Comments on: 3rd quarter fundraising reports for House races

By: mederatevoter

mederatevoter — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 01:35:02 +0000

According to information put out by the Swalwell campaign Congressman Pete Stark has been “funneling” money – at least $300,000 – from his campaign coffers into his wife’s bank account. I think that’s a major story, so I am wondering why the Times isn’t covering it. Seems like Josh Richmond ought to be all over this story, it’s pretty big.
As I understand it, Stark’s wife is the treasurer of Stark’s campaign committee, but this is a no-show job, she’s the treasurer on paper only, the real work is being done by an outside firm. Apparently what’s happening here is Stark is raising money from special-interest group- fatcat’s in DC and then steering some of that money to his wife by fixing her up with no-show job on his campaign committee. If this is “legal” I feel real strongly it ought not to be. I also read that Stark used money from his campaign committee to pay for a clown to entertain at his kids birthdays parties – specifically somebody called “Mandy the Clown”. These are the same kids Stark marched down to the social security office to sign up for social security, even though Stark himself is worth 30 million dollars!
I feel real strongly Pete Stark has become an embarrassing side-show in the NorCal Congressional delegation, not just because he’s become so wacky and cantankerous, it’s now coming out Stark’s an ethical disaster. Despite his huge wealth – he’s worth 30 million dollars – he can’t resist steering campaign money to his wife, which ultimately ends up his pocket too, since they are married.
I’m wondering how, or why, the NorCal Congressional leadership could sit back and let this ethically challenged loose cannon Pete Stark run for another term, why are Nancy Pelosi and DC special interest fatcats putting their money behind Stark? Haven’t they noticed how much this guy has gone down hill? Ethically he is a total disaster – he’s become a no-show Congressman, he misses a 1/3 of his votes, doesn’t visit his district, cheats on campaign finance (steering campaign money to his wife). I mean this is the kind of stuff you would expect of a Dennis Hassert or a Newt Gingrich. I am outraged the NorCal delegation would not police themselves better than this, we Democrats want honest, ethical candidates for the house, not flim-flam artists which is what Pete Stark has morphed into.
I think the NorCal Democratic delegation has some soul searching to do.

By: Truthclubber

Truthclubber — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 03:22:11 +0000

@2 –

Two words: Money matters.

Your golden boy (Smellwell) would not be begging for more moola if that were NOT the case.

Your boy is LOSING, repeat, LOSING the race to raise the moola needed to make his point — so (a) is what YOUR boy is doing wrong (asking for more moola) or (b) is what YOUR boy is doing (asking for more moola) ineffective?

No other choices, other than (a) or (b), are acceptable for an answer — sorry, you fail if you think otherwise.

By: GV Haste

GV Haste — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 21:43:39 +0000

Pete Stark with $537,749 on hand, all to be spent trying to convince voters his mind is not “cooked”.

Expect mailers using photos, that average age 70 while Pete just turned 81.
No really, go to his website petestark.com
Look at the photos and give a estimate how old each one is. I’d say the average is 10 year old.
With one or two photoshopped recent ones included.

Compare and contrast those with the recent videos of Pete, like the ones from the Chronicle and Tribune.
Now THAT is the real Stark. Old fumbling, licking his fingers, and pretty much totally befuddled.

By: JohnW

JohnW — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:12:17 +0000

This campaign spending is insane and obscene.