Many times when someone decides to run for a national political office the reason they give for running is to serve humanity and make the country a better place to live. But politicians in a democracy can mirror those in a socialist country — those with power become wealthy.
Last week this column focused on how Hunter Biden found his way onto boards of foreign and domestic corporations — allegedly because of his last name — and was paid up to twice the going rate despite his lack of knowledge in the companies’ businesses.
There are other ways that politicians legally put money into their families’ bank accounts. They include employment through their office, campaign committee or political action committee.
A report by US News from March 2012 — I couldn’t find anything more current — listed 82 members of congress (40 Democrats and 42 Republicans) who employed family members and 90 congressmen (42 Democrats and 48 Republicans) who paid a family business, employer, or associated nonprofit.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) made the top three on two lists back in 2012 paying her daughter and grandson a combined $495,650 and paying her daughter’s company $408,818.
Democratic Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has also been busy directing money into his wife and family’s wallets.
Sanders started early by employing his wife Jane — before they were married — in his first elected position as mayor of Burlington Vt. The position was head of his administration’s Youth Office. Originally an unpaid position it quickly became paid over the objections of the city council. And of course, the job was never posted allowing others to apply.
After Sanders was elected to Congress Jane has held various positions such as chief of staff, press secretary and political analyst.
In 2000, Sanders’ family formed Sanders & Driscoll LLC, a for-profit consulting company run by Jane, her daughter Carina and son David.
A story on lawenforcementtoday.com reports critics saying that “Sanders doled out more than $150,000 to his wife and stepdaughter for campaign-related work between 2000 and 2004.”
One of Jane’s most lucrative jobs for the Sanders campaign in the past has been that of media buyer. A typical media buyer receives a commission of about 15 percent of the cost for a media campaign.
Do the math. That’s $150,000 on a $1 million buy.
In 2004, Jane Sanders was appointed the head of Burlington College partly because the board thought hiring her would help with fundraising.
In 2009, the college agreed to start woodworking classes through a non accredited company owned by Jane’s daughter, Carina. In just a few short years the college directed more than $500,000 to Carina Sanders’ woodworking school at the same time Burlington College was having financial difficulties.
During the time that Bernie Sanders was on the Senate Budget Committee — which had congressional oversight of the USDA budget — the woodworking school received a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The college was forced to close in 2016.
Politicians also funnel money to their friends and family through foundations. No one had done this better than Bill and Hillary Clinton.
While no one in the Clinton family has been paid directly by the foundation, an internal memo by Doug Brand — a longtime aide to Bill Clinton that was released in 2016 as part of a Wikileaks dump of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta’s hacked emails — details how the Clintons circumvented the law.
“Independent of our fundraising and decision-making activities on behalf of the Foundation, we have dedicated ourselves to helping the President secure and engage in for-profit activities — including speeches, books, and advisory service engagements,” Band wrote. “In that context, we have in effect served as agents, lawyers, managers and implementers to secure speaking, business and advisory service deals. In support of the President’s for-profit activity, we also have solicited and obtained, as appropriate, in-kind services for the President and his family — for personal travel, hospitality, vacation and the like.”
I am not so blind to think this only happens with Democrats. These cases I believe are extreme.
Also, let me be perfectly clear none of my examples are illegal, that is why it is called “soft corruption.” That doesn’t make it right.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/01/25/hunter-biden-joe-biden-burisma-ukraine-impeachment/’
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hunter-biden-ukraine/what-hunter-biden-did-on-the-board-of-ukrainian-energy-company-burisma-idUSKBN1WX1P7
https://thefederalist.com/2019/11/27/hunter-bidens-reported-burisma-payout-was-far-above-comparable-board-compensation/
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hunter-bidens-controversies-explained
https://theintercept.com/2019/10/09/joe-hunter-biden-family-money/
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/02/joe-biden-investigation-hunter-brother-hedge-fund-money-2020-campaign-227407
