. The total number of contributors is approximately 385 which averages out to $1200 per contribution.
To raise $6 million at that rate, the NRT PAC needs 5,000 more individual contributors. At $5k a pop, that number is 1200 contributors.
If $6 million was not raised between 10/15/08 and 11/03/08, television stations have either extended credit to a PAC in existence for only a month or the debt has been guaranteed by someone or some entity which, I think, is illegal.
November 4, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink