Video: Steele calls WaPo allegations “not credible”
posted at 11:54 am on February 8, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
Michael Steele appeared on This Week with George Stephanopoulos to refute charges leveled yesterday by the Washington Post that he had misdirected campaign funds to his sister. The Post received the information through the mistaken release of sealed documents to their reporter, but Steele told the ABC audience that the allegations were unsubstantiated and intended to give prosecutors a reason to lower the sentence of a corrupt former aide:
The Post reported Steele’s 2006 Senate campaign finance chairman has told federal prosecutors that Steele arranged for his 2006 Senate campaign to pay a defunct company run by his sister for services that were never rendered.
“It’s not true,” Steele told me on “This Week” Sunday.
“Those allegations were leveled by a convicted felon who was trying to get a reduced sentence on his conviction,” Steele said. “The reality of it is that the US attorney, as well as the judge, looked at what he presented and it did not apply. He said there was no credibility to it.”
Steele said, “the Washington Post ought to be ashamed of itself for getting out in front of something without all of the facts.”
Steele said he gave the Washington Post documentation showing the receipts that were used and applied toward the $37,000 reimbursement.
“It was a legitimate reimbursement of expenses,” Steele said. “If my sister had not been reimbursed, I and she would have been in violation of McCain-Feingold finance law.”
He’s right about paying defunct companies, especially those that go bankrupt. Just because a company closes its doors does not mean that its assets and liabilities disappear. Anyone owing money to the business would still have to pay, and the money would get disbursed according to its dissolution plan. In a bankruptcy, that money would go to creditors, who would understandably demand to have all bills paid in full.
Steele makes another good point about McCain-Feingold. Had the campaign not reimbursed Monica Turner for her work, it would have become an illegal in-kind contribution. As long as the work his sister did was legitimate — and the Post noted the invoices supplied by Steele to them as comprising most of the money in question — then Steele had no choice but to reimburse Turner through either the defunct business or directly.
Did the Post ask whether the federal investigators have, as Steele claimed, determined that the allegations have no credibility? Or did they just run with the information leaked to them in that highly unusual manner? If they didn’t ask or got no answer, the Post should have held off putting the allegations on their front page, or on any page at all.
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AprilOrit on February 9, 2009 at 1:13 PM
keep that sense of humor – it will serve you well in kindergarden
runner on February 9, 2009 at 1:17 PM
Typical nasty wingnut response. Tell me – what it’s like to be so miserable and unhappy, you poor bastard??
AprilOrit on February 9, 2009 at 1:57 PM
what’s wrong kid, mommy forgot to feed you this morning ?
runner on February 9, 2009 at 2:01 PM
But still you persist…typical…
right2bright on February 9, 2009 at 2:20 PM
Rather then nasty little insults…why don’t you try posting something that makes sense.
You take a sarcastic pot shot at Steele…but what facts do you have to support your attack.
A writer that never looked at the records that Steele provided the U.S. Attorney?
Now, why don’t you try to post something that makes sense…if you can.
right2bright on February 9, 2009 at 2:25 PM
You need 2 come 2 grips with reality. Steele hired a swindler to be his senate campaign finance chairman. His ability to do his job is compromised when he is busy defending himself instead of attacking the enemy.
It might not be fair, but it’s the fact of the situation. I wonder if all of his voters knew about this investigation before making him RNC Chair. I suspect they must have or I’m sure they would be making some noise about this today.
Buddahpundit on February 9, 2009 at 2:43 PM
You get a grip on it…you say swindler, show me, what name and where have they been convicted?
What information do you have (I ask again, which you ignored) that the U.S. Attorney does not have…the one who exoneratated him of any wrong doing?
It is a foolish argument to say that when someone is falsely accused they then should not pursue their job because it is a distraction.
So any politician, when accused of anything, they should then drop out, resign?
This is one article written, and I repeat myself, without that person ever reviewing the facts…the facts have been looked at by the U.S. Attorney, and judges, and nothing was out of order…this is a writer who didn’t do his homework, one writer…and you think Steele should resign?
Good try, no I take that back, yours is a weak argument, a foolish argument, and you should be embarrassed. But you won’t your kind never is…you depend on gossip not fact.
right2bright on February 9, 2009 at 4:59 PM
Orit — Daily KOS clowns blame the great President Bush for clogged pipes….
I did not need to buy a new battery for my SUV today and I credit Steele. Wait till Governor Palin rises from the northwest! Glorious!
IlikedAUH2O on February 9, 2009 at 5:19 PM
Oh I get it, one of your posts stated that you hope Steele is not like Powell or Watts…funny you mentioned only black men.
Do you have a problem?
This is a man who black people threw Oreo’s at…he does not run on color, but you apparently group people by color.
Do you have a problem? Looks like there is more evidence regarding that, then you have of your accusations about Steele and his campaign.
right2bright on February 9, 2009 at 5:21 PM
If you want to pretend that Steele’s senate campaign finance chairman wasn’t a swindler, go ahead. I thought it was an accepted fact.
What’s funny about it? Is skin color suddenly irrelevant? Do you hope Steele is like Powell or Watts? Are you suggesting that I wouldn’t claim that a white RNC Chairman who was embroiled in a federal investigation prior to being elected RNC chairman wouldn’t have the same problem? If anything, it would be worse for the white guy because nobody would be tiptoeing around the obvious problem.
Buddahpundit on February 9, 2009 at 6:29 PM
Well then you should have had no problem listing where the chairman was found guilty of your accusation…if it was fact, show us the fact…
Gee, I don’t think you can…because, once again, you are relying on gossip.
So I state again…show us, or link us to the “fact” that there was swindling, or will you link us to this yahoo who wrote an article he didn’t research.
See how unfounded accusations work? Don’t you think you should retire from posting because you defending this accusation of being a racist is taking up too much time?
See how your little gambit works, when it is turned on you?
You have to defend yourself from being a racist, and you didn’t do a very good job of it. An accusation, unfounded, is just little girl gossip…is it gossip or do you have facts…other words are you a little girl or a man?
It is obvious you don’t like Steele, never have, so whatever facts are posted, you will ignore them.
But I am asking you for just one fact,to back up your statement of a swindler.
Proof please, link to the proof if you must…otherwise you are just a lying, muckracker…a fool looking for attention.
Accusations are nothing without facts…this isn’t a liberal blog where anything you say is taken as truth.
right2bright on February 9, 2009 at 7:34 PM
No I don’t. I don’t care if you think I’m a racist. In fact, by your definition, I might very well be one.
Buddahpundit on February 9, 2009 at 7:50 PM
And your links to your accusation…you seem to have forgotten to include them.
You are a despicable liar, you make an accusation, but then can’t back it up.
I am afraid that you must sit at the little kid’s table, the grown up’s use facts, not gossip.
right2bright on February 10, 2009 at 10:19 AM
You know that someone for the Republicans is feared by the Democrats when the Washington Post and the New York Times attack that person, and black conservatives get hit especially hard.
Michael Steele will do very well as the RNC Chairman.
Phil Byler on February 10, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Are you a special needs child? I’m not going to provide a link to get you to the top of this page. You should be able to navigate your way there. Did you even bother reading the text that Ed included? The person you are defending, Steele’s campaign finance chairman, is the person who is accusing Steele of wrongdoing. He is a convicted swindler who is serving a long prison sentence.
Buddahpundit on February 10, 2009 at 11:16 AM
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