🚀 go-pugleaf

In <34626269.488849808@news.swbell.net> xsavieras@swbell.net (Ruben
Rodriguez) writes: 
>
>
>WHY THE COVER-UP?  COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS HAVE CLOSE TIES TO TRIAD:
>
>NICKLES' TOP AIDE MET WITH TRIAD FOUNDER, DONOR ABOUT PUBLICIZING
>GROUP
> Don Nickles' top aide, Leslie Brorsen, met with Triad founder Carolyn
>Malenick and businessman Robert Cone about promoting the group's
>operations in late 1995.  Nickles also appeared in a promotional video
>for Triad Management, in which the group sought donors for what it
>called "a privatized Republican national coalition." [National
>Journal, 9/28/96; Washington Post, 3/9/97; Wall Street Journal,
>4/10/97] 
>
>TRIAD STEERED MONEY TO NICKLES' LEADERSHIP PAC
>In coordinating the conservative PAC community, Triad funneled tens of
>thousands of dollars into several GOP leadership PACs, including
>Nickles' Republican Majority Fund.  The National Journal reported that
>according to FEC data and congressional sources, several Triad clients
>donated heavily to Nickles' PAC.  Triad has been accused of
>orchestrating a money-laundering scheme using PACs -- including
>Nickles' -- to funnel money to GOP candidates.  Donors with ties to
>Triad gave Nickles's PAC at least $18,250.
>[The National Journal, 9/28/96; Wall Street Journal, 4/10/97; FEC
>Records]
>
>NON-PROFIT CONTROLLED BY TRIAD PUMPED LAST-MINUTE MONEY INTO BROWNBACK
>RACE; TRIAD GAVE BROWNBACK CAMPAIGN ADVICE
>In the last weeks of the 1996 campaign, Citizens for the Republic
>Education Fund spent $200,000 on negative ads attacking Sam
>Brownback's opponent, Jill Docking.  Triad and the Citizens for the
>Republic Education Fund have both been subpoenaed by the Senate
>Governmental Affairs Committee and have refused to fully cooperate.
>Clients of Triad Management were apparently advised by Triad to
>contribute to Brownback's campaign, and Triad provided campaign advice
>to Brownback for his 1996 Senate race. [Wichita Eagle, 3/29/97;
>Hartford Courant, 4/10/97; Kansas City Star, 5/25/97; National
>Journal, 9/28/96]
>
>BROWNBACK'S IN-LAWS FUNNELED MONEY THROUGH TRIAD-LINKED PACS TO HIS
>CAMPAIGN
>Brownback took $31,500 from PACs that was apparently funneled through
>the committees by his in-laws in an effort to skirt legal limits on
>contributions to his 1996 campaign.  Brownback's in-laws contributed a
>total of $32,500 to seven PACs, which gave a total of $31,500 to the
>Brownback campaign during the same period in the days immediately
>following the in-laws' contributions.  One of the PACs sent its
>contribution to Brownback to "Sam Brownback for Senate, c/o Triad Mgmt
>Svcs. Inc." at Triad's address. [Kansas City Star, 3/15/97; 4/10/97;
>5/25/97]
>
>* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
>HOW COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS ARE STONEWALLING INVESTIGATION OF TRIAD:
>
>THOMPSON OPENED HEARINGS WITH A PROMISE TO EXAMINE THE ROLE OF
>INDEPENDENT GROUPS
>In his opening remarks, committee chairman Fred Thompson said, "Now,
>when the first phase of these hearings are complete, we will begin the
>second phase, which will address the broader issues concerning our
>electoral process, including the role of soft money and the role of
>independent groups." [FDCH, 7/8/97]
>
>FROM BEGINNING, REPUBLICANS RESISTED SUBPOENAS FOR GOP-LINKED GROUPS
>In April, Republicans on the committee, led by Senator Don Nickles,
>resisted issuing a subpoena for GOP-linked groups including the RNC's
>National Policy Forum and Triad Management. [Roll Call, 4/10/97]
>
>THOMPSON RENEGED ON PROMISE OF WEEK FOR DEMOCRATS TO INVESTIGATE
>GOP-LINKED GROUPS
>When the Governmental Affairs Committee began hearings about campaign
>finance reform, committee Democrats agreed to give up three days
>scheduled for investigating GOP campaign finance abuses, on the
>condition that if the hearings returned to an investigative phase, the
>Democrats would get their three days back.  However, the committee
>returned to investigating the President and the Democratic Party, and
>have not given the Democrats their week. [Roll Call, 10/2/97]
>
>COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS LED FIGHT AGAINST SUBPOENA ENFORCEMENT
>Paul Clark, the spokesman for committee Republicans, said that two
>Republicans on the committee refused to support enforcement of a
>subpoena for the AFL-CIO because they were afraid that if they did so,
>they would have to enforce subpoenas aimed at Republican-linked
>groups. [Washington Post, 10/28/97]
>
>GOP CANCELED TRIAD HEARINGS TO HIDE TRIAD'S DONORS
>Committee Republicans abruptly canceled hearings scheduled for October
>29, which were to address the role Triad played in 1996 Republican
>campaigns, after Democrats on the committee obtained bank records
>revealing Triad's donors. [New York Times, 10/28/97]
>
>* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 
>WHAT WE KNEW ABOUT TRIAD BEFORE THIS WEEK'S DISCLOSURES:
>
>TRIAD ACTIVITIES CALLED 'WORSE TODAY THAN DURING WATERGATE'  
>Bill Hogan of the Center for Public Integrity said, "Triad played the
>role of orchestra leader .... They had an ocean of money, and where it
>comes from and where it goes doesn't have to be disclosed.  These
>organizations skirt the very fine print of the Federal regulations.
>It's secret money, and the level of it is worse today than during
>Watergate." [New York Times, 5/22/97]
>
>TAX-EXEMPT GROUPS RUN BY TRIAD PAID FOR MEDIA CAMPAIGNS TARGETING KEY
>REPUBLICAN RACES 
>In the final days of the 1996 election, tax-exempt non-profit
>organizations poured millions of dollars into attack ads, phone banks,
>and mailings benefitting Republicans in 34 key congressional races.
>Among the tax-exempt groups that paid for the massive media blitz were
>Coalition for Our Children's Future, Citizens for Reform, and Citizens
>for the Republic Education Fund, all of which are exempt from FEC
>disclosure laws.  At least two of the groups are directly run by Triad
>Management Services -- Citizens for Reform and the Citizens for the
>Republic Education Fund.  Tax-exempt groups are legally prohibited
>from engaging in partisan political activities.  [Washington Post,
>3/9/97; Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 10/29/97]
>
>TAX-EXEMPT GROUPS COORDINATED ADS WITH REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES, MAY HAVE
>VIOLATED THE LAW
>Conservative tax-exempt groups coordinated by Triad Management
>Services ran ads on behalf of GOP candidates in tight races last year,
>and in many cases provided the margin of victory for the Republican
>candidate.  Triad apparently met with GOP candidates to determine how
>to best help them win. For example, GOP congressional candidate John
>Thune visited Carolyn Malenick -- who is president of both Triad and
>the tax-exempt Citizens for the Republic Education Fund-- to discuss
>his campaign.  Later, a month before Citizens for the Republic
>Education Fund launched an ad campaign attacking Thune's opponent,
>another Triad employee visited Thune's campaign and wrote a memo about
>what Thune needed to win the race.  "If there is anything we can do to
>help," the memo said, "it would probably be in the area of 501(c)4
>education."  Using Citizens for the Republic Education Fund to "help"
>Thune in his successful election campaign may be a violation of
>federal law prohibiting the use of tax-exempt groups for partisan
>political purposes.  A Triad representative also met with Rick Hill
>(R-MT) shortly before a Triad-linked group began running ads against
>his opponent. [Wall Street Journal, 9/19/97; Time, 11/3/97]
>
>From DNC News, 10/30/97