GOP's record haul, that's now pissed away, unethical methods used to squeeze money out their base

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Grifters gonna grift

Remember what happened when Michael Steele (yes that one) was RNC chair?

Spending and Strippers: RNC Spree Raises Questions

Chairman Michael Steele is under fire for hefty expenses.

By CLAIRE SHIPMAN
March 30, 2010, 7:46 AM

March 30, 2010— -- Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele is in the hot seat after reports of a spending spree on the organization's payroll, including a controversial fundraiser at a Hollywood strip club.

It's the sort of lavish spending that sounds as though it would have taken place in better economic times -- $17,000 for private jet travel, $13,000 for limousines and car services and $9,000 for a trip to the Beverly Hills hotel.

But what the RNC is probably taking criticism for the most is a nearly $2,000 fundraiser on RNC's dime at Voyeur West Hollywood, a risque nightclub in Los Angeles. The expenses were not racked up by Steele but by staffer Erik Brown in the name of entertaining young Republicans. The strip joint is modeled on the 1999 movie "Eyes Wide Shut" and includes women acting out voyeuristic scenes in live art installations. Brown, a Republican operative and president of California-based Dynamic Marketing Inc., said he would reimburse the RNC for the $1,946.25 bill he racked up.

(snip)

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Politics/rnc-spending-spree-raises-questions-michael-steele-takes/story?id=10238151

Fast-forward a decade...

‘It’s a rip-off’: GOP spending under fire as Senate hopefuls seek rescue

A cash crunch at campaigns and the NRSC set off a panic as GOP candidates emerged from bruising primaries playing catch-up in polls and advertising

By Isaac Arnsdorf
Updated August 20, 2022 at 12:07 a.m. EDT|Published August 19, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. EDT


Republican Senate hopefuls are getting crushed on airwaves across the country while their national campaign fund is pulling ads and running low on cash — leading some campaign advisers to ask where all the money went and to demand an audit of the committee’s finances, according to Republican strategists involved in the discussions.

In a highly unusual move, the National Republican Senatorial Committee this week canceled bookings worth about $10 million, including in the critical states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Arizona. A spokesman said the NRSC is not abandoning those races but prioritizing ad spots that are shared with campaigns and benefit from discounted rates. Still, the cancellations forfeit cheaper prices that came from booking early, and better budgeting could have covered both.

“The fact that they canceled these reservations was a huge problem — you can’t get them back,” said one Senate Republican strategist, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. “You can’t win elections if you don’t have money to run ads.”

The NRSC’s retreat came after months of touting record fundraising, topping $173 million so far this election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures. But the committee has burned through nearly all of it, with the NRSC’s cash on hand dwindling to $28.4 million by the end of June.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/08/19/gop-senate-rescue-midterms/

Aug 23, 2022 - Politics & Policy
Rick Scott's ill-timed Italian vacation


Jonathan Swan, Josh Kraushaar, Alayna Treene


Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is spending part of his congressional recess on a luxury yacht in Italy with his family after criticizing President Biden for vacationing in Delaware, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: Scott is the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, whose job is to win back a GOP majority in the upper chamber. Republicans' prospects for winning back the Senate have been worsening over the course of the summer, according to polling and analysis.

Scott is already under fire for his management of the committee.

Vacationing in Europe while Republicans face cash problems and rough headlines about their midterm chances could further hurt his standing with his GOP colleagues.

The big picture: Scott has been taking heat from Republican detractors who have criticized his job of recruiting strong candidates and managing the committee's spending this cycle.

Republican candidates are underperforming across the Senate landscape. Trump-endorsed nominees are trailing in must-win states like Pennsylvania and Arizona. A top Republican super PAC was forced to spend $28 million backing author J.D. Vance's campaign in GOP-friendly Ohio.

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https://www.axios.com/2022/08/23/rick-scott-senate-republicans-vacation-italy

That $1.6 billion? Interesting article about that and the stipulations on use (i.e., the PAC that was handed "ownership" of the Tripp-Lite (UPS/surge-protectors/power strips) company and then sold it to someone else to get that money, is apparently focused on judicial nominees) - https://www.propublica.org/article/dark-money-leonard-leo-barre-seid