ALLEGATIONS OF ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS ROCK SOCIALIST CAMPAIGN
The insurgent Democratic presidential campaign of independent socialist U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has been exceeding expectations all over the map … which we view as a good thing.
“Make no mistake: Sanders ideas are terrible – and he would be an unmitigated disaster as president,” we wrote earlier this week. “But we see the potential for the populist wave he is riding to destroy official Democrat-dom the way Trump is taking a sledgehammer to the GOP establishment.”
In his campaign against Hillary Clinton, Sanders has drawn huge crowds and an army of volunteers.
He’s also getting some unconventional help from … Australia? Yes … and according to one conservative watchdog organization, that assistance is being provided in direct violation of federal law.
According to Project Veritas Action – a New York-based group founded by conservative activist James O’Keefe – Sanders’ campaign has been using activists provided by the Australian Labor Party as volunteers.
In other words, Australian tax dollars are allegedly being used on behalf of an American presidential candidate.
That would certainly appear to be a prima facie violation of federal campaign law (52 U.S.C. ~30121, to be precise), which holds that it is unlawful for foreign nationals to directly or indirectly make a “contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State or local election.”
This week, O’Keefe’s group released a video exposing what it referred to as “illegal volunteers inside the Bernie Sanders campaign.”
“The investigative trail begins when undercover journalists secretly filmed members of the Bernie Sanders team destroying (Donald) Trump campaign signs on private property in New Hampshire,” the website reported.
Here’s the clip …
(Click to play)
(Vid: Via)
Very interesting …
“We kept meeting up with these young Australians in the Bernie Sanders campaign,” O’Keefe said in the video. “When we heard why and how they came to be in the U.S. we were really curious.”
That curiosity led to an investigation – one which revealed that the Australians working for Sanders “had their airfare paid for” and also received “a daily stipend as well as getting their housing paid for.”
Not only that, it appears as though efforts were made to keep their activities hidden from taxpayers back home.
“The Australians were warned not to post their activities on social media,” the Project Veritas report noted. “The concern was that the conservative government in Australia wouldn’t be too happy about how Australian tax dollars were being spent to help elect Bernie Sanders president of the United States.”
In fact one of the Australians admitted as much on hidden camera …
“…and so like my flights, and my travel amounts is all paid for, technically by the taxpayer, so they have had issues in the past, where like if I post a photo of myself in front of the Statue of Liberty, and the next morning it will be on the front of a newspaper, they’d be like, you know like, ’21-year-old student uses tax payer’s money to go on holiday. Like, what a disgrace… …There is nothing wrong with what I am doing here because the money is literally given to us for that sole reason, but if we post on social media it gives the current government an excuse to get rid of the program to save money. If that makes sense.”
Wow …
Sanders and the scandal-scarred Clinton face off in South Carolina on Saturday. According to the latest aggregate data from RealClearPolitics, Clinton enjoys a 24.1 percent lead – although she once led by more than fifty percentage points.
We’ve heard no reports of these Australian volunteers participating in Sanders’ Palmetto State operations, although Project Veritas indicated it investigated South Carolina leads in preparing its report.
33 comments
If true, its bad news for Bernie. He probably did not intend to do anything wrong and got tripped up on a technicality, but the law is the law. The truth is there is so much foreign money flowing into American politics these days its pitiful. Citizens United has made it impossible to know where the money is coming from. The Chinese Government could be funneling hundreds of millions of dollars in through its corporate connections and there would be no way for us to ever find out. This is the new norm, the Citizens United legacy.
Yep, multinational corporations pour millions into the election cycle and nobody bats an eye.
James O’Keefe – When one reads his name they know to be very skeptical of whatever he is claiming.
Just like Will Folks, but more successful.
Just In: My sources have confirmed that the Aussie Invaders have only one mission — to teach Bernie how to sing and dance to the famous ditty, “Waltzing Matilda”. Bernie will show off his talent premiering on Super Tuesday at every stop. The world eagerly waits…. and wonders.
Just saw Bill Clinton today. He was looking tired, but as engaging as ever. What a speaker. He is going to be a great First Man!!
Did he give you any medical advice, like “put some ice on that lip”?
Did he have a cigar in hand?
Do you think he was gifting those to Hillary? “Bill I have heard of Hav-A-Tampa brand but these kosher hav-a-tuna ones are the bomb!”
Sven and Ole are sitting in the boat fishing, and nothing much is biting, and the conversation chances onto the topic of birth control, and so Sven says to Ole, “What do you and Lena do for birth control?”
And Ole says “Oh we use the condom and ice cube method”.
And Sven says “I’ve never heard of that Ole, how’s it work?”
And Ole says “Oh, well, when I go to put the condom on, I put a couple of those little ice cubes in first.”
And Sven says “Yimminy Ole, isn’t that awfully cold?”
And Ole says “Yah sure it is Sven, but it really helps keep the swelling down.”
I hope Bernie is reading FITS right now. He could use a laugh.
There’s no need for too much excitement — there are many more primaries to get through until July …..
Volunteer work is considered “contribution or donation of money or other thing of value” now?
http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/volact.shtml
Can I volunteer for a campaign committee if I am not a U.S. citizen?
Even though a foreign national cannot make campaign contributions or expenditures (including advances of personal funds), he or she can serve as an uncompensated volunteer for a campaign or political party. However, the individual may not serve in a decision-making capacity within the committee. For example, a foreign national is allowed to attend campaign strategy meetings and events, but may not be involved in the management of the committee.
He is a Fucking Socialist Cockroach, what the hell did you expect
O’Kweef is a proven fraud with a horrible record of blatantly altering footage to subvert the truth.
Of course FitsNews and his fans would eat this garbage up. They still believe those fake PP videos are real.
Yep, most of them get their news from the Fake News Network. They love nothing better than news that tells them what they want to hear.
Shut ins with FoxNews. Today’s GOP voters.
thanks for the information, I will edit my remarks accordingly:
He is a Fucking Socialist Cockroach, expect it to be true
You’re a socialist too. How’s that Social Security treating you?
In fairness to him, he wasn’t given a choice on whether he could participate in Social Security or not, so it’s not fair to label him a socialist as he might have opted out if given a choice.
Nope. Live it or STFU.
Like Limbaugh and Hanity raging against unions, while belonging to more than one union themselves.
Jesus Christ don’t you have something better to do than stick your dick in someone else’s peanut butter
The fact that I or anyone else draws Social Security doesn’t make one a Socialist
The fact that I once had a business doesn’t make me a Capitalist
The fact that I voted for Haley doesn’t make me a Republican
The fact that I voted for Bill Clinton doesn’t make me a Democrat
The fact that I do not attend Church doesn’t make me an atheist
But there is one fact, you are one stupid mother fucking piece of shit
And you are a hypocrite. A complete, whiny, shit talking socialist hypocrite. And, I guess, a cockroach…by your own definition. Have a nice day enjoying your socialist pay check ;-)
bless your heart
let me know where you want your social security and medicare payments sent
hate to see you become a whiny,shit talking socialist hypocrite
what’s that, oh you are already one – surprise, surprise, surprise
That makes no sense. How is he supposed to “live it” when he’s not given a choice as to whether the Feds take his money or not? What’s he supposed to do, let them take his money and not seek any of it back?
That’s preposterous.
And the public roads? And the public police/fire? And Medicare? And public utilities? You like the Army? How about the Navy? Maybe if you used the public library, you could get an f’ing clue and educate yourself about what Democratic Socialism really is, but I’m sure you’ll just stick to Faux news.
The PV journalist must have been smoking hot because she reeked of the smell of mole. It is amazing how a woman can turn a man’s mind to mush.
Where in Hades did you get this crap? Oh, James O’keefe!!! Willie you’re really sick! Yellow journalism would be a compliment. Willie you must not have anything positive to do than write and repeat this utter crap.
“A dingo ate my baby”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW2vyytxCGM
http://40.media.tumblr.com/fc7a4330ebf1c8ebc6b42e581d0bbb7f/tumblr_nr77gziZZV1riy75so1_1280.jpg
Tax dollars are tax dollars be they our or the Aussies, The Bern will spend em.
This is about the dumbest thing Mr. Integrity could do.